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1997 Lesabre Wiring/Climate Controls


nkmhockey
11-09-2008, 09:35 AM
1997 Buick Lesabre Custom
111,000 miles

Question #1:
I am installing a remote start system, and I am attempting to locate the wire for the headlight switch. Any documentation I can find says it should be a white wire, and due to the large current required for the headlights the wire should also be fairly large. I could not find a matching wire anywhere in the gromet running through the driver side door hinge. Any ideas on the exact color or location? I also could not find a way to remove the switch on the door panel to look at the wiring connector.

Question #2:
Does anyone have the wiring pinout for the connector on the back of the climate controls? I have wiring diagrams in the Chilton repair manual, but there is no wire dedicated to the rear-defroster. I want to find a way to connect it to the remote start so I can have the rear-defroster on every time I use the starter.

Question #3:
I have the single-climate control system. When I put the heater on, hot air ONLY blows out on the passenger side of the vehicle. Air blows out on the driver's side, but it is not hot, it feels like it is just vent air. The air on both sides moves properly between bottom, mid, and top vents. I checked the actuators near the glove compartment and they appear to move fully when the temperature is adjusted. I read that there may be a mixing unit on top of the dash near the windshield, is this true? How do I get to it? The documentation on this subject in the Chilton and Haynes are very vague at best.

Thanks in advance,
Nick

ponchonutty
11-10-2008, 09:31 PM
+ parking lights is brown @ the switch or you may find it low in the driver's kick. For the defrost you'll just have to meter the wires on that. None of the info I have states which wire that is out of there. You could press the switch and listen for the "click" and find the relay it uses and tap in there. As far as the hot/cold issue you have I can't help you there.

nkmhockey
11-10-2008, 10:43 PM
The defroster wire is WHITE and is in the main wiring harness, NOT the smaller harness on the left-hand side of the climate controls. The relay can easily be heard, but it is furthur accross the car, mounted on the far right hand side of the passenger compartment. I will be using a relay, a timer (the timer is built-in on the climate controls, but I will be bypassing them), and a toggle switch (for the summer months). The wiring will be complicated, because the button on the climate controls grounds the circuit, it does NOT provide 12V.

For the headlights, I am not interested in the parking lights, just the headlights. I cannot find a white wire anywhere below the driver kick panel nor in the gromet going to the driver side door panel that matches. I cannot find a way to remove the headlight switch on the driver side door to look at the wiring harness, either. Does anyone happen to know how to remove the switch? Also, I am not certain about the wiring colors because of the DRL's and the light sensing unit on the top of the dash, does that change anything?

For the climate controls, I am completely stumped, and I have no idea where else to turn. I had the entire dash apart checking everything. All the actuators on the panels for the individual ducts all move freely and completely when adjusting the temperature. The air DOES flow properly on the driver's side bottom, mid, and top, but it is definately not heated air. I checked the vacuum connections on the heater programmer mounted on the right hand side of the heater core, everything seemed fine.

The AC actuator on top of the heater core APPEARS to move properly. But from what I have read the only way to know for sure is to remove the actuator and check for stripped/cracked gears.

I have the single climate HVAC system, not dual climate controls. Is the duct system the same on all Lesabres? Tehcnically if the AC actuator IS broken, I should either be getting all hot air, or no hot air, not half and half. If my theory is correct, the ducting system is the same as the dual climate system, and I am praying that the actuator is just stuck half open.

If anyone has any other ideas, please let me know, otherwise I will be removing the actuator the next chance I get.

Thanks!

ponchonutty
11-11-2008, 05:51 PM
Oh, sorry. I always use the parking lights and not headlights. I've never had someone wanting me to use the headlights to turn the lights on before. Well, my suggestion is to get into the door boot and find the wire that test - when you turn the headlights then grab it there. It's tough to get a hold of wires in that car because things are so jammed in there!!!

nkmhockey
11-11-2008, 05:58 PM
I actually never use my parking lights, I only use my headlights. That is what I have been trying to do, but space is limited, and the wiring is a rats nest in there. I was hoping to have a color, because so far I cannot find the correct wire, and I am not sure I will ever be able to check them all properly individually.

I still have NO idea what all those wires are for, I mean even if you figure a speaker, headlight, parking light, 4 windows, and mirror, there is still an insane number of wires jammed in there! Does anyone know if there is a good place to tap the wire near the driver kick-pad, I have had the entire dash apart multiple times.

Thanks for the suggestions!

HotZ28
11-11-2008, 08:13 PM
have the single climate HVAC system, not dual climate controls. Is the duct system the same on all Lesabres? No, the dual air is quite different.
Tehcnically if the AC actuator IS broken, I should either be getting all hot air, or no hot air, not half and half. Not if the actuator broke with the blend door somewhere in between.
If my theory is correct, the ducting system is the same as the dual climate system, and I am praying that the actuator is just stuck half open.I think you may have the right theory here, except the dual air is different. Is the actuator moving the rod to the blend door lever? If not, that is your problem. Take the rod off of the blend door and see if you can move the door by hand. Some folks remove the rod from the blend door lever and use a coat hanger to move the blend door until they install a new actuator. :screwy: The diagram below, is of a typical GM "single climate control" system.

http://img387.imageshack.us/img387/2501/hvacsystemxx9.jpg

nkmhockey
11-11-2008, 08:46 PM
I was under the impression that the actuator is the device on top of the heater core, that the silver rod attatches to, is it not?

Currently, the silver bar moves properly accross the full circumference of the actuator (180 degrees). Is there any way to forcibly move the blend door without removing the actuator? I am under the impression that if the gears are cracked or stripped (common problem) that the actuator has to be removed completely to check.

Are there any tips for removing the actuator? I was going to use the access panel up by the windshield to get it out. Second, is it possible to move the blend door by hand with the actuator off?

Thanks SO much for the diagram, it is an immense help! Keep the suggestions coming, I will be looking at the problem sometime this weekend.

HotZ28
11-11-2008, 09:12 PM
I was under the impression that the actuator is the device on top of the heater core, that the silver rod attatches to, is it not?That is correct.Currently, the silver bar moves properly accross the full circumference of the actuator (180 degrees). Is there any way to forcibly move the blend door without removing the actuator? I am under the impression that if the gears are cracked or stripped (common problem) that the actuator has to be removed completely to check.Snap the rod off of the actuator and see if you can move the door by hand.

nkmhockey
11-12-2008, 07:31 PM
I cannot rip the dash apart again until the weekend, but I did some tests.

Does anyone have any other ideas for what could be wrong in case the actuator is working properly?

I have my doubts, because when you slide the temperature slider from hot to cold, both the drivers side and passenger side change successfully. To me, this implies that the actuator IS working properly. If the actuator is not moving the door completely from side to side, could that make as drastic a difference as I am noticing?

On heat, the passenger side blows burning air, and the drivers side blows air, not hot, but not outside temperature. On cool, both sides blow cold air, but the drivers side is significantly cooler than the passengers side.

I also tried closing the vents on the passenger side, on heat, to see if the drivers side air got any warmer. I did not have a thermometer with me, so I cannot say for sure if the difference was small or merely the placebo effect.

Any other suggestions? Thanks for the tips so far!

HotZ28
11-12-2008, 07:44 PM
Does anyone have any other ideas for what could be wrong in case the actuator is working properly?The actuator may be working, but it can also be out of calibration.

nkmhockey
11-12-2008, 07:50 PM
Is re-calibration possible? Easy? Are there directions readily available? I want to be able to get this fixed when I have the dash apart, this will be my second time disassembling the entire dash, and while it gets easier each time, I would like to avoid doing it again :smile:

HotZ28
11-12-2008, 09:05 PM
When you remove the actuator rod, you can manually move the blend door to full heat, then set your control to full heat, and reconnect the rod. Once this procedure is complete, turn the system on and move the temp control from full heat back to full cold setting while watching & feeling the operation.

ponchonutty
11-13-2008, 06:34 AM
Wouldn't you know I did a remote start on a '99 Buick yesterday (which is the same as a '97) I found the white wire for the headlights in the driver's door boot.

I actually never use my parking lights, I only use my headlights. That is what I have been trying to do, but space is limited, and the wiring is a rats nest in there. I was hoping to have a color, because so far I cannot find the correct wire, and I am not sure I will ever be able to check them all properly individually.

I still have NO idea what all those wires are for, I mean even if you figure a speaker, headlight, parking light, 4 windows, and mirror, there is still an insane number of wires jammed in there! Does anyone know if there is a good place to tap the wire near the driver kick-pad, I have had the entire dash apart multiple times.

Thanks for the suggestions!

nkmhockey
11-15-2008, 07:12 PM
I removed the dash today. I removed the actuator rod, and was able to move the blend door by hand manually. It moved from side to side completely, but made zero difference in the air temperature on the drivers side.

I followed the steps listed to re-program the actuator when I re-connected it, just in case. I have absolutely NO idea what else to try. I have checked all the vacuum connections on the heater programmer and all seemed normal. I checked the engine vacuum at the block with a gauge and I noticed nothing unusal.

I removed one of the control doors under the center of the dash, I presume its function is to direct air between bi-level and heat, and that made no difference. If the air correctly blows on both sides of the vehicle, and moves correctly between front, bi-level, and heat, what else could the problem be? Everything in the system appears to check out fine.

There must either be a hidden door/deflector/control or there is an obstruction in the duct system. Does anyone have any way to check the ducts, or a diagram of the ducts? I cannot determine how the drivers side ducts connect to the passenger side. Is there a door, is it open, where is the connection, can it be blocked?

If anyone has any other ideas to try, please let me know. Thanks for all the suggestions so far!

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