QuestionQUESTION: From my last post I had indicated that I replaced the little motor that control one of the door trap(it was very noisy).
Here are some results I capture following instructions I followed from another Web site.
- I checked the LED of the front panel while the car ignition cycle started. None of the LEDs flashed during the ignition cycle.
- After triggering the Diag test, the RearWiper and Intermittent LEDs continuously flashed alternatively while the diagnostic took place. After a few minutes of air flow changes, the RearWiper LED flashed once and paused, then flashed 1x, while the Intermittent LED did not glow.
- After depressing on the Wash button once: the Intermittent LED continuously flashed very quickly (oscillating) while the RearWiper LED blinked 2x, then pause, then 2x, etc
- After depressing on the Wash button once more: the Intermitted LED continuously blinked at regular speed while the RearWiper LED blinked 3x, then pause, then 3x, etc
- After depressing on the Wash button once more: the Intermitted LED blinked 4x, then short pause, then 7x while the RearWiper LED blinked 4x, then pause, then 4x, etc
- After depressing on the Wash button once more: the Intermitted LED continuously flashed at regular/fast speed, while the RearWiper LED blinked 5x, then pause, then 5x, etc
- After depressing on the Wash button once more: the results cycled back to the beginning
Note again that the car has some heat but not as much as it used to have. The temperature gauge is nearly half after running the engine for 10 min.
I hope this helps analysing my current problem. Merry Christmas! Francis
ANSWER: Hi Francis,
I tried to interpret what you wrote but have had difficulty relating it to what is shown in my '98 manual. Because I don't have a van and so haven't tried this myself, I may be unable to interpret the results. I can't locate your original question so I can't be certain what you asked and what I answered but if you will give me a date for that I would be able to bring it up.
My suggestion though would be for me to copy the 6 or so pages from the manual that describe these diagnostics and postal mail them to you. I would hope that with them in hand you can make some sense of the flashing lights. Please let me know a postal mailing address and I will do that copuing and mailing. I may still be able to do that this afternoon on the west coast and get it on its way.
Once you have a handle on it, then we can get into specific repair details.
Roland
PS:May I ask a favor? I am seeking to be the 'volunteer of the month' at all experts, which is achieved by obtaining the most nominations from questioners. If you will click on the "Thank/rate the expert" button below you will be taken to a page where the question is raised of your making such a nomination. If you would enter 'yes' I would be most appreciative.
Merry Christmas!
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks Roland for being so prompt, especially in this Holiday Season. I hope that this festive period and the year to come is is filled with joy and peace of mind.
I will be most happy to rate you. I am wondering if I can still send you follow up questions, after rating you or should wait after the problem is cornered? At the time of writing this follow up question (in MS Word) the follow up question tab brought me to a page where you were not available.
The following is the initial question I thought I had successfully sent. Apparently, it was not sent, as I had not received email confirmation. Here is the content (between underline scores) of the original question I had saved under a Word document.
_ - _ _ _ _
We are now in the winter season and my Voyager LE 1996 3.3liter has a heating problem. It is likely related to the little electric motor that control heater doors, which I have replaced a few months ago after months of noises when starting the car or turning heat/ventilation in the car.
After the installation of the motor, I realised that I was getting some heat when I wanted cold air, and now, when I want a lot of heat the exhaust has heat but it is not as warm as it used to be. I believe I did something wrong when I replaced the motor (may be called actuator) in the same position (I thought) as I took away the older one. This is the little motor found near the main blower, under the glove compartment.
The fan works well on all speed notches. The temperature control levers for the driver and passenger moves well from left to right and right to left. Still heat is limited and the door trap sounds like it shuts well.
Any suggestions on how to resolve my problem?
_ - _ _ _ _
With your last response, and some related responses I read, I am wondering if I should look under the steering column to investigate if I can see anything that would appear abnormal when changing the mode of the heating system.
As far as the document you have, I am wondering if it is something you could send electronically as PDF (Acrobat) or as simply as photo files (from a digital camera). That would most expedite the process. Temperature (near 0 degree Celsius or 32 degrees F) is most unusually warm at this time of the year here in Ottawa, ON, Canada. However this will not last and I will not be able to address my problem in the best condition once the temperature deepens as it should be.
I am not sure if I was clear at all in my description of the diagnostic results. The way I read my results (and I may be wrong) the diag test showed failure as I had the Rear Wiper LED blinking once at the end of the process.
My reading of the Code 4 and 7 under what I understand to be the Level 4 would somewhat make sense to me: - since Code 4 has to do with the actuator not reaching heat stop, and Code 7 with actuator not reaching cold stop.
After reading some other responses on part replacement, I now realise my mistake when I replaced the little motor. I started the car a few times while holding the new motor connected in my hand, in an attempt to have the moving arm in the same position of the previous motor, before putting it in place. This may have change the whole setting.
By the way, I had my car serviced last week and had a greatly needed radiator flush to get rid of debris and eliminated some potential infiltration problem as there was some yellow foam on top of the fluid. So far so good. To address the heating problem I had the thermostat replaced but this had no apparent impact on my problem. Since reading some of your answers I understand that this is more a calibration issue.
Q. Should the calibration process take place with the diagnostic or is it triggered by the user separately? I supposed that I only did the diagnostic where the RearWiper and Intermittent LEDs flashed alternatively.
Cheers! Francis
AnswerHi Francis,
Thanks for the New Year wished for me, and I hope you are enjoying Boxing Day!
You are invited to Thank/rate/nominate each of my answers. So please go ahead, thanks. I believe you can always ask a follow-up too, but if I am 'maxed out' you have to catch me when 'available'. I try to answer one question at a time so as not to get bogged down/max out for the day.
Now as to the problem at hand, the actuator that you decribed as being near the blower and under the glove box is actually for the re-circ/fresh air input choice, not the temp or distribution mode choices. Levels 4 (driver) and 7 (passenger) refer to the blend heat/cool door, but one may be due to your unit only having a single blend door (not a separate door for the passenger side). Those latter actuator(s) are on the left end of the box and you have to go for those by dropping the underdash panel on the left side, and if you have it move the abs module, which then allows you access to the left end of the box. I wounder if the input of fresh air being the only source is what is causing a reduced heat output? I believe that the calibration is also being done when you do the initial diagnostic testing.
On how to communicate the info, I am working from the '98 hard copy manual, which has all the detailed pages that I described. With no scanner, and only a modest digital camera I doubt that it would be readable if I tried to photo the pages. Thus my proposal to xerox and postal mail to you. I can do that today and get them in the mail this afternoon. I would hope they will get to Canada reasonably quickly. So let me know a mailing address if that is acceptable to you.
Because of currency exchange issues, I will copy and send these gratis.
Thanks for you understanding, and for giving me so much info. The system and its paperwork is just overwhelming to service via typing info into q and a's.
I appreciate your giving me whatever nominations you feel warranted. There is no limit as to the number you can offer, just one per answer however, of course. So feel free to do the response to the first answer and to this answer.
Roland
