'96 Climate Control Repair
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 507
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From: Youngstown Oh
'96 Climate Control Repair
Below is a "Cut and Paste" of a post I made in 2006. Back then my climate control buttons failed to respond to commands and I removed the control box to clean the contacts. Now 11 years later it is doing it again. The old post is still in the archives and is closed to comments.
One thing to add: Mine is an LT4 6speed. There may be some differenced with the shift plate for the automatic and some of the old replies referenced not getting the shift lock assembled correctly the first time. The following is the old instructions....................
My climate control function buttons on my ’96 worked intermittently until this summer when all of them stopped. I did a forum search and found instructions that helped me remove the climate control box and clean the internal button contacts. Thank you, thank you thank you! It took an hour and works like new now. This is a really “easy” do it yourself fix and sure beats the dealer $375 charge.
Some of the instructions were vague so I am going to re-write them here while it is still fresh in my mind. Older dash and consol disassembly may be slightly different but once the climate control box is out then I think all steps may be the same to open and clean the climate control box.
Start by removing the lid to the arm rest center console (4 bolts). Do not remove the wires. Just tuck the arm rest lid behind the seat out of the way. Next, empty the center consol contents and lift up the carpet liner inside to expose the two screws at the rear of the shifter plate. Also remove the cup holder inserts.
Remove the two rear shifter plate screws and the one screw under the cup holder. Pull the gear shifter to rear and slide the shifter consol plate back exposing the screws attaching the bottom of the climate control panel/radio trim plate. You should not have to remove the gear shift ****. There is room to move the shift consol back enough to see the screws.
Remove the screws from the bottom of the climate control trim plate. Next, remove the central A/C vent (2 screws) above the climate control. When that's done, you'll see a third screw that's holding the top of the radio/CC trim piece in that needs to be removed.
After that trim piece is off, you'll notice the two bolts holding the CC unit in place, remove them. The unit will now slide straight out, and you can unplug it from the wiring harness in the rear by squeezing the top of the plug to release the plug clip and work the plug out.
Take the CC unit inside to a clean well lit place to work on it. There will be 6 “small” 3/16” bolts that need to come out. One tip I can give you is this - when you've get all 6 removed (two on the back surface, and 4around the perimeter), point the face of the CC unit towards the ground while separating the two halves - you don't want the individual buttons to fall all over the place. With that complete, you will be able to remove the internals. There will be 2 circuit boards joined like a "T". They simply unplug by pulling the two of them apart. Disconnect the small wiring harness and set the larger of the two circuit boards aside.
Holding the control button unit CAREFULLY remove the 4 light bulbs (will look like grey plastic plugs from the back) with a skinny flathead screwdriver - they should take about a 1/4 turn counterclockwise to "unlock." There are two small 3/16” screws in the center of the circuit board holding it to the button holder case, remove them. Lift off the green circuit board and gray rubber contact pad from the buttons. Lay the button holder off to the side. Do not turn it over or the buttons will fall out.
Proceed with cleaning the button contacts on the green board and the gray rubber. All I did was “lightly” go over the contact circuit points (you'll be able to tell what I'm talking about when you have it apart) with a “soft” clean pencil eraser, and then give it a good wipe with some Isopropyl Alcohol pads. After it's dry re-assemble and head back to the car, plug it in to the wiring harness for a test - it should work as new!
Re-assemble all other trim pieces, etc. in the order they were removed. Shouldn't take more than an hour...maybe a tick more depending on how careful you are. It really “IS” an easy job.
One thing to add: Mine is an LT4 6speed. There may be some differenced with the shift plate for the automatic and some of the old replies referenced not getting the shift lock assembled correctly the first time. The following is the old instructions....................
My climate control function buttons on my ’96 worked intermittently until this summer when all of them stopped. I did a forum search and found instructions that helped me remove the climate control box and clean the internal button contacts. Thank you, thank you thank you! It took an hour and works like new now. This is a really “easy” do it yourself fix and sure beats the dealer $375 charge.
Some of the instructions were vague so I am going to re-write them here while it is still fresh in my mind. Older dash and consol disassembly may be slightly different but once the climate control box is out then I think all steps may be the same to open and clean the climate control box.
Start by removing the lid to the arm rest center console (4 bolts). Do not remove the wires. Just tuck the arm rest lid behind the seat out of the way. Next, empty the center consol contents and lift up the carpet liner inside to expose the two screws at the rear of the shifter plate. Also remove the cup holder inserts.
Remove the two rear shifter plate screws and the one screw under the cup holder. Pull the gear shifter to rear and slide the shifter consol plate back exposing the screws attaching the bottom of the climate control panel/radio trim plate. You should not have to remove the gear shift ****. There is room to move the shift consol back enough to see the screws.
Remove the screws from the bottom of the climate control trim plate. Next, remove the central A/C vent (2 screws) above the climate control. When that's done, you'll see a third screw that's holding the top of the radio/CC trim piece in that needs to be removed.
After that trim piece is off, you'll notice the two bolts holding the CC unit in place, remove them. The unit will now slide straight out, and you can unplug it from the wiring harness in the rear by squeezing the top of the plug to release the plug clip and work the plug out.
Take the CC unit inside to a clean well lit place to work on it. There will be 6 “small” 3/16” bolts that need to come out. One tip I can give you is this - when you've get all 6 removed (two on the back surface, and 4around the perimeter), point the face of the CC unit towards the ground while separating the two halves - you don't want the individual buttons to fall all over the place. With that complete, you will be able to remove the internals. There will be 2 circuit boards joined like a "T". They simply unplug by pulling the two of them apart. Disconnect the small wiring harness and set the larger of the two circuit boards aside.
Holding the control button unit CAREFULLY remove the 4 light bulbs (will look like grey plastic plugs from the back) with a skinny flathead screwdriver - they should take about a 1/4 turn counterclockwise to "unlock." There are two small 3/16” screws in the center of the circuit board holding it to the button holder case, remove them. Lift off the green circuit board and gray rubber contact pad from the buttons. Lay the button holder off to the side. Do not turn it over or the buttons will fall out.
Proceed with cleaning the button contacts on the green board and the gray rubber. All I did was “lightly” go over the contact circuit points (you'll be able to tell what I'm talking about when you have it apart) with a “soft” clean pencil eraser, and then give it a good wipe with some Isopropyl Alcohol pads. After it's dry re-assemble and head back to the car, plug it in to the wiring harness for a test - it should work as new!
Re-assemble all other trim pieces, etc. in the order they were removed. Shouldn't take more than an hour...maybe a tick more depending on how careful you are. It really “IS” an easy job.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 786
Likes: 31
Cruise-In II Veteran
Nice write up! Like you said it only takes an hour (or less).
My only suggestion is to place the Control Unit on a towel before removing all of those tiny screws. That will prevent them from rolling off the bench onto the floor. Saves a lot of time on your hands and knees trying to find them!
My only suggestion is to place the Control Unit on a towel before removing all of those tiny screws. That will prevent them from rolling off the bench onto the floor. Saves a lot of time on your hands and knees trying to find them!
