C5 Climate Control dim/dark display fix
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 6,273
Likes: 14
From: Austin TX
My experience has been that the ext temp will not read correctly for 20 to 30 min of driving after replacing the sensor or disconnecting the HVAC head unit. Apparently it "relearns" how to read correctly.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 34,479
Likes: 532
From: Central PA. - - My AR15 identifies as a muzzleloader
I believe in the Beer Fairy
Now that I have my display working, temps are a bit crazy on it. The outside temp said -34F when I got in to go to work this morning. It reads all sorts of numbers at any given time. I've not seen it read higher than ambient yet, but, close to the truth I have seen.
So, given that info, does anyone have any insights as to what do do on the other circuit board to cure that? Is there anything TO do on the other board to cure that? I have looked into an ambient temp sensor, but didn't order one. It's just a thermistor so I doubt it fails. There's no large surface mount components on the other circuit board. They all look like 1206 series or smaller smd's. More in the lines of 805's.
If anyone has had similar troubles, but with the working display giving bad numbers, I'd appreciate it. I'm assuming when it shows a bad number (low) the A/C won't work. Mines in the shop getting recharged and a hose replacement, or I'd play with it now and see.
-----------------------------------------------
Edit.
Thanks, was typing while you were posting. I'll keep an eye on that and see if mine 'fixes' itself.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,987
Likes: 18
From: DuBois PA
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
I've repaired literally hundereds of these power boards for the dim display with no associated Ext. temp sensor issue reported, to me at least.
They ARE known to go bad actually and your assumption that the AC system will not turn on if the sensor reads too low is right on, I forget the exact temp now but 36 degrees pops in my head...
I would suggest replacing your external Temp sensor. If you're inclined, you could read it's output to verify if it is functioning correctly or not. But for the price of one I'd R&R it and go from there...
BTW Hi Neighbor!!!!!!!!!
They ARE known to go bad actually and your assumption that the AC system will not turn on if the sensor reads too low is right on, I forget the exact temp now but 36 degrees pops in my head...
I would suggest replacing your external Temp sensor. If you're inclined, you could read it's output to verify if it is functioning correctly or not. But for the price of one I'd R&R it and go from there...
BTW Hi Neighbor!!!!!!!!!
Last edited by tstar; Jul 11, 2012 at 05:43 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 34,479
Likes: 532
From: Central PA. - - My AR15 identifies as a muzzleloader
I believe in the Beer Fairy
Ok then,
I just ordered that ambient temp sensor. I'd read elsewhere that when they die you get only one reading. Mine floats all over the place. Either way, it's not long for this world.
Thanks.
Yea, how bout that. While looking to buy a Vette, I saw so few for sale locally that I'm starting to believe you and I might be the only owners in Central PA.
I just ordered that ambient temp sensor. I'd read elsewhere that when they die you get only one reading. Mine floats all over the place. Either way, it's not long for this world.
Thanks.
BTW Hi Neighbor!!!!!!!!!
Heel & Toe
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
I found a place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada called Danmax. They do GM electronics etc. I just unplugged the A/C control with the dim display and he fixed it in one day for under $100. Ask for Peter at 905-673-0090. He did not ask for this posting, I'm just helping those in the greater Toronto area to fix this nasty on-going problem.
I tried doing this fix myself but had no luck because there were no visible defects.
I tried doing this fix myself but had no luck because there were no visible defects.
Last edited by MrSauga3; Jul 11, 2012 at 10:21 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 34,479
Likes: 532
From: Central PA. - - My AR15 identifies as a muzzleloader
I believe in the Beer Fairy
Id'a almost bet money it wouldn't have. Hey, a little blind trust in thy neighbors / friends on corvetteforum can be well placed! Solder em all anyway!
I'm just hoping this new temp sensor works out for me tomorrow cause holy-mother-of-pearl is it hot lately. I'm gonna go back to driving my pickup if this doesn't soon work. Convertible or not... Mine really seems to act like a failed capacitor. It's just too consistent in the way it doesn't work, and the value floats up for a long time.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
From: Orangevale CA
Awesome
This worked for me.
I had two pop loose but no problem putting them back. When they were off I could see that they are face joints underneath. If I did it again I would hole them down with a screw driver and run the tip of my electronics iron along each end.
I had two pop loose but no problem putting them back. When they were off I could see that they are face joints underneath. If I did it again I would hole them down with a screw driver and run the tip of my electronics iron along each end.
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Instructor
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 233
Likes: 0
From: Austin TX
I just did this the other day for a buddies '03 vette. I must say when I took it apart, that for the most part the places that needed soldering did not "look" like they needed it. But anyways, I did what the DIY said and it works perfectly now! Thanks!
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,987
Likes: 18
From: DuBois PA
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Earlier in the thread here someone mentioned that they too could see no issues, even under magnification. But, after soldering a few, one popped off as soon as it was heated up (moved). They did the rest and their display worked. I thought, "well, surely under enough magnification you can see something..." so I looked pretty hard also. I've got an electronics lab in my house and enough lighted magnification that I can usually see issues on a board. Nope! Mine looked fine, I soldered it anyway, and very much to my surprise, when I plugged it in, it worked. Id'a almost bet money it wouldn't have.
Hey, a little blind trust in thy neighbors / friends on corvetteforum can be well placed! Solder em all anyway!
I'm just hoping this new temp sensor works out for me tomorrow cause holy-mother-of-pearl is it hot lately. I'm gonna go back to driving my pickup if this doesn't soon work. Convertible or not... Mine really seems to act like a failed capacitor. It's just too consistent in the way it doesn't work, and the value floats up for a long time.
Id'a almost bet money it wouldn't have. Hey, a little blind trust in thy neighbors / friends on corvetteforum can be well placed! Solder em all anyway!
I'm just hoping this new temp sensor works out for me tomorrow cause holy-mother-of-pearl is it hot lately. I'm gonna go back to driving my pickup if this doesn't soon work. Convertible or not... Mine really seems to act like a failed capacitor. It's just too consistent in the way it doesn't work, and the value floats up for a long time.
Tim
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 34,479
Likes: 532
From: Central PA. - - My AR15 identifies as a muzzleloader
I believe in the Beer Fairy
Yes it did. But i still had leaks in the a/c system I had to fix. They were another story altogether. My one terminal on the sensor had rusted off, which made replacement a real treat. For all I know, that rusted terminal might have made enough contact for it to act like it did with the floating readings. I had to tear the connector apart to get the rusted pin out. Once replaced, and after driving 10 miles or so, the readings have been right since, and now the a/c turns on as it should.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 179
Likes: 0
From: NYC
Read about this fix a while back but never needed it until two weeks ago when my display went dark. Fixed it and a replacement unit in about 15 mins. Works / looks like new. Kudos to the OP or whomever started the original thread. 
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 898
Likes: 25
From: Dallas, TX
I see alot of people had success with this fix. Something like 19 pages of happy stories about the 5 minute fix. I believe there was only one guy saying his cluster stopped functioning completely.
I figured, what are the odds that I would perform this fix and mine would break completely...Well as luck would have it I reinstalled my cluster after resoldering the board and it blinked on and off three times before going dead forever. No lights, no function whatsoever.
I'm no solder expert but I have been doing electronics hobbies for about 5 years that required soldering, so I would consider my skills intermediate. I also made a point to ground myself before and during the handling, and to not let the board overheat.
I wound up having to buy a refurb unit for $150. I'm not saying this fix doesn't work, obviously it does for many people. My point is be prepared to be part of a minority whose board goes out for good. I wish I had waited til the car was parked for the winter. That way my down time wasn't a factor that pushed me to buy one instead of sending my broken one out.
Moral of the story hope for the best, prepare for luck like mine.
I figured, what are the odds that I would perform this fix and mine would break completely...Well as luck would have it I reinstalled my cluster after resoldering the board and it blinked on and off three times before going dead forever. No lights, no function whatsoever.
I'm no solder expert but I have been doing electronics hobbies for about 5 years that required soldering, so I would consider my skills intermediate. I also made a point to ground myself before and during the handling, and to not let the board overheat.
I wound up having to buy a refurb unit for $150. I'm not saying this fix doesn't work, obviously it does for many people. My point is be prepared to be part of a minority whose board goes out for good. I wish I had waited til the car was parked for the winter. That way my down time wasn't a factor that pushed me to buy one instead of sending my broken one out.
Moral of the story hope for the best, prepare for luck like mine.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,987
Likes: 18
From: DuBois PA
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Yes it did. But i still had leaks in the a/c system I had to fix. They were another story altogether. My one terminal on the sensor had rusted off, which made replacement a real treat. For all I know, that rusted terminal might have made enough contact for it to act like it did with the floating readings. I had to tear the connector apart to get the rusted pin out. Once replaced, and after driving 10 miles or so, the readings have been right since, and now the a/c turns on as it should.
Now hopefully that car will start behaving and not give you anymore grief!!!!
Tim
5th Gear
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
this makes sense I have a 04' coupe and the clim contr display dims and sometimes works. lights either work or fail something else would cause intermittent oper. like resistors as commonly stated in a lot posted re this problem. stanco climate control
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,809
Likes: 10
From: ST LOUIS MO
I got a little to rambunctious when pulling mine apart and ripped off the dial wires. Anyone know the correct order I need to solder them back on?
Sorry, pic taken with my GS3
Sorry, pic taken with my GS3
Last edited by brrymnvette; Dec 13, 2012 at 03:24 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 34,479
Likes: 532
From: Central PA. - - My AR15 identifies as a muzzleloader
I believe in the Beer Fairy
"I got a little to rambunctious..." wow, I should say. I'm almost afraid to ask how you ripped that encoder off there.
2 of the wires are for a light if I'm not mistaken. The other three are for the encoder. 1 common and 2 signal lines A and B. The order for those two signal wires will have to be correct in order for the temp to rise on a right turn, and fall on a left turn.
If you can hold it in place and make a guess as to how the wires connected, I think it's a fairly safe bet that they connect in sequence. Most likely that blue wire on an end. You don't want to run 12V through that encoder because its just a switch, and it'll be a dead short. You could do that for an instant, but don't leave it if its wrong. I'd be just pushing wires in with the thing plugged into the car to test it. If it were me, I'd probably check the first two wires and see if the light comes on in the encoder. If so, then the other three are pretty safe, there's almost no current flowing in them. Once you figure out where pin one is, you should be able to just connect the rest right in a row.
Obviously, you'd need the cars lights on in order to test the lamp.
2 of the wires are for a light if I'm not mistaken. The other three are for the encoder. 1 common and 2 signal lines A and B. The order for those two signal wires will have to be correct in order for the temp to rise on a right turn, and fall on a left turn.
If you can hold it in place and make a guess as to how the wires connected, I think it's a fairly safe bet that they connect in sequence. Most likely that blue wire on an end. You don't want to run 12V through that encoder because its just a switch, and it'll be a dead short. You could do that for an instant, but don't leave it if its wrong. I'd be just pushing wires in with the thing plugged into the car to test it. If it were me, I'd probably check the first two wires and see if the light comes on in the encoder. If so, then the other three are pretty safe, there's almost no current flowing in them. Once you figure out where pin one is, you should be able to just connect the rest right in a row.
Obviously, you'd need the cars lights on in order to test the lamp.
Last edited by K-Spaz; Dec 13, 2012 at 09:15 PM.
1st Gear
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Many thanks!
As I watched the digital display in my climate control panel get dimmer and dimmer, I knew this was going to be a costly fix at the Chevrolet dealer. To get an understanding of exactly how they were going to fix my car and at what price, I googled "C5 climate control panel repair" and found this forum. After reading the detailed directions on removing the console, the dash trim and the control panel box, I decided that I could do this repair myself. So, Saturday morning I gathered up my courage, newly purchased soldering gun and incredibly detailed instructions (with pictures) and started the repair. Three hours later and with bated breath, I turned the key and my control panel lit up!!!!!
I danced around the garage for a while and then put the car back together. I cannot express appreciation enough to the individuals that took time to post on this forum. You have my undying gratitude.
Thanks so much from a lady who loves her Corvette!
I danced around the garage for a while and then put the car back together. I cannot express appreciation enough to the individuals that took time to post on this forum. You have my undying gratitude.
Thanks so much from a lady who loves her Corvette!
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 122
Likes: 2
From: Hampton Virginia
Having same issue with the lights going out and coming back on. Also air coming thru all vents no mater what button is pushed. If I push the defrost button, a little air comes out there and some come out the ac vents as well. Do I need a new control module?