Equinox air conditioner

[sylvie]

Charles B wrote:

I have a 2009 and have the same problem. The car is only cool enough when the sun is down or on a rainy day. It could be 100 and the compressor and condenser fans both cycle on and off and cause warmer air to flow for a few seonds before it goes back to cold. The usual crap from the dealer, after 3 visits I was told it was normal. A call to the 800 number resulted in a polite blow off from a guy that didn't know what a compressor even was. 40 years of brand loyalty and buying 3 cars from the dealer in 5 years all counted for nothing.

Charles, this isn't wright. I am suprised that the 2009 are also having trouble. We have owned many used vehicles and none have ever had a AC like this. They are not looking at nothing but the manual. One mechanic told us that he has never work on the AC in the equinox. Well if they are having people complaining and they are being told that this is the way that it is meant to, then they do not have a problem. The consumers are not stupid. Email GM (contact us) and keep going. If one can not help, ask for someone else who can. The more emails that GM gets, then maybe they will take this issue seriously. We cannot be they only one with the AC like this.Good luck

[Sherri]

I have an '06 Equinox and have had problems also. Mine began when I was close to the end of the 36K warranty when I took it in just to be checked over. They found the compressor was bad and replaced it. I had been having problems with the cold/warm air but just figured that was the way it was supposed to be (and I live in Florida). The new compressor worked okay for a while but I started having the same problem - and the white stuff was flying out of the vents - and I kept hearing a crinkle kind of noise just under the dash. I took it in again - and again they replaced the compressor (it was still under the 12month/12K warranty). In between the 1st and 2nd compressor, I also took it in and they told me the actuators needed to be recalibrated - they did that and it cost me $90. They also did the "software" update which helped for a while but back to the same problem. Okay - so I'm now on compressor #2 and the same thing was happening so I took it in again - actually drove it directly to the dealer when the white stuff was blowing out of the vents and the AC guy came out, opened my hood and saw the unit was freezing. They replaced the temperature sensor (at not cost). It worked for a while - but am now experience the cold/warm air again except this time I've actually had hot air blowing inside the car when the cold air was turned on. I can also tell that the compressor is not engaging when I turn the knob to the "on" position. Sometimes it will kick in and you can feel it when it does. Sometimes it won't kick in at all. I actually drove 2 hours recently on a trip with no cool air at all. I was so mad! I took it into the dealer again when it was acting up again - and they told me they couldn't see me to bring it back the next morning at 7:30 am. I did and when I showed up, I was greeted by the service consultant I have been working with - and she told me that the existing dealership was closed - and they were being bought out by another one - and for me to bring it back at the beginning of the following week. I did that - and was then told they couldn't see me - that I needed to take it to a different dealership because the new one had not taken over yet. So - I took it to the different dealership - they were very nice - but to be honest, the car wasn't acting up at that time and I felt that if I left it with them, I'm sure they would have told me they couldn't find anything wrong with it. I'm waiting until this coming weekend when I'm running errands and will drive it directly to them at that time. I have about 3K left on the 3rd compressor. The original dealership has actually been very nice and has worked with me - not charging me for even looking at it since I have been going in continuously with the same issues. However, I know that luck is going to run out. The new dealership apears to "want" to work with me - but we'll see once I take it in when it's actually acting up. I know the lemon law won't work - it hardly does - and I don't have the energy or patience to deal with it. I paid cash for my vehicle and don't feel I would probably get anything if I did indeed file a lemon law suit. I've been reading - and I'm wondering if the motor blower could be the problem. It is something that is causing the compressor to go bad - seeing that I'm on my 3rd compressor and it's happened again. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!

[Shelly Britt]

Hi Everyone,

I, unfortunately, also own a 2008 Equinox and I am having the same issues with the A/C that all of you are. After only the 4th trip to the dealer and a call to GM, this is what they told me. "It is standard operating procedure for the a/c to fluctuate air temperature when it is on "outside air" so you don't freeze up the compressor, you have to leave the a/c on "recirculate" for the air to maintain a cool temp at all times. However, it is a safety feature for the vehicle to default to "oustide air" every time you turn off then engine because they want to make sure the car always has enough oxygen." Their explanation doesn't sound right to me, but they are not going to do anything to correct the issue. I have owned several vehicles and some of them were GM and I have never had to leave a car on "recirculate" the entire time to have cool air. My daughter owns a 2008 Chevy Colorado and her a/c does not operate in the same manner as the Equinox. When I asked them about that, they told me I was wrong, it did operate the same way and all they can tell me is that my complaint is standard operating procedure for a 2008 Equinox.

[Barry O]

Hi Sylvie..What is the website for GM (contact us)..Thanks for your idea, I will write and write..Their I-800 number is a joke..I love the car but the AC is the only thing keeping us from enjoying it more....thanks again ;)

sylvie wrote:

<quoted text>Hey, this isn't normal, i have gottin in 2 others and they did not fluctuate at all like ours. The temperature did not go from cold to cool and someting it feel warm, and stays there for about 10second. go to the GM websit ( contact us) I am still fighting for someone to take us seriously. The problem is the manual that they are going by. The mechanic problebly will not be able to do something unless he is open-minded.And when you do contact them, someone does call you back. If that person can't help you asked for someone else, and keep asking. Good luck there!

[sylvie]

Barry O wrote:

Hi Sylvie..What is the website for GM (contact us)..Thanks for your idea, I will write and write..Their I-800 number is a joke..I love the car but the AC is the only thing keeping us from enjoying it more....thanks again ;)
<quoted text>

Hi Barry,(Generalmotors.com )should bring you to their website, and if you look carefully at the top or bottom it will have (contact us). And look at our mission, and other you will find someplace that says contact us. I am still writing them, as far as they could see it works just fine. I have also asked other with GM equinox if theirs works in the same way, and I have tried them myself, they do not all work in the same way.I even left them my equinox for the day without having an other vehicle to drive and to the GM manual they cannot find the problem. Barry the more people that write their complains maybe they will take the AC problem seriously. I will keep complaining and now the summer here is about done so I have a feeling I will be fighting this issue next summer. Also our first dealership said we had a problem, but they had damage the inside of the vehicle trying to fix it, after the 6 times we asked to take it somewhere else, but now they do not see a problem with the AC. Good luck...

[Chris Duffield]

Thank goodness I found this site. I was actually starting to think I had the only lousy Equinox a/c on the earth. Same issues here with my '08 Equinox...cold...hot...cold... loud...louder...quiet. There's a bad smell that accompanies the warm air in mine too. It's been to the dealership 4 times first because I got a letter about a recall that could be affecting a/c performance...didn't help. Brought it back, replaced the expansion valve...didn't help. Brought it back, replaced the compressor...didn't help. Brought it back and Chevy "Technical Service" told my dealership that because they couldn't fix the problem, that there was no problem and not to do any more work on it, that the "unit was operating as it was designed". Then why replace the expansion valve? Why replace the compressor? I took the mechanic for a ride...he said "oh yeah, that's NOT NORMAL". But there is no problem now? Crazy. Customer service at GM has been no help...their "resolution" was the same as the last time I brought it to the dealership...no problem, because we can't diagnose the problem. I don't want to give my case number on the site but I am waiting until Tuesday to hear back from their "supervisor" then filing a complaint with the BBB. We should all be talking about a Class Action Lawsuit here if we don't get our cars fixed...my car has only 35,000 miles and is still under the B2B Warranty and they're refusing to fix my broken car and all of yours too. With the condition the American Auto industry is in they don't want any bad press from existing customers. We should take this to the next level.

[Sarah]

Chris Duffield wrote:

Thank goodness I found this site. I was actually starting to think I had the only lousy Equinox a/c on the earth. Same issues here with my '08 Equinox...cold...hot...cold... loud...louder...quiet. There's a bad smell that accompanies the warm air in mine too. It's been to the dealership 4 times first because I got a letter about a recall that could be affecting a/c performance...didn't help. Brought it back, replaced the expansion valve...didn't help. Brought it back, replaced the compressor...didn't help. Brought it back and Chevy "Technical Service" told my dealership that because they couldn't fix the problem, that there was no problem and not to do any more work on it, that the "unit was operating as it was designed". Then why replace the expansion valve? Why replace the compressor? I took the mechanic for a ride...he said "oh yeah, that's NOT NORMAL". But there is no problem now? Crazy. Customer service at GM has been no help...their "resolution" was the same as the last time I brought it to the dealership...no problem, because we can't diagnose the problem. I don't want to give my case number on the site but I am waiting until Tuesday to hear back from their "supervisor" then filing a complaint with the BBB. We should all be talking about a Class Action Lawsuit here if we don't get our cars fixed...my car has only 35,000 miles and is still under the B2B Warranty and they're refusing to fix my broken car and all of yours too. With the condition the American Auto industry is in they don't want any bad press from existing customers. We should take this to the next level.

I too had gone back and forth to the dealer 9+ times for the same issues all of you are having with my '07 Equinox. I ended up settling through the BBB, but my A/C is still going in and out. I will never EVER buy another GM product. The dealership made me out to be crazy or stupid. I know something is not right with that A/C unit... they made allllllllll these fixes to no avail... Before I went to the BBB, I hired a lemon law firm, who quickly dropped my case... with no explanation. I just don't know what to do.

[Brad]

After listening to bs from the dealer regarding my a/c cycling cool and warm, I went out and bought a $21 pressure tester / recharger and within 10 minutes, I knew that the reed valves in the compressor were failing intermittently. It's amazing how little their a/c expert actually knew about such a simple system.
A few calls around revealed that nationally, GM has a back order on compressors to fit the Equinox 6 cylinder engine.
After reading the earlier posts, I'm not surprised.

[AEB]

Wow, surprise more problems with this vehicle. I had a heater problem fixed earlier this year and shortly after in the early summer I noticed the same thing with the AC. Warm to cold or just plain cool and not cold enough. We had a mild summer so it wasn't unbearable but on humid days it is miserable. I already complained to them when I had the $1000 heater repair with no help, so I have not even tried to contact them about the A/C. They had also told me when I called about the heat that no one else reported the same problems. I bought a 2006 Equinox brand new...really regretting it and will never buy their cars again after owning three.