Acadia Enclave Traverse A/C not cooling Rear evaporator replacement

[@kurtsletmoe8393]

Great video! Probably one of the most comprehensive and professional one's on a specific repair I've seen! WELL DONE!

[@TruckNerd]

Thank you very much

[@drumdude1996]

Thanks for the great video. The A/C in my wife's 2015 Enclave has stopped cooling. The dealership has worked on the A/C in the last few years, but I'd wager they didn't perform this specific repair for a known issue. It's good to know that I can easily do it myself if need be. I already have a set of manifold gauges, so I'll just need to purchase a vacuum pump from Harbor Freight and I can knock this job out if necessary. Parts will be less than $250 for genuine GM. You da man, TruckNerd!

[@TruckNerd]

@@drumdude1996 Thank you! Glad I could help. You got this!

[@justinyoder3397]

Have a recurring issue with AC charge on '13 Acadia. Never been able identify a leak, but I passed the service bulletin along to the shop who does my work, thinking this may be our issue. Great work, really appreciate it.

[@TruckNerd]

I would definitely recommend that.

[@michaelmyerrs9795]

Hope you got the 2013 Acadia fixed for the summer.

[@zheloz1]

Fantastic video the ac repair shop Gave me a repair estimate for 820.00 they said it was rear evaporator their sniffer alerted there So I decided to do it myself With your Video well you just saved me 700 easy 78 for the evaporator at parts store Thank you

[@samuelsherrill5933]

GMC told me today it would be $1900.00 for the rear blower motor and rear evaporator

[@Flowerchild778]

​@@samuelsherrill5933 I think sometimes shops over charge in order to imply that it might be less costly to just get rid of the money pit. Meanwhile, if that mission is successful, they replace the part and get more for it 😏

[@theewz]

Dealer wants $2000 to replace the rear evaporator on my 2015 Acadia. I think I'll take a chance and get the $150 part. Thanks for the great video.

[@TruckNerd]

Your welcome. You got this.

[@JAMESSTEINBREN]

Otherwise great camera footage hampered down by low lightning. Thank you so much for posting this though, it is quite helpful and we can tell you know 100% what you're doing.

[@TruckNerd]

@@JAMESSTEINBREN Glad it helped.

[@natecrnjak5180]

Great video wow probably one of the best. From one Mecanic to another thank you you saved me probably about two hours

[@TruckNerd]

Glad I could help. I’ve done these every way you can think of & this is the fastest.

[@frankconte5545]

great video, i have a 2013 acadia and just had to add some refrigerant (1 can) to restore cold air operation. I'm going to check this for leak if nothing else turns up...One thing I would recommend then pulling the heater hoses off the rear heater core would be to use hose pinch pliers so you don't leak out so much coolant from the front to rear hoses that has to be refilled again.

[@TruckNerd]

Thank you. That would work too.

[@itsmetommyvee280]

is there a TSB on the blower motor? I cant seem to find one.. working on a 15 acadia aux evap core that has the same style blower just curious if i should swap it or not. evap core had a leak so the blower motor wasnt a factor.

[@TruckNerd]

Yes there is. It’s linked in the video description.

[@pongagt]

Awesome video. Thank You

[@TruckNerd]

@@pongagt You’re welcome. Hope it helps.

[@kduncan1010]

Great video for fixing the clogged evaporator core and fan issue. But where was the refrigerant leaking out? the original core was used. Was that a separate issue?

[@TruckNerd]

@@kduncan1010 This evaporator was leaking. Not stopped up. According to the bulletin, corrosion was causing the leak.

[@sonarfleet2375]

Great video. Congrats

[@JamesSpencer125]

great job good patience

[@TruckNerd]

Thank you.

[@dnegel9546]

Not sure if you’ll see this but this is my situation. 2013 chevy traverse. Symptom: AC light blinks when trying to turn on AC. Front and read not blowing cold. Pulled a vacuum on the system and it held pressure for over an hour. To test for leaks. (This means no leaks right?) So then i refilled the system to spec and the compressor kicked on and ac was working but not as cold as i would like but cool enough. Rear AC vents not blowing cold air. Only front AC blowing cold. Stayed like this for an entire day and the next day the light was blinking again. What should i do now?

[@TruckNerd]

Sounds like you have a leak. Small leaks can be deceptive. Also leaks may be present under pressure, but not vacuum. Check everything you can see with a UV light. Look for dye.

[@aurorab.garcia1538]

I have a 2013 Gmc acadia, I live in texas where the heat is unbearable but I do need to occasionally ginout during the day, the Drivers side AC blows very cold and strong the passenger AC is still cool but not the same. Now the back is my issue it blows cool air during the mornings/ afternoon but during the day It blows warm air. I replaced the blend door actuator in the back and it worked for a day and a half very strong cool air throughout the car but it has now gone back to blowing the warm air, is there anything else that could be affecting the AC?

[@Flowerchild778]

Good question. I'll follow to see if this can answer a question with my daughter's chevy avalanche. It blows great until the driver's side blows warm. But when she turns it off... then on again it will blow cold again, until it doesn't

[@troyskinner23]

Little late here, hehe But should both coolant lines running to and from the rear evaporator be hot?? One refrigerant line is hot and one’s cold, but wasn’t sure on the coolant lines. Hope you see this, thanks!

[@rdhanks88]

I never saw where you verified that the rear evaporator actually had a leak or problem. Did I miss that?

[@TruckNerd]

It’s very hard to see. Sometimes you can see the dye through the blower resistor opening, but more often than not, you have to remove it to see it. So what I do is check everything else first then if I haven’t found the leak I just replace the rear evaporator. It’s very common especially on the 2013 and newer model.

[@superhollywood14]

I have a 2010, should the blower be replaced with the evaporator? Your bulletin said 2013-2016.

[@Flowerchild778]

3:40 My A/C button doesn't even stay on. Like, it doesn't "catch" if you can get what I mean. If anyone can point me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated

[@TruckNerd]

@@Flowerchild778 Most likely low on refrigerant. Start with a leak test.

[@Flowerchild778]

@@TruckNerd Thanks a lot. I'll have "them" check it.

[@Flowerchild778]

​​@@TruckNerd Could it act similarly if it has too much refrigerant?

[@TruckNerd]

@@Flowerchild778 Too much refrigerant will not cool well either. Trouble codes can set & inhibit compressor operation all together.

[@justinandjudehicks5685]

So I’m guessing you can’t just ‘recharge’ the coolant with canisters you buy at parts stores? Either way it has to be cheaper than having a dealer do it. Thanks for the great video.

[@TruckNerd]

Yes you can if you know how to do that.

[@justinandjudehicks5685]

TruckNerd Do you recommend replacing the expansion valve while all this is accessible?

[@TruckNerd]

@@justinandjudehicks5685 the new rear evaporator includes a new expansion valve.

[@agoodneighborautorepair2176]

hi sir very nice video

[@huskybangbang4581]

great video

[@TruckNerd]

Thank you. Glad I could help.

[@NoWitnesses85]

Awesome video! Do you also have to replace the receiver drier after putting the new evaporator in?

[@TruckNerd]

Good question. I do not replace the drier when doing the evaporator. The system is not open very long.

[@NoWitnesses85]

@@TruckNerdExcellent! Thanks a ton man. Your video is by far the most comprehensive on this replacement. Keep up the solid content!

[@TruckNerd]

@@NoWitnesses85 thanks so much!

[@CDP135Z]

Great video! Thank you so much for such great detail and video production value. One question, is there any reason the plastic cover under the hood needs to go back on? I own an Acadia and would rather just leave it off if it won’t cause a problem.

[@TruckNerd]

I’ve seen many of these come in without the cover, so I don’t think it would hurt anything at all.

[@rhurtadorh32]

So that bulletin does not apply the 2017 buick enclave?

[@TruckNerd]

Don’t think so, but they have the same trouble.

[@be020964]

Do the actuator motors reset them selves or is it a calibration done with a scanner

[@TruckNerd]

I believe there is a reset in the scan tool, but I never need to use it.

[@johanmunoz7858]

Hi!! Amazing video, but I have a question when you fix the problem the heating was working good? Because I have that problem and drop all gas, in this moment I don't have A/C but when I turn on the heating by the passengers drop hot air but in front non keep dropping ambient air so why I write all this, because I did paid a inspection with gmc and they said the rear evaporator its the problem, what do you think about it? Thank you one more time 😊

[@TruckNerd]

The evaporator will only effect the a/c. The heat would still work fine. It’s possible you need an actuator in the back as well or could even be low on coolant. Definitely let the technician know about the heat.

[@ChrisWann-n1n]

Great video! Did you OE parts for the repair?

[@TruckNerd]

Yes. I use OEM parts when Available.

[@vdgitaliano]

Was this a recall item or will I have to see to it myself? Thank you for he video!

[@TruckNerd]

No recall.

[@The3xFail]

My enclave was made 04/16, the TSB is for vehicles built prior to october 2015. should i replace the blower motor with the evaporator? or just the evaporator

[@TruckNerd]

The blower motor is visibly different. If yours has the updated blower motor, no need to change that out.

[@TruckNerd]

The blower motor is visibly different. If yours has the updated blower motor, no need to change that out.

[@The3xFail]

Thank you 👏🏻

[@TruckNerd]

@@The3xFail you’re welcome.

[@The3xFail]

Hey sorry me again, what if I didn't add more coolant. Barely any came out when I removed the hoses

[@ChasityNic1]

I have a 2015 Acadia. What are you thoughts on if the roof A/C is not blowing but the Dash and rear floor A/C works fine?

[@TruckNerd]

There is an actuator in the rear that switches from floor to roof. I suspect that.

[@rockyman81]

Great video! Mine is failing too, how to determine if the one failing is the forward or the rear evaporator?

[@TruckNerd]

I have tried lots of ways. Usually there is not enough dye to pick up with a UV light and the sniffer type leak detectors are hit or miss. If you have eliminated anything visible, it’s best to remove the rear and inspect.

[@rockyman81]

@@TruckNerd thanks a lot for your guidance.

[@TruckNerd]

@@rockyman81 you’re welcome!

[@bj7859]

Do you know what the expected coldest temps are in the rear that these aux units should produce? I've found it to hover around 60 degrees F on a hot day with the engine warmed up whereas the front/main blows closer to 42 degrees F. Interestingly enough, with the engine coolant not heated up, it'll blow about 5-7 degrees cooler in the low 50's. I'm thinking I have a blend door issue allowing some warm air flowing across the heater core. The blend door did NOT close off the heater core completely when i tested it. Just curious if you knew whether or not that was normal. It could also be that these units aren't meant to be as effective as the front, but that seems very inefficient. Any thoughts?

[@TruckNerd]

It really depends on the outside temperature. Also there is a lot more ducting from the rear to cool as well.

[@TruckNerd]

You could very well have an actuator issue as well. They will set trouble codes, so that’s another thing to check. It’s not super common though.

[@luliantelo4810]

I have a 2015 Buick Enclave and they replaced the rear evaporator and motor 7 months ago and now it is not working again

[@JoseMartinez-bs8oi]

What if the front driver and passenger are blowing cold air but the rear passenger vents are not. The rear vents blow hot when set to 90 but not cold when set to 60. They just blow warm air. This is a 2013 Buick Enclave.

[@TruckNerd]

From your description, that sounds like a rear expansion valve.

[@griffinf83]

I know this is 2yrs old but is this covered under a recall or is this some i would have to do myself? I also seen a video where they had some clogs in their ac line and they just blew it out with an air compressor then rechargeable they system

[@TruckNerd]

If I remember right there was a special policy that would provide additional warranty to a certain point.

[@rengo23]

My 2015 traverse does cool and heat in the front but the rear doesn’t. Could it be the actuator?

[@TruckNerd]

Actuators will set codes. Yes it could be an actuator. If it has no codes, I wouldn’t suspect the actuator. Also you should be able to see it move while changing cool to heat. If it’s moving it’s working.

[@rengo23]

@@TruckNerd thank you for the response! Your video is very informative.

[@rengo23]

One more question? Why was the rear evaporator replaced if the issue here was at the front side of the vehicle? Thanks again.

[@TruckNerd]

@@rengo23 it’s all the same system. The refrigerant runs front to back, so if there is a leak anywhere in the system both front and rear are effected.

[@dustingroom4156]

I have a 2018 enclave that takes 1234yf and the rear coil is leaking buick just quoted me 2900 how similar of a job is it for the 19 vs the 13

[@TruckNerd]

The newer one is more involved.

[@shih19]

Thanks for sharing. It is a great video! In my case, both my passenger side vents are not blowing as cold as my two driver side vents. Could it be the actuator or something else?

[@TruckNerd]

Typically when an actuator fails if defaults to full heat. If there is only a small difference between the two sides I would say it’s low on refrigerant.

[@shih19]

@@TruckNerd Thanks. I will add more refrigerant.

[@TruckNerd]

@@shih19 sounds good.

[@TruckNerd]

@Tiffany Boyer sounds like you have a leak. Have a leak test performed & if no leaks are found, suspect the rear evaporator.

[@AndyB-k1z]

So where was the Freon leak? I have a leak in my Acadia , don’t see a leak, thinking it’s rear evaporator

[@TruckNerd]

The rear evaporator was leaking. There is a green tint to it.

[@EL_JAG.]

How much would something like this cost my enclave needs to be fixed and would like to know in advance?

[@TruckNerd]

I would expect this to be around $1200-$1500

[@brianemerson2758]

I have a 2010 Arcadia and my drivers side air switches fine hot/cold,but passenger side blows cool air and wont switch to heat,and rear blows heat us this an actuator???

[@TruckNerd]

Most likely the RH actuator.

[@danieltierney6489]

I need to do this job for a customer, how much would you charge for labor?

[@TruckNerd]

If I remember right these pay about 4 hours.

[@danieltierney6489]

Thank you!

[@kartboarder22g17]

Do you have to replace the drier/accumlator after this?

[@TruckNerd]

I wouldn’t for just a small leak and GMs bulletin does not mention it either.

[@kartboarder22g17]

@@TruckNerd gotcha I just see on rock auto they are saying opening the system causes moisture to enter and they recommend a drier replacement yet probably just to get more of your money. Thanks.

[@DavidRodriguez-vv2js]

@trucknerd. Do you know the part number for the new one?

[@TruckNerd]

Evaporator 20827668 Blower motor 23361388

[@AlvaroGarcia-kf3ih]

You didn’t show how the evaporator was not working

[@TruckNerd]

The front & rear evaporator are the same system. If the fronts not cooling the rear will not work either.

[@10percent48]

Rite

[@71chevy0330]

I'm guessing that how to replace a rear heater core to? There no easier way then that?

[@TruckNerd]

Sorry. Not really

[@71chevy0330]

@@TruckNerd thank you and your only one I could find the best info on the heater core. Thank you again for the tutorial video.

[@TruckNerd]

@@71chevy0330 Your welcome. Good luck.

[@andrewthull8565]

Do you have a video on replacing the rear heater core? I imagine it's similar. I have a 2013 traverse, and one of the heater lines in front of the rear tire is hot and the other one is only slightly warm.

[@alexandriadobert5763]

Does the hiss mean it's broke? Lol mine definitely hisses.

[@TruckNerd]

@@alexandriadobert5763 Typically I hear it hiss when it’s low on refrigerant. Kind of a tell tell sign.

[@kvaldez46]

I wish this was a simpler fix

[@TruckNerd]

Right, but now you have instructions.

[@reannaclark933]

Few questions. Did you replace the AUX a/c evaporator and I missed it somehow? Is there a way to clean it without replacing it? Also any suggestions on where to buy these replace parts ?

[@TruckNerd]

Yes this is the aux a/c evaporator.

[@reannaclark933]

I guess I was to busy focusing on the blower motor to realize lol thank you!

[@alsharifhusain]

Is this evaporator or heater core

[@TruckNerd]

It’s both really. They are both removed in the video.

[@alsharifhusain]

@@TruckNerd thank you very much