So, here's the deal...in my TL, the car does NOT effectively blow warm air until 78*F...for instance, it was 50*F this morning, and it did not blow an iota of warm air until I set the climate control to 78*F.

So here's what has been done:
F-167 Control Valve Replacement (click for link)
Burped the system
Confirm for no Leaks
100k maintenance has been done, water pump replaced
Temperature of Engine is steady

...so I'm a bit aloof as to where I should look next. Any recommendations?

 

Mine doesn't either, but since I live in FL I haven't tried putting it even that high, I just know because my defroster doesn't work

 

Mine is doing the same thing except this is on the passengers side. Drivers side is working fine. Have to jack up the temp on passenger side to about 78 before any warm air comes out. I haven't had a chance to investigate this yet either.

 

Alright...good to know I'm not alone, but still disconcerting to say the least...hopefully we have some people with experience on the matter chime in and help us out!

 

have you guys made sure your coolant levels are were they need to be?

 

In my case, yes. You can rule all of the obvious things out.

 

Ive been saying thesame thing about my TL.
I even put a digital thermometer to te vents and it read the same temp as what it was set to.

weird....

 

I don't know if this will help but worth a shot for some of you, there was a thread on this a while back, where i listed these same codes, but i can't seem to find it.

THESE, are all trouble codes with the Climate control system. To get into troubleshoot mode, you have to :
1)Turn ignition switch ON
2) Hold the OFF button on the Climate Control Panel
3) *WHILE HOLDING THE OFF BUTTON*: Press the "Recirculation" button 5 times within 10 seconds.
4)This should begin the diagnostic,and the temperature settings will light up determining if there is something wrong: (see attached pictures).
5)Depending on the section lit up, there's a letter assigned to each section, so using the list below,you can determine what is wrong.


DTC (Temperature Indicator Segment)
Detection Item
A
An open in the in-car temperature sensor circuit
B
A short in the in-car temperature sensor circuit
C
An open in the outside air temperature sensor circuit
D
A short in the outside air temperature sensor circuit
E
An open in the sunlight sensor circuit
F
A short in the sunlight sensor circuit
G
An open in the evaporator temperature sensor circuit
H
A short in the evaporator temperature sensor circuit
I
An open in the driver's air mix control motor circuit
J
A short in the driver's air mix control motor circuit
K
A problem in the driver's air mix control linkage, door, or motor
L
An open in the passenger's air mix control motor circuit
M
A short in the passenger's air mix control motor circuit
N
A problem in the passenger's air mix control linkage, door, or motor
O
An open or short in the driver's mode control motor circuit
P
A problem in the driver's mode control linkage, doors, or motor
Q
An open or short in the passenger's mode control motor circuit
R
A problem in the passenger's mode control linkage, doors, or motor
S
A problem in the blower motor circuit

 

Mine won't blow any hot air unless I put it all the way to max hot, then set it down to what I actually want it at.

 

Thanks, P_C, I am going to give this a shot at lunch!!!

 

no problem.

 

Is it not getting up to temp or not blowing noticeably warm air? My wife always loves to turn it way up past 80 thinking that will somehow get the engine up to temp faster than just leaving it set to temp. Thats really more a perception issue vs not warming up at all unless temp is higher than 78.

 

Ok, so after performing the diagnostic test, the system comes back on, w/ AC, and BOTH temperature indicators read "Hi"

Is that the default code for a normally operating system?

 

Well,the diagnostic test should have blinked a section of the temperature in order to identify what is wrong? if nothing came on then you would press off, or it would cancel out and return to your previous settings..

 

I will try this after work and see what it tells me. Also just like deathmetal, obvious stuff has been checked already which includes coolant levels. Hopefully the diags that project has listed will help figure out what is going on.

 

Did you guys check out this ??
I have the same problem and im gonna look into this

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=747304

 

My 2004 TL also has this problem, have to push the temp pretty much all the way up to get heat. I'll see if get the inclination/courage to execute that post's step by step directions (gotta buy parts first). BTW - I just had the timing belt/water pump service done and the problem remains (not that I expected that to fix it).

 

No, I totally didn't cite this in my opening post with the same link

It's really not hard, just make sure you get a butt load of shop towels.

 

Did you possibly read this thread? https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-problems-fixes-114/temperature-controls-864822/

another new member had a similar problem. I gave him the recommendation to do a heater valve cable adjustment, but he never replied back....

Also, if you properly get into diagnostic mode, it won't return back to operating condition until you turn car off... It will alternate from 88 display to trouble display if any...

 

I have to do this too. Except I feel like I have to keep it at "HI" for it to blow any kind of warm air. So my temperature control is to back off the fan to the minimum and crack a window lol.

 

Good link, rue the thought...but maybe I need to do this...

 

I have to do the same thing.

 

Might be silly... did you hit the A/C button so it says 'A/C Off' in your information strip?

The car will run the A/C periodically to keep the humidity down.

 

but if you think about it anything under 78 F is kind of cool/room temp..(depending on what you're used to)

i dont know, i'll have to try it in my car. Last winter though i didnt have a problem using the heater..

 

**HEATER VALVE CABLE ADJUSTMENT COMPLETE**

SO, I snapped plenty of pics, and if this is indeed the fix, a DIY is sure to follow. AZine will know if this is the fix in a day or so.

 

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS:

It's 67*F outside, and I allowed the TL to warm to full temp, and set the CC to 76*F...lo and behold, WARM AIR!!!

So, while the is NOT conclusive to say the least, it is HIGHLY encouraging! Normally, I'd not feel warm air until 78*F and above...more to come...maybe the fix has been found!

 

Good to hear!!! Hopefully this is the fix! I'm sure alot of people will be happy to have a DIY to assist them.

 

i have this issue also and have had all the parts to do the heater valve replacement but i didnt have any time to do the fix. Hopefully i can do it soon since weather is cooling down. Now another issue i have is when the circulation is flowing to my feet and straight at you, the passenger and driver sides have strong flow but the 2 vents above the radio have really weak flow. Anyone else have that problem? i know that it gets spread out depending on what mode you have it on but i still think it should all be even right?

 

Follow what Project_Clean posted. The displays will alternate between 88 and error code. This will help diagnose which mix motor is giving problems.

You are having issues with the mix doors not opening all the way/not opening at all

 

Well, after 2 days of initial review, I don't believe this is the fix. There seems to be some VERY poor engineering here, or a rather rapid amount of wear on the climate control cable. In short, I am going to have to track the travel of the cable once the positions are set as it seems as though the cable may be moving on its own once the values have been set.

This is...pretty frustrating. In a "luxury" vehicle, creature comforts should be a bit more robust in design...

 

Were than any kinks in the cable? I am thinking over time (even though not very long) the cable has been distorted and/or the clamps are no longer holding the cable in place like it should. Any markings on the exterior of the cable where the clamp was secured?

Edit:

79544-SDA-A20 Cable, water valve control Price is 4.35 at Delray....

 

I might just order the fucker...Looks like routing this through the firewall is going to BLOW, but so does all of this cold air.

 

I've had to turn the heat on high then set it back to the temp that I want for years. Yesterday I had to replace my battery so it was disconnected for several hours and the settings were all reset. When I started it the heater was working normally.

It's probably a coincidence and may start acting up again but it worked this morning too. I'll update this if it acts up again.

 

It was a coincidence. After a warm day the next morning I had to turn the heat up again to get it to warm up.

 

Either way, I'm still replacing the cable...I have done EVERY other conceivable option thus far to no avail.

 

i have had this issue, and it came back. i found a forum on acurazine that said a temporary fix is to blast some wd40 on that control switch, it could be sticking. i did that and it worked for maybe about 2 years.

just noticed its doing it again, and forgot where that little motor is, came back to the zine to try and find the forum. i hope wd40 helps you.

 

I have this issue as well and heres how i deal with it

If its suck on freezing cold air and I want warm air, I turn it up to high, wait to start feeling some hot air, then turn it down to my desired temperature (usually 73-77). The temperature is definitely not cold and definitely not hot, but rather somewhere in between. Its comfortable enough for long drives at night where I dont want the AC to freeze me. I know this isnt really a fix, but it works.

 

what happened after replacing the cable?

 

That did it well enough for me. During the winter months I was more than happy with the amount of warm arm supplied in to the cabin.

 

Reviving an old thread here.....Anyone ever find a fix for this? I just replaced my heater valve on the firewall in the engine bay and now I am also having the problem of not getting warm air unless the heater control is set to 85 and up. Any leads on a solution?