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I bought a 2011 Grand Caravan last November, maybe that was my mistake, buying in the winter.

It has the dual climate control (one driver, one passenger) and a rear control as well.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and this terrible winter is finally letting up. We had a few warm days and turned the heat over to cold on all three knobs only to notice that the passenger side and rear vents were blowing hot air. With the AC on the drivers side does blow cold, but the passenger/rear is always hot.

One additional note: under the driver's seat is a large wiring harness connector that shorted out due to the wet/salty water from the winter. So the driver's seat cannot be adjusted and the seatbelt sensor doesn't sense. I only add this in case the wiring could be causing the vent motors to stop working (but I kind of doubt it).

I'm handy with tools, but I'm not a mechanic by any means. I'm planning on fixing the wiring under the seat soon. Do you guys think that will fix the HVAC issues or am I going to have to tear open the dash? If it's not the wiring how do I fix this?

The warranty is over.

Thanks

John the Ripper
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1 Answers1

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It sounds like maybe a bad passenger zone actuator in the HVAC controls causing the issue up front. As for the rear, that could be another actuator. I think there is a separate evaporator for the rear, it could have a clogged expansion valve or a leak. If it's leaking, you should lose the front A/C fairly soon.

I don't think the seat wiring has anything to do with the HVAC issues.

To get at the HVAC bits, you're going to have to remove your dash. There are some videos on Youtube. Don't forget to disable the airbags if you value your life. If you do it by disconnecting the battery, don't forget to wait for the backup to drain (enables airbags to deploy in crash that severs battery wiring).

Mark Johnson
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