Wierd HVAC problem

[gerald]

im just scratching the surface with autmotive stuff here so this might be a simple fix, ive done tons of manual stuff but nothing that involves electronics. so here goes, I have a 1992 grand am se 4 door, with the 3300. Every now and then ill go to turn on the air and the air will blow but the fan wont kick in until 2-5 minutes later. It badly needs a tune up and oil change, but i dont think those will make a big difference. is this just a simple fix like changing a fuse or reconnecting a hose, ive also noticed its a really weak fan. Today i was driving with my mom and it was at the point the air was on high, but still warmer in the car then outside, and that really bummed me out. which leads me to another problem(sorry for the rant) my drivers window likes to get "stuck" sometimes, ill roll it down all the way and then it wont come back up on its own power for a couple minutes. I also have a idle problem similar to this (http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=44069&highlight=3300+idle+problem). it only has 130K on it and 65% of those miles are highway miles.

i really want this car to last. help me out guys.

gerald

[RocketFast321]

are you talking about the radiator fan?

[rixGAphx]

OK, one at a time.

AC - Gonna take a little more effort/$, but prolly more important to you now.

The ductwork under the dash, and the heater valve (in the engine bay, on the supply heater hose), are controlled by vacuum valves.
For safety reasons, when the system isn't working right it 'defaults' with little springs that set the flapper doors to 'defrost' (and I think also open the heater valve) to defrost the windshield.
I think you have a leak in the vac system, that is very slow to divert the air flow from the defrost vents to the AC vents.
The leak could be:
* At the intake manifold, where the vac comes from, having a leak (this would also cause some rough idling that you haven't mentioned); or,
* At the vac resvoir bottle (black plastic grapefruit-sized ball, under the battery on the '96+ models, don't know where on yours) or the lines near it; or,
* One of the vac diaphragm 'motors' located at the flapper doors in the ductwork (real PITA to get to, generally); or,
* At the dial control panel (backside of the dash knobs); this is a strong possibility, since it controls lots of stuff at once, and the lines could be accidentally dislodged by somebody working on the stereo.

Regarding how much cooling you get out of the system, get the air flowing right and maybe the heater will turn off.
Then have the compressor checked to see if there's a good freon charge (your system is old-style freon, R-12, which isn't easy or cheap to have serviced these days).

* * * *
The Electrical system on your 13+ year old car is prolly in need of significant attention, which affects the AC/HTR system and the power window.
1. Make sure the battery cables are clean and tight, at both ends of both cables. Cut off the molded rubber boot on the battery terminals, clean/repair/replace the corroded wires, and replace the boots with removeable aftermarket boots that can be inspected.
2. Make a new, heavy ground cable from the battery Neg/Black termanal directly to the body at the inner driver-side fenderwall.
As your vehicle aged, the spot welds that hold the metal sheets together have corroded, and the electrical ground path has become less efficient.
Use a single strand of 8 gage wire and some good crimp-on teminal ends, and connect to bare steel at the fenderwall.

Your headlights will prolly be brighter, the AC fan will run faster, and so will the power windows.

* * * *
Power windows:
Several things have become dirty/unluricated/out of alignment here, so it's time to dig-in and return to near-original condition.

1. Switch:
a. This little thing is actually quite smart, and shuts itself off if it thinks there might be something stuck in the window as it's going up. It judges this by speed-of-travel: If it senses the glass is moving slowly, it thinks there's a kid's neck in the opening; sometimes, there IS :eek:
b. Remove the piece of door plastic holding the switch, and turn it over. I think your GA will be similar to mine in this regard.
Disconnect the wire connector, and clean the contacts using tooth picks, tiny screwdrivers, etc. and some rubbing alcohol to dissolve the old di-electric grease.
Reconnect; the power should now flow better and improving lift performance of the motor.
2. Friction in the moving assembly
a. The felt track that the glass rides in is dry; lubricate it with spray silicone, enouch to weep all the way down.
b. Inside the door (you have to remove the interior trim panel, PITA), there are a bunch of tracks, levers, pulleys, and wheels. They were well-lubricated when the car was built, but now they are dry, dirty, and corroded. This is about an hour's job (once you figure out R&R of the trim panel) to clean and lube with spray silicone.
c. Adjustment: The rear of the entire front track assembly (or front of the rear track assembly, since they are interchangeable on 4-drs in an X-pattern) has a screw that firmly adjusts the rear of the glass relative to the vertical metal track. This screw can loosen and cause mis-alignment.
Re-align, and tighten.
At this point, you have made electricity flow better from the battery to the switch, and you have eased the load on the motor.
It should now operate with blinding speed, and should no longer stop without an actual obstacle in the opening.

Hope all this helps.
I gotta start storing all this crap in a database, the boss gets upset when I spend 20 mins retyping the same thing. :roll2:

Good luck.
-Rick