Snowflake (AC) light off, a/c still on

Discussion on Air Conditioning/Heat & electronic controls for the same, radiators/fans/engine cooling and related items.
Post Reply
iefbr14
Posts: 38
Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2015 11:31 am

Snowflake (AC) light off, a/c still on

Post by iefbr14 »

Am I mis-reading the meaning of the light on the AC Control on a 2014?

Suppose I have the temp set at 68 and AUTO. The snowflake indicator is on, as is the distribution mode in effect. I decide to press the snowflake button, and it turns off.

Cold air continues to blow...and it's not the residual cold air left in the ducts. AC continues to blow when with the AC light now off....more than what might be considered a time-delayed slow shutoff.

Am I incorrect to assume the light is basically in series with the AC compressor? ON means compressor engaged; OFF means compressor not engaged.

I find compressor stays engaged after I commanded it to be OFF.
User avatar
kevink
Posts: 480
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2015 12:55 pm

Re: Snowflake (AC) light off, a/c still on

Post by kevink »

Does it do the same thing when it's not on auto?
2011 9C3: 11.48 @118.
s/c'd cav
Posts: 1382
Joined: Mon May 30, 2016 3:12 am
Location: PHOENIX AZ

Re: Snowflake (AC) light off, a/c still on

Post by s/c'd cav »

look at the right on the screen , it will show auto , hit the button tell it cycles off
cerbomark
Posts: 316
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2018 5:37 pm
Location: upstate NY

Re: Snowflake (AC) light off, a/c still on

Post by cerbomark »

Did you ever figure this out, mine does same thing. Auto not engaged and snowflake not on and it continues to blow cold until I shut whole thing off and then back on (without AC). ??

update. I checked while parked with ac button on and then off and then compressor seems to respond as far as being fully engaged or not.
This is the strangest system I had. Other systems when you shut the Snowflake the air instantly looses the cold feel.
2016 C1
User avatar
Mooseman
Posts: 1075
Joined: Mon Jun 12, 2017 11:35 pm
Location: Ottawa, ON Canada
Contact:

Re: Snowflake (AC) light off, a/c still on

Post by Mooseman »

If you have it to defrost or split defrost/feet, the A/C is always on to remove moisture except below freezing temps (which is useless/a waste 98% of the time). However, I also find it difficult to turn off A/C. And anytime I turn the system off and back on, the A/C is always turned back on no matter what the previous setting was.

I think it's a conspiracy to wear out A/C components faster to force owners to get them fixed more often. :o
2011 Caprice PPV, former RCMP test vehicle, never put into service
Build Thread: http://www.newcaprice.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2419
cerbomark
Posts: 316
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2018 5:37 pm
Location: upstate NY

Re: Snowflake (AC) light off, a/c still on

Post by cerbomark »

LOL, depending on whether I turn system on by pushing center button OR turning it (fan speed), one put s AC on and the other doesn't ..
Can t remember which one. So I m not the only one fighting this system.
2016 C1
CrashTestDummy
Posts: 2300
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Pearland, Texas

Re: Snowflake (AC) light off, a/c still on

Post by CrashTestDummy »

On our '12, the compressor turns off when I press the 'snowflake' button, but I can't tell you much about any other settings. Heck, I was surprised about the 'zone' settings just the other day. I was charging the A/C system and had a thermometer in the right center dash vent, and it kept reading 75-deg F while the air coming out the far left vent was pretty cold.

Anyway, on our '02 GMC 2500HD, if we have the recirculate button pressed, the compressor runs, even though the 'A/C' (snowflake) button is not. The light on the recirc button is on, but not on the A/C button. Just a data point, not sure if the Caprice HVAC behaves that way, or not.
Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas
2012 Caprice 9C1
1992 B4C 1LE Camaro
2018 Tahoe PPV (her car)
1995 DGGM Impala SS
1985 Firebird - 310 LS1 C Prepared autocross car.
1980 Bluebird Wanderlodge
And some others
Do YOU have my SPID?
cerbomark
Posts: 316
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2018 5:37 pm
Location: upstate NY

Re: Snowflake (AC) light off, a/c still on

Post by cerbomark »

I checked the compressor and many would be surprised to note (as some have already stated). that even with the snowflake OFF the following conditions put the compressor ON.
Recirculate button ON, Settings where TOP (defrost) vent flow is ON. The snowflake does not lite up but compressor fully engaged , FYI.
2016 C1
SSpeedracer
Posts: 149
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2018 6:34 pm

Re: Snowflake (AC) light off, a/c still on

Post by SSpeedracer »

The compressor does not turn off on my 16 when the Snowflake light is manually turned off until I cycle the fan off/on. I figure it's a bug.
2016 Caprice
Post Reply