Dual Automatic Climate Control System

Argyll · April 19, 2006

I have the Dual Automatic Climate Control System in the 2003 Silverado 1500 5.3L 2wd I just got. After reading the manual for these controls, I'm still not sure I know how this works exactly. If I turn AUTO off, it seems I have to dial the temperature up pretty high or else I'm getting freezed, this thing cools like no tomorrow!

Anyway, just a couple of questions for anyone who has this system.

1. If I turn the system off with the O button, AUTO mode is off, then I just increase the fan speed with the up/down arrow selectors, does this simply allow regular outside air vented in with fan speed control, or will the A/C still kick on by itself if the temperature sensor reads higher than what the dial temp selection is? It was about 75 degrees outside yesterday, and when I do this, I have to dial the temp up to above 82 or more degrees else it seems like it's blowing cold, like the A/C was on.

2. On cold mornings I set the temp manually up to 90 initially to get the heat going. But after it's blowing hot, which it does very well, I dial it back so I'm not being roasted. But dialing the temp back to just 87 seems like it becomes waaay cooler than it should for just 3 degrees less. Is that normal or should it take until it's below 80 degress or so to notice a big difference in heating temp?

Alot of times I just like to have outside air coming in, without the A/C ever coming on, but be able to control the fan speed like on a manual system. I wasn't sure if this is possible with this fancy dual auto system. Thanks for any help.

Shawn T · April 19, 2006

The Dual Zone Auto Climate Control is exactly what it is. They basically eliminated the manual functions because that's supposed to be the beauty of it. The auto button essentially controls the discharge point for cooling/heating air

A/C = panel

Heat = floor

Fresh Air = panel/floor

when the inside vehicle temp is below a certain temp in the morning (40 F, think), it blends the defroster with the floor.

Taking out of "Auto" just allows you to manually select the air discharge point, cooling and heating are still temperature controlled. The only way to get fresh air into the cab regulated manully is find the "sweet spot" between auto cooling and auto heating and set the temp there. The cabin will have to have already been stablized to a median temp. Then you can control your discharge and fan speed. I know it is a pain, but I think the good outweighs the bad. Going on a trip through the mountains or anywhere else for that matter, I never touch it. Keeps us comforable all of the time. I drive a diesel, so my temps may vary from gas a little (my mom drives an Escy and hers seems to be a little more "hot blooded").

After the cabin temp stablizes, either by cooling down or heating up:

warm days/ A/C = 77 deg

cool days/ heat = 74 deg

those two seem to keep it comfortable to me.

If I want fresh air, I just bump the temp one way or the other and watch the display (in auto) and when it registers panel/floor arrows I leave it there.

I was looking at my buttons yesterday and realized something. I have never used the A/C button (snowflake) or the off (0) since I have owned the truck. Wierd.

Argyll · April 19, 2006

Thanks sstimothy for such a detailed explanation . I guess I'll just have to keep playing with it and find the right spots for my liking.

I just wanted to see if there was a way to make the A/C never come on and just use the fan speed for vent air.

So on cool days, you set your temp to 74 and it still blows fairly warm? If i dial mine down to anything below 85 on cool days, it seems to start blowing fairly cool, not really heat. I'm taking her in for an issue with a power mirror this Friday, so I might have the system checked for calibration just to be sure there's nothing out of whack.

98silvz71 · April 19, 2006

Thanks sstimothy for such a detailed explanation . I guess I'll just have to keep playing with it and find the right spots for my liking.

I just wanted to see if there was a way to make the A/C never come on and just use the fan speed for vent air.

So on cool days, you set your temp to 74 and it still blows fairly warm? If i dial mine down to anything below 85 on cool days, it seems to start blowing fairly cool, not really heat. I'm taking her in for an issue with a power mirror this Friday, so I might have the system checked for calibration just to be sure there's nothing out of whack.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The little snowflake is how you shut off the compressor. You will see a snowflake and a line running through it when the compressor is off. Then you can run outside air all the time. If it is 74 degrees outside make sure that you run the outside air temp down to about 68 or it will try to add heat into the system if you keep it at 74. Once you figure out the system you will like it.

Shawn T · April 19, 2006

Thanks sstimothy for such a detailed explanation . I guess I'll just have to keep playing with it and find the right spots for my liking.

I just wanted to see if there was a way to make the A/C never come on and just use the fan speed for vent air.

So on cool days, you set your temp to 74 and it still blows fairly warm? If i dial mine down to anything below 85 on cool days, it seems to start blowing fairly cool, not really heat. I'm taking her in for an issue with a power mirror this Friday, so I might have the system checked for calibration just to be sure there's nothing out of whack.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The little snowflake is how you shut off the compressor. You will see a snowflake and a line running through it when the compressor is off. Then you can run outside air all the time. If it is 74 degrees outside make sure that you run the outside air temp down to about 68 or it will try to add heat into the system if you keep it at 74. Once you figure out the system you will like it.

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I think that was a change they made in 05. I have noticed on the 05 and newer GM auto cc that when the A/C kicks on, the snowflake automatically illuminates. If you push the snowflake when it is illuminated it just turns off. I never noticed a cross through it. On the 03's the snowflake never illuminates, unless you manually select the button. I am not saying your wrong though, I will play with it this weekend. I will also call my uncle and have him try his (same truck except 05). That is actually one of the differences we noticed between our trucks. I know all 03's are this way because my work truck is like mine and so is my grandfather's 03 Denali.

MS3DALE · April 19, 2006

Yea,They changed it,But they changed it in '04 because mine dosen't have the line (Or "slash") through the snowflake symbol,My buddies '03 has the line.

DJFriar · April 20, 2006

Yea,They changed it,But they changed it in '04 because mine dosen't have the line (Or "slash") through the snowflake symbol,My buddies '03 has the line.

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Anyone know if the Manual Climate Control can be swapped out to the Auto one??? I really wanted to the Auto, but couldn't pass up the price I got on my truck.

MS3DALE · April 20, 2006

Theres a lot to changing it around;sensors,switches,actuators,etc.

Believe me if I could go back I would have ordered a truck without the auto climate control,Its a PITA to use when your driving down the road,You always have to take your eyes off of the road and look at the control head to see what setting its on,It kind of reminds me of the '93 and '94 trucks I had with a similar setup,Although they weren't an "AUTO" control you still always had to take your eyes off of the road when making changes.

I know when I drive our parts trucks here ('04 K2500HD) without the auto climate control its nice to be able to change the settings and not take my eyes off the road,plus its just a lot easier to make changes with the good ol' knobs instead of the push buttons.

Just my .02

Shawn T · April 20, 2006

Theres a lot to changing it around;sensors,switches,actuators,etc.
Believe me if I could go back I would have ordered a truck without the auto climate control,Its a PITA to use when your driving down the road,You always have to take your eyes off of the road and look at the control head to see what setting its on,It kind of reminds me of the '93 and '94 trucks I had with a similar setup,Although they weren't an "AUTO" control you still always had to take your eyes off of the road when making changes.

I know when I drive our parts trucks here ('04 K2500HD) without the auto climate control its nice to be able to change the settings and not take my eyes off the road,plus its just a lot easier to make changes with the good ol' knobs instead of the push buttons.

Just my .02

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Holy cow man. Isn't that getting a little nit-picky. I have to take my eyes off the road to adjust the radio station, look at the time, look at the speedo, check my mirrors, check the outside temp, etc. Maybe I'm just stupid. I will time myself next time I turn the dial and adjust my automatic climate control by a degree to see if it takes any longer than any of these other tasks. Isn't that the whole purpose of "auto"? Not to have to adjust it. I think 90% of the heat adjustment is done with one nob. I'm not trying to be a jerk about it, it just bothers me when people complain about technology. It is usually ignorance, not poor design. I stress usually.

Argyll · April 20, 2006

Ok, I think I have it figured out now.

On a non-AUTO system (like my old Chevy), there was always some kind of light on, or the display would read "A/C" or something like that, to let you know the A/C was ON.

After playing with the snowflake button last night, looking at the A/C compressor when pushing it to see if it was running, I see that there is nothing in the display on the AUTO type system when the A/C is ON. Only if the system is not in AUTO, and when I see the snowflake with the line running through it is the A/C OFF.

So that's where I was getting confused. The manual says there's a snowflake without a line through it when the A/C is on, but I never see that symbol. So, either my LED is burned out for that, or this system is designed to NOT show any symbol when the A/C is on or active. (backwards from older or other model systems, which is why I was confused).

At least I know how to operate this now, so I'm feeling good about it. Thanks for the discussion, it surely helped me out.

MS3DALE · April 20, 2006

Theres a lot to changing it around;sensors,switches,actuators,etc.
Believe me if I could go back I would have ordered a truck without the auto climate control,Its a PITA to use when your driving down the road,You always have to take your eyes off of the road and look at the control head to see what setting its on,It kind of reminds me of the '93 and '94 trucks I had with a similar setup,Although they weren't an "AUTO" control you still always had to take your eyes off of the road when making changes.

I know when I drive our parts trucks here ('04 K2500HD) without the auto climate control its nice to be able to change the settings and not take my eyes off the road,plus its just a lot easier to make changes with the good ol' knobs instead of the push buttons.

Just my .02

Holy cow man. Isn't that getting a little nit-picky. I have to take my eyes off the road to adjust the radio station, look at the time, look at the speedo, check my mirrors, check the outside temp, etc. Maybe I'm just stupid. I will time myself next time I turn the dial and adjust my automatic climate control by a degree to see if it takes any longer than any of these other tasks. Isn't that the whole purpose of "auto"? Not to have to adjust it. I think 90% of the heat adjustment is done with one nob. I'm not trying to be a jerk about it, it just bothers me when people complain about technology. It is usually ignorance, not poor design. I stress usually.

No.Not being nit-picky.I'm just saying that I think the auto climate control is harder to use compared to the easier to use manual set-up with three simple knobs (I guess not so much taking your eyes off the road,although I did stress that)

But thats just my opinion,I'm not against technology,I love it,I mean I love my XM and On-Star.

Shawn T · April 20, 2006

Theres a lot to changing it around;sensors,switches,actuators,etc.
Believe me if I could go back I would have ordered a truck without the auto climate control,Its a PITA to use when your driving down the road,You always have to take your eyes off of the road and look at the control head to see what setting its on,It kind of reminds me of the '93 and '94 trucks I had with a similar setup,Although they weren't an "AUTO" control you still always had to take your eyes off of the road when making changes.

I know when I drive our parts trucks here ('04 K2500HD) without the auto climate control its nice to be able to change the settings and not take my eyes off the road,plus its just a lot easier to make changes with the good ol' knobs instead of the push buttons.

Just my .02

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Holy cow man. Isn't that getting a little nit-picky. I have to take my eyes off the road to adjust the radio station, look at the time, look at the speedo, check my mirrors, check the outside temp, etc. Maybe I'm just stupid. I will time myself next time I turn the dial and adjust my automatic climate control by a degree to see if it takes any longer than any of these other tasks. Isn't that the whole purpose of "auto"? Not to have to adjust it. I think 90% of the heat adjustment is done with one nob. I'm not trying to be a jerk about it, it just bothers me when people complain about technology. It is usually ignorance, not poor design. I stress usually.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No.Not being nit-picky.I'm just saying that I think the auto climate control is harder to use compared to the easier to use manual set-up with three simple knobs (I guess not so much taking your eyes off the road,although I did stress that)

But thats just my opinion,I'm not against technology,I love it,I mean I love my XM and On-Star.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Cool . I do see your point. I think we spend so much time in our vehicles now days that we pay to much attention to detail. You can order options to your liking but there are only so many choices and ergonomics is not the same for everybody. I am guilty of complaining about some of these bells and whistles too. One thing I do think that GM is lacking on their HVAC is rear seat adjustments for the ext cab and CC pickups. When it is really hot or really cold, the dinky little vents under the seats and in the center consol just don't get the job done. To make the people in the back seat comfortable the ones in the front are usually uncomfortable. Each to his own I guess. See I just complained!