I’ve got a 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins that’s making some funny noises in
the vents like there is debris in the vents and/or fan. I also get some fan
resistor noise in the radio periodically and it also seems to switch from
cold to hot with one click of the temp control knob which suggests a
problem with the air door(s). Then there’s the multiple cracks in the dash.
Since this truck is in EXCELLENT original condition overall and I plan to
make it as close to “perfect” I can get it and then keep it forever, I’ve
decided that the right way to do it is to remove the entire HVAC module and
get it on a bench for complete inspection, cleaning and repair. I’ve
watched the Heater Treater videos and that looks like a good upgrade. And I
want to do ALL of the doors while I’m doing it instead of the ones that are
“easy” to get to without removing the dash. This definitely isn’t a job I
want to half-ass 4 times instead of doing it correctly once. I know enough
about vehicle dash assemblies to know that repeatedly disassembing and
reassembling them leads to squeaks, rattles, damaged parts and anger when
the vehicle you’re trying to repair and maintain ends up in a little WORSE
shape every time you “fix” it. I don’t know why anybody would do the
half-assed “repairs” with the dash half torn apart and the module still in
the truck or would even try to do it THIS way but yet not evacuate and
disconnect the A/C in order to be able to get the entire assembly out of
the truck and on a bench where it can be properly serviced the way it was
designed to be serviced. Obviously recovering, evacuating and recharging an
A/C system takes skills and tools that not everyone has but that part of it
can also be farmed out paid for with some of the money saved by doing this
job yourself AND by doing it right the first time. By th time a truck is
old enough to need this kind of repair there’s every chance that other
parts of the system need repaired or at least could benefit from a good
cleaning and inspection. A truck that’s 5 or more years old has probably
lost some refrigerant over time and starting over with a “dry” A/C system
and recharging with the proper amount of refrigerant is also much better
than trying to “top off” a system that’s a little low and ending up with an
overcharged system that may cool WORSE than the undercharged system did.
This HVAC module design is very similar to what is used on John Deere
8000-series tractors and I suspect the level of difficulty is probably
similar. This looks like a challenging job rather than a hard one. A truly
hard job can’t be made easier and you just have to gut it out and get it
done. A challenging job can be made easier and even enjoyable by working
smart instead of hard and by getting as much benefit out of the work
involved as possible.
I have the same truck and is starting to return antifreeze on that return
by the firewall, is this because the heather core must be replace, I notice
that I have some moisture on the glass altought the Heater its off.
From what I’ve been told, evacuating the a/c is not needed. There should be
sufficient wiggle room if you just remove the clips and push through the
oval opening with out disconnecting. I’ve heard both ways but I figure it
only saves a few extra minutes. Either way it gets the job done. Tomorrow I
start on one of these.
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I’ve got a 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins that’s making some funny noises in
the vents like there is debris in the vents and/or fan. I also get some fan
resistor noise in the radio periodically and it also seems to switch from
cold to hot with one click of the temp control knob which suggests a
problem with the air door(s). Then there’s the multiple cracks in the dash.
Since this truck is in EXCELLENT original condition overall and I plan to
make it as close to “perfect” I can get it and then keep it forever, I’ve
decided that the right way to do it is to remove the entire HVAC module and
get it on a bench for complete inspection, cleaning and repair. I’ve
watched the Heater Treater videos and that looks like a good upgrade. And I
want to do ALL of the doors while I’m doing it instead of the ones that are
“easy” to get to without removing the dash. This definitely isn’t a job I
want to half-ass 4 times instead of doing it correctly once. I know enough
about vehicle dash assemblies to know that repeatedly disassembing and
reassembling them leads to squeaks, rattles, damaged parts and anger when
the vehicle you’re trying to repair and maintain ends up in a little WORSE
shape every time you “fix” it. I don’t know why anybody would do the
half-assed “repairs” with the dash half torn apart and the module still in
the truck or would even try to do it THIS way but yet not evacuate and
disconnect the A/C in order to be able to get the entire assembly out of
the truck and on a bench where it can be properly serviced the way it was
designed to be serviced. Obviously recovering, evacuating and recharging an
A/C system takes skills and tools that not everyone has but that part of it
can also be farmed out paid for with some of the money saved by doing this
job yourself AND by doing it right the first time. By th time a truck is
old enough to need this kind of repair there’s every chance that other
parts of the system need repaired or at least could benefit from a good
cleaning and inspection. A truck that’s 5 or more years old has probably
lost some refrigerant over time and starting over with a “dry” A/C system
and recharging with the proper amount of refrigerant is also much better
than trying to “top off” a system that’s a little low and ending up with an
overcharged system that may cool WORSE than the undercharged system did.
This HVAC module design is very similar to what is used on John Deere
8000-series tractors and I suspect the level of difficulty is probably
similar. This looks like a challenging job rather than a hard one. A truly
hard job can’t be made easier and you just have to gut it out and get it
done. A challenging job can be made easier and even enjoyable by working
smart instead of hard and by getting as much benefit out of the work
involved as possible.
I have the same truck and is starting to return antifreeze on that return
by the firewall, is this because the heather core must be replace, I notice
that I have some moisture on the glass altought the Heater its off.
That’s true, about 2/3rds less!
From what I’ve been told, evacuating the a/c is not needed. There should be
sufficient wiggle room if you just remove the clips and push through the
oval opening with out disconnecting. I’ve heard both ways but I figure it
only saves a few extra minutes. Either way it gets the job done. Tomorrow I
start on one of these.
Sure beats going to the dealership!