Mega cab Weak a/c

[AMink]

Can't Afford The Repair

Welcome, NRussell. Don't let the dealer screw you. The door that broke is common and should be covered under warranty. Taking the door out is a bandaid, as you won't have recirc. I can't believe they'd go in and take the door out without fixing the problem. There is a whole new part. The original door doesn't have a stop on it. When the door stops against the box, the motor keeps turning until the pivot shaft breaks. Then the door falls off.

I sent this into "Dr. Z. " I'll be interested in finding out what he has to say. I wonder what would happen if we all sent something there, or is there a better complaint place? "Meine A/C ist nicht so gut!"

Never did hear back from Dr. Z. Big surprise. I finally got an infrared thermometer the other day. Of course, it's dumped from the 90's to the 50's and I'm not using the A/C now. Global warming my butt!

 

[gtobey]

'02 Vs. '06

Welcome, NRussell. Don't let the dealer screw you. The door that broke is common and should be covered under warranty. Taking the door out is a bandaid, as you won't have recirc. I can't believe they'd go in and take the door out without fixing the problem. There is a whole new part. The original door doesn't have a stop on it. When the door stops against the box, the motor keeps turning until the pivot shaft breaks. Then the door falls off.





Never did hear back from Dr. Z. Big surprise. I finally got an infrared thermometer the other day. Of course, it's dumped from the 90's to the 50's and I'm not using the A/C now. Global warming my butt!

I rode with a friend in his '02 Quad Cab @ lunchtime today (outside air temp was 85 degrees), and his stock A/C was spitting ice cubes... I liked to have froze! And that was on the 2nd fan setting, and you couldn't hear the fan, (even though the engine was louder than my '06), it was quieter. I remember last summer driving all through CO, down through UT, NV, AZ, NM, etc. and especially at Hoover Dam 122 degrees in the shade, I was getting 38 degree air out of the center vents in my trusty '02.



I know something's wrong with the '06 more than just the fan. I will be looking into a new squirrel cage for that motor, one that will move more air and hopefully not make such a racket!!!



Anyone have ideas, let me know...

 

[drury]

What about adapting the 02 blower to fit in the 06? Do you think it could be made to fit? In general, my thought is to find a powerful AC system from some vehicle like a Suburban or passenger van that has a blower with a form factor reasonably close to ours that could be adapted to fit. I just don't have the time to research it.

 

[sag2]

The Mega Cabs have a screen in the HVAC outlet that helps divert air to the rear seats. If you have a dog or cat it can plug up with hair and really stop the flow. The dealer will have to roll the dash back to see it, but if it is plugged they can cut it out as it is not serviced by itself. The newer 07 trucks are not supposed to have it.

 

[MMeier]

If your door is broken, the part will now supersede to a housing and door with an internal stop to keep it from breaking.

Is this the "fix" that involves removing the whole dash?

 

[gtobey]

02 blower

What about adapting the 02 blower to fit in the 06? Do you think it could be made to fit? In general, my thought is to find a powerful AC system from some vehicle like a Suburban or passenger van that has a blower with a form factor reasonably close to ours that could be adapted to fit. I just don't have the time to research it.

I don't know at this point. But as soon as I can get time to get the blower out and look at it, I am going to visit my friend at the local Dodge parts dept. and do some checking through the books to see what's available. Then maybe I can post some pics... . Give me a while... Maybe someone else will beat me to it. .

 

[sag2]

Is this the "fix" that involves removing the whole dash?

Well kind of. Most of the technicians are able to snake the housing in without completely pulling the dash. You have to roll it back and pull the passenger side back and the housing will go in. It is tight but it works.

 

[Ben S]

Mine is being fixed right now and I was hoping that I would get better air flow, but the above posts do not sound promising.



My 97 Mazda sedan has better air flow on setting 2 than my 06 Mega on setting 4 and is much quieter.



Based on the level of fan noise it seems like there must be some obstruction to air flow.

 

[Ben S]

The Mega Cabs have a screen in the HVAC outlet that helps divert air to the rear seats. If you have a dog or cat it can plug up with hair and really stop the flow. The dealer will have to roll the dash back to see it, but if it is plugged they can cut it out as it is not serviced by itself. The newer 07 trucks are not supposed to have it.

Where is this screen located and how hard is it too remove altogether?



The air flow to the rear seats is better than to the front.





Does anyone know what purpose the fan cage serves? There must be some relatively simple way to increase air flow in this system.



I'm just too chicken to tear the dash apart on a brand new truck to find out... :-laf



Ben

 

[MPercer]

Week A/C got mine fixed

I have an 06 Mega Cab and recently had problems with the air not blowing out enough air to keep me cool. Even in the recirc position not much was happening and the blower was on max making all kinds of noise. I spoke with the salesman and he said to bring it in. I took it in this morning and the service manager told me they have been having alot of these same problems coming in for repair. He said that there is a door for the recirc setting that breaks and blocks the air from going to the vents. They recovered the refrigerant and pulled the dash out. Then they installed a new housing around the evaporator. Now it blows me out of the cab in no time at all. The service manager says that dodge is not going to issue a recall since it is not a safety issue. So I encourage all of you to check with you dealer about this happening to your rides.

 

[231jasonS]

I have an 06 Mega Cab and recently had problems with the air not blowing out enough air to keep me cool. Even in the recirc position not much was happening and the blower was on max making all kinds of noise. I spoke with the salesman and he said to bring it in. I took it in this morning and the service manager told me they have been having alot of these same problems coming in for repair. He said that there is a door for the recirc setting that breaks and blocks the air from going to the vents. They recovered the refrigerant and pulled the dash out. Then they installed a new housing around the evaporator. Now it blows me out of the cab in no time at all. The service manager says that dodge is not going to issue a recall since it is not a safety issue. So I encourage all of you to check with you dealer about this happening to your rides.

This sounds like the "bend door" that breaks that has been talked about several times during theis thread. Ive had the broken door replaced with the new housing, but still very little air movment. If this is something new thats one thing, but it sounds like the same partial fix for a common wide spread problem that DC is doing nothing about.

 

[gtobey]

I have an 06 Mega Cab and recently had problems with the air not blowing out enough air to keep me cool. Even in the recirc position not much was happening and the blower was on max making all kinds of noise. I spoke with the salesman and he said to bring it in. I took it in this morning and the service manager told me they have been having alot of these same problems coming in for repair. He said that there is a door for the recirc setting that breaks and blocks the air from going to the vents. They recovered the refrigerant and pulled the dash out. Then they installed a new housing around the evaporator. Now it blows me out of the cab in no time at all. The service manager says that dodge is not going to issue a recall since it is not a safety issue. So I encourage all of you to check with you dealer about this happening to your rides.

You mentioned that they replaced the box around the evaporator, possibly containing the ventilation doors that open and close for the recirculation mode. I had read about that door breaking and causing a restriction, but I had not heard about the complete box being replaced. Can you elaborate any about why they had to remove your refrigerant? Did they have to remove the evaporator assembly? How long did it take to get your vehicle back? I find that if I turn the blower on the 3rd setting (one lower than the highest), and turn the vents directly on me, I can feel a little cooler, but it takes miles to cool down the interior if you get in and turn on the A/C, even opening all the windows and letting out the superheated air, then cranking the system to the max.



Are these symptoms similar to yours? I don’t want to take mine in and have them tell me it is within specs, and the proverbial, “no problem found” show up on the work order. Thanks.

 

[gtobey]

Recalibration of doors

I had to take my Mega Cab back for water leaking down the A pillar and dripping from the screw holes. While I had it in for that, I asked them to listen to the blower and check the air flow (or lack thereof) from the vents in the dash. The fellow spun the mode dial around listening to the opening and closing of the doors. He agreed with me that there was a problem, and that most put out more air than that. They called me after they had it for two days and said that they had fixed my leaks, (sunroof tubes front and rear were replaced and rerouted) and that they had to "recalibrate" the A/C door operation. Anyone heard of this? Does it fix them?

 

[69RoadRunner]

I had to take my Mega Cab back for water leaking down the A pillar and dripping from the screw holes. While I had it in for that, I asked them to listen to the blower and check the air flow (or lack thereof) from the vents in the dash. The fellow spun the mode dial around listening to the opening and closing of the doors. He agreed with me that there was a problem, and that most put out more air than that. They called me after they had it for two days and said that they had fixed my leaks, (sunroof tubes front and rear were replaced and rerouted) and that they had to "recalibrate" the A/C door operation. Anyone heard of this? Does it fix them?

I had the same sunroof problem. It filled the DVD player with water, but was fixed under warranty.



I haven't heard about recalibrating the doors.

 

[AAdamson]

Driver A/C vents are weak and NOT cold Passenger Vents are weak and LESS COLD. Lots of noise 15-20 full speed to even get that good. ALL GM products owned frozen knuckles in 2-5 minutes. If I trade in my Mega Cab 06 that will be why. Dealer say all is fine, "that is how the A/C works" Kinda silly for 2006 eh? Love everything else about the truck.

AA

 

[Ross]

Poor design

Ya know, this is the kind of attitude that got Dodge and the other two Detroit makers in trouble in the 80s. They could have built better cars, they just didn't want (or have) to. Finally the imports forced them to bring up their quality. Only difference is that Ford and Chevy finally "got it", and Dodge and their newfound European leadership doesn't give a da^^ about buyer satisfaction.



DC could fix this problem... . It's not rocket science. My wife's Chrysler minivan has at least the same cabin room if not more, and the A/C in it is great. It's quiet, cold, and blows hard. DC let a bad design slip through into production, and they are not willing to fix it. Think about it; if they came out with a fix, every MegaCab in the country would be in for it. They'd lose they *****... Instead, WE lose!



my 2 1/2 cents...

 

[LesStallings]

and Dodge and their newfound European leadership doesn't give a da^^ about buyer satisfaction... .

I guess you didn't get the memo... "newfound" should be "newly lost" European leadership!!

 

[gtobey]

This is not right....

Ya know, this is the kind of attitude that got Dodge and the other two Detroit makers in trouble in the 80s. They could have built better cars, they just didn't want (or have) to. Finally the imports forced them to bring up their quality. Only difference is that Ford and Chevy finally "got it", and Dodge and their newfound European leadership doesn't give a da^^ about buyer satisfaction.



DC could fix this problem... . It's not rocket science. My wife's Chrysler minivan has at least the same cabin room if not more, and the A/C in it is great. It's quiet, cold, and blows hard. DC let a bad design slip through into production, and they are not willing to fix it. Think about it; if they came out with a fix, every MegaCab in the country would be in for it. They'd lose they *****... Instead, WE lose!



my 2 1/2 cents...

Ross,



I think you've hit the proverbial nail on the head! Well said... You experienced and said the very same thing I told the service writer yesterday when I picked up my truck. I told him that our '96 caravan could freeze you out (my wife wants it 32 degrees on her side, and my side would be about 80 degrees. We'd have thunderstorms and tornados in the middle of the van where the cold and hot air mixed! She'd hang a side of beef on her side, and I'd be roasting one on my side! There has to be more cubic volume in a Grand Caravan than is in the Mega Cab. Why can't they get more air flow with less noise through this system? It's not as if we have a low powered 4 cylinder engine with a dinky compressor or condensor... We've got a large condensor coil, and a fairly good sized compressor, who knows about the evaporator (I haven't seen it), and what seems to be a blower fan from an "Easy Bake" oven that is not even marginal.



I have the same situation that you folks do after the "recalibration" of the "mode doors". That did not help it one iota. I can't see strips of cellophane moving if you hold them at the vents on the sides of the dash, and feel just a bit of air moving from the center vents with the blower on low with the A/C on and the recirculate mode is chosen. If you run the fan on the second speed setting, you will still have to have the vents turned to blow directly on you to be able to stand it at all on a 92 degree day with almost the same humidity going down the interstate at 65+MPH. I have learned to keep a towel in the door pocket so that I can wipe the sweat out of my eyes to keep from running off the road! I had thought it would be to wipe off the door and dash when I get in on a rainy day, but it is more handy to wipe the sweat off my face! Who'd have thought we would need a do-rag to operate our trucks? Were they supposed to be standard equipment?



The third fan speed setting is required if you have the sun coming in on you at all. Again, direct the vents either to your body or your face, and/or some combination of that to try to evaporate the sweat. Sitting on leather seats makes your clothes become wet and sticky...



"High speed" is a complete joke. I put that in quotes for a reason. High barely moves any more air through the vents than does the third speed setting, it's just a "more noise" setting to make you "feel" like something is happening. The only thing truly happening is that you continue to get hotter under the collar listening to the noise waiting on the cold air!



I guess I'm just going to have to dig into the fan/blower/whatever else myself and see what kind of "Mickey Mouse" apparatus they have for a fan. Maybe it's not the blower? Who knows? What worries me is even if we put a high volume fan on the system, will the vent size be enough to allow the air to move? I know that on the minivan, the vents are about the same size, but do move a lot more air. I don't know if there is some very small "mode door" somewhere creating a big bottleneck to reduce the airflow. Oh well, guess I'll have to look and I'll have to try to find a fix for it!! I guess I'll get paid from Chrysler warranty for my time and re-engineering??? SURE!!!



But I shouldn't have to go in and try to diagnose and fix or re-engineer a system on a $56K truck!!! And all of you are correct. The pat answer that it is working as their specs say it should does not get it. I had an '84 VW Jetta with what the Germans "called" an A/C in it, but it would only work on cloudy days or at night when the sun did not heat it up inside. If this is the way this system is to work, I may have to run a long cord to my house and install a home type window unit in the rear sliding window!!! Don't anyone run over my cord if you see me going down the road!



I don't know when exactly I'll have time to open it up, but meanwhile, I'll be planning and thinking about getting a shovel to dig in.

 

[jwc9]

Just wanted to post some lunch time observasions about my truck. It is 97 here with high humidity. Within 10 minutes the temp at the vents on drivers side was down to 40 and held steady. On the passenger side it was 67. This was checked with a digital thermometer and a standard probe thermometer. My flow of air seems fine. Why will it not get cold on the passenger side? If it did I know my whole cabin would cool. down easier. When you have half hot air and half cold coming from the dash its just fighting each other. Any ideas?

 

[DPKetchum]

Been fighting that same issue since summer of 04 with mine. first they or whomever needs to check the charge of ac. Is this on FRESH or RECIR ? Sitting still or driving?