sts4rmdapast Posted April 19, 2008 Report Share Posted April 19, 2008 does anyone know where the a/c evaporator is in a 97 pontiac grand am Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted April 19, 2008 Report Share Posted April 19, 2008 Waldo? Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted April 19, 2008 Report Share Posted April 19, 2008 Follow the AC lines toward the firewall, undoubtely in front of the passenger, but that is a guess, and were every evaporator I have ever seen is. Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sts4rmdapast Posted April 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2008 Follow the AC lines toward the firewall, undoubtely in front of the passenger, but that is a guess, and were every evaporator I have ever seen is. is the heater core different from the evaporator? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted April 19, 2008 Report Share Posted April 19, 2008 is the heater core different from the evaporator? Yes. The heater core has hot water circulating thru it for HEAT. The evaporator has FREON circulating thru it to get COLD. They are seperate and distinct units and serve different functions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sts4rmdapast Posted April 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2008 how does an evaporator get a leak and how do i know if i have one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted April 19, 2008 Report Share Posted April 19, 2008 The simplest way to find a freon leak is with a freon sniffer. These are electronic refrigerant leak detectors. They cost $120 up, but you might be able to rent one. Any trace of freon under the dash is likely to be the evaporator. Evaporator leaks aren't that common but happen because of vibration, corrosion, or a weakness in the original part or stress or damage during or after installation. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted April 19, 2008 Report Share Posted April 19, 2008 how does an evaporator get a leak and how do i know if i have one? I am not a A/C Tech and I don't pay one on TV, but.... If you are constantly losing freon....you have a leak. That said, it MAY or MAY NOT be the evaporator. It could be from the compressor or any one of MANY connections on the AC lines. I would look for dirty/oily residue on the compressor of around one of the fittings. I would have it charged and have dye added to make it earier to find the leak. Any decent AC shop will have a freon SNIFFER. They can pinpoint a leak better and easier than you can just by looking. It shouldn't cost too much to have it charged and have them use the sniffer to pinpoint a leak. Once you know EXACTLY WHERE the leak IS... then someone here can maybe help you fix it... if you want to do the work yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted April 19, 2008 Report Share Posted April 19, 2008 We have others that are experienced in AC but as noted you can have a shop use a freon sniffer or you can have DYE put in and look at the condensate coming out of the moisture pipe with a special light and glasses to see if you have dye/freon leaking. Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sts4rmdapast Posted April 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2008 heres an update. i had a (so called) mechanic friend come by. he was going to put leak sealant into the system. before he did that he put refrigerant into the system to see if the compressor was working or not. but when he put that in i noticed thAT the engine started to jump, choke for better words, and i saw white smoke from the tailpipe. cludy white. and ideas as to why and what went wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted April 20, 2008 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 The ONLY relationship is that the engine RPM will increase when the compressor engages to compensate for the added load at idle. White smoke has nothing to do with it. To answer your original question, the evaporator should be just upstream from the heater core. Air passes through the evaporator first, then through the heater core. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sts4rmdapast Posted April 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 ok i can go with that, but why all of a sudden did i get the cloudy white smoke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted April 20, 2008 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 That I can't explain, though I think it is unrelated. I'd try to see what the smoke smells like if it happens again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted April 20, 2008 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 It sounds like steam. The exhaust has visible steam before the car is fully warm, particularly if it slows and then catches, as you said it did. If Freon gets into the intake, the combustion process produces a lot of funny things, including phosgene gas. If the intake is undisturbed and in good condition, the air comes from the space between the radiator support and the left headlight (on my car, at least; it may be elsewhere on different models but it's in front of the radiator). If there is a vast leak in the condenser it could result in a blast of Freon into the intake. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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