A/C not cooling but compressor is working

[Virginia]

My car (98 SLE) A/C is not cooling passenger compartment. A/C compressor is running, fully charged and low pressure line is cold and sweating. Gauge shows proper A/C pressure. Air moves properly from heat to cool to defrost etc inside passenger compartment. The problem is that the air is hot. It is like air is passing through heated coil instead of a cold coil. When I turned a/c off and back on it worked for a while but now that trick wont work and blower only blows hot air. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated?

[douellette88]

maybe theres something wrong in the distribution box under the dash. sounds like the thing that directs where the air goes is making it go through the heater core instead of bypassing it?

[willwren]

Open your glovebox and remove the inner liner. Get a flashlight and look back in there through the round hole in the cross brace. Now adjust your temperature. Do you see the actuator arm moving back and forth? I assume you have electronic controls and not knobs?

[Virginia]

thanks for the suggestions. I will remove the glove box, look through the hole and see what happens when I adjust the electronic control.

[imidazol97]

thanks for the suggestions. I will remove the glove box, look through the hole and see what happens when I adjust the electronic control.

The leSabres differ from the Bonnevilles in that glovebox area. The upper and lower links (on dual system) are visible just by removing the plastic shield and quiet panel under the dash. It requires being way down on the floor.

For 6 or 7 more screws you can take out the glovebox and lay it out of the way. If you don't have dual temperature controls you have the top electric actuator and metal rod link to watch. The dual system has a lower actuator arm that comes out of the programmer box and goes to the vane inside the heater box.

If you find the upper arm moves, but is inconsistent in going from full closed to full open then the plastic gear inside the actuator is slipping on the axle. I superglued mine and reinstalled. A test is that a medium force on the linkage rod moves the axle, which means it's slipping against the gear. If you don't get movement and can't manually move the link, then your actuator is dead. Try Rockauto.com, advance, etc., for replacement.

If the arm moves powered by the actuator and the heat doesn't go from hot to cold, unsnap the metal rod from the arms and manually move the link for the vane inside the heater box. See you can can turn off the air flow through the heater core and get cold air that way?

[Virginia]

thanks yor all the help but I am still missing something. I have removed the glovebox and the passenger seat so I have about as much working space as i can get. My problem is that I cannot seem to find the actuator. When laying on my back and looking up behind the glovebox, looking left to right I see a fuse panel, then part number 16258362 which the internet says is the programme and then what appears to be the black duct system. The programme is mounted to it with 2 or 3 screws. I do not see a control rod or anything that looks like the actuator (based on diagrams i have seen on line). What am i missing, where is the actuator? Is it near the center of the car or near the passenger door. Is it high up near the glove box or lower near the floor?. What are the dimensions? What color is it? I would just order the part and then use it to help find the new one but the dealership says that based on my VIN it may snap in or screw in and they have to have the old one or the part number off the old one in order to order the new one. Any additional help would be great!!