Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC) Control Module - Electronic Automatic Temperature Control (EATC) Remote Mount

The EATC climate control system is equipped with a remotely mounted HVAC control module that is separate from the control interface. For details on the HVAC control module communication, REFER to Control System Logic. The HVAC control module also controls the outputs for the rear window defrost and heated seats. The HVAC control module utilizes Field-Effect Transistor (FET) protective circuit strategy for its actuator outputs. Output load (current level) is monitored for excessive current (typically short circuits) and is shut down (turns off the voltage or ground provided by the module) when a fault event is detected. A short circuit DTC is stored at the fault event and a cumulative counter is started.

When the demand for the output is no longer present, the module resets the FET circuit protection to allow the circuit to function. The next time the driver requests a circuit to activate that has been shut down by a previous short (FET protection) and the circuit is still shorted, the FET protection shuts off the circuit again and the cumulative counter advances. When the excessive circuit load occurs often enough, the module shuts down the output until a repair procedure is carried out. The FET protected circuit has 3 predefined levels of short circuit tolerance based on the harmful effect of each circuit fault on the FET and the ability of the FET to withstand it. A module lifetime level of fault events is established based upon the durability of the FET. If the total tolerance level is determined to be 600 fault events, the 3 predefined levels would be 200, 400 and 600 fault events. When each tolerance level is reached, the short circuit DTC that was stored on the first failure cannot be cleared by a command to clear the DTCs. The module does not allow the DTC to be cleared or the circuit to be restored to normal operation until a successful self-test proves that the fault has been repaired. After the self-test has successfully completed (no on-demand DTCs present), DTC U1000:00 and the associated DTC (the DTC related to the shorted circuit) automatically clears and the circuit function returns. When each level is reached, the DTC associated with the short circuit sets along with DTC U1000:00. These DTCs can be cleared using the module self-test, then the Clear DTC operation on the scan tool. The module never resets the fault event counter to zero and continues to advance the fault event counter as short circuit fault events occur. If the number of short circuit fault events reach the third level, then DTCs U1000:00 and U3000:49 set along with the associated short circuit DTC. DTC U3000:49 cannot be cleared and a new module must be installed after the repair. The HVAC control module requires PMI when it is replaced.