Quick question - everything that I have read says that there should be 12 - 14 volts coming from fuse #32 to the DCCV [post face lift] as this is a powered [live] wire. Should the center wire at the connector be live at all times regardless if the ignition is on, the engine is running or the keys are out of the ignition? The last time that I worked on this problem my mechanic found there was no power to the DCCV after we replaced the DCCV, the CCM and k2 sensors. It seems that there was a break in the wire in the harness - trying to troubleshoot all potential problems before I install the new DCCV and refill the radiator.

 

That's a bingo! The center pin at the DCCV has battery power (via fuse F32 under the hood) at all times. Engine on/off and key position don't matter.

Did you find a problem, or just thinking ahead? That same fuse also powers the clutch coil on the AC compressor. For a quick check without even pulling the fuse, run the engine at idle and turn down the selected temperature until LO is displayed. You should get cold air from the vents, much cooler than ambient. This tells you the compressor is running and the fuse is good.

 

I forgot to add one little detail. If the current DCCV is bad, and dumping unwanted heat in the cabin, do that test with the engine cold. That way, the coolant hasn't had time to warm up yet. So even if the DCCV is stuck open, you should be able to feel cold air from the AC for the first few minutes until the heater output overwhelms it.

If the engine is already warm and you're just itching to try something anyway, you can still select LO and then look at the face of the AC compressor pulley. If the fuse was bad, the face of the pulley will remain stationary. If the face of the pulley is spinning, the fuse is good because the big electromagnet has clamped the pulley face to the rest of the pulley.

 

Karl,
Not my first time working on this but I was not sure if the center wire should have power at all times. A/C blows cold until engine warms up then blows hotter as the coolant temp increases. Purchased a new DCCV and am in the process of installing it. Just trying to eliminate any other potential problems before I button it up and add fresh coolant.