2014 volt evap question

[john,???]

As already stated, 4squeezins products should be avoided

do you know what brand this is?

https://www.ackits.com/evap-buick-lacro ... ch=59-9911

normally be all in for oem, but I'm questioning it because of the high failure rate.

[tbirdtbird]

Contact the board sponsor, Tim, at info@ackits.com

[Tim]

As already stated, 4squeezins products should be avoided

do you know what brand this is?

https://www.ackits.com/evap-buick-lacro ... ch=59-9911

normally be all in for oem, but I'm questioning it because of the high failure rate.

It's an import version.

[john,???]

just to follow up with this for anyone searching.. I ended up ordering ordering a oem one from the online gm parts houses. mainly because it came with a new tx valve installed and the foam pads used to seal air.

the install is eazy one you get to it, the dash is just awful. Basically pull the front seats and everything to the fire wall out. gotta be 50 screws and 20 different plugs all in random places. of course I missed one in the back and had to pull 2 of the 5 or so air bags back out to get to it. but it's doable by yourself but it isn't fun and don't expect it to be done in a day.


before I tossed the old evap away, I wanted to find the leak. pressurized it and put it in some water at work. turns out under the adhesive back foam seal it had corroded all the way through the aluminum. my guess is since it's is a hybrid, back when the volt be being developed lithium batteries were cutting edge, gm wanted bob Lutz to use 90s prius tech batteries, he refused so the whole car is built around taking care of the batteries, heating and cooling. good thing is they routinely go over 250k miles, not many new battery cars will do that. to keep the batteries at 78deg max during charging on hot days, they run the battery coolent thru a chiller that's part of the ac. I believe this is why it corroded so badly and looked so gross, the evap never drys out, since all summer it's being used while driving and while parked.

if I would have seen the cause of the leak, I wouldn't have installed the foam on the bottom side of the new evap. it traps the moisture and eats the aluminum. I'd have saved the money and bought the aftermarket evap without the foam and just reused the tx valve.

future me is going to be very pissed off when I'm doing this job again in 10 years haha

PXL_20240915_172919671~2.jpg (230.83 KiB) Viewed 4410 times

[JohnHere]

... to keep the batteries at 78deg max during charging on hot days, they run the battery coolent thru a chiller that's part of the ac. I believe this is why it corroded so badly and looked so gross, the evap never drys out, since all summer it's being used while driving and while parked.
if I would have seen the cause of the leak, I wouldn't have installed the foam on the bottom side of the new evap. it traps the moisture and eats the aluminum. I'd have saved the money and bought the aftermarket evap without the foam and just reused the tx valve.

That's one ugly looking mess in the photo, all right!

A question about the foam: Presuming that you didn't install it, wouldn't some of the air go around the evaporator instead of all of it passing through, thus compromising cooling?

[john,???]

in theory yes but none of the aftermarket ones come with foam, it's a pretty tight fit and I'd still use it on the 3 tops sides if you have it, just skip the bottom. or even if you used a open cell non adhesive backed foam. I believe the moisture gets behind the glue and can't dry out.

this car has a cabin filter too, so that's all mold and stuff from being wet. the ac also cools very well, probably because it's sized to cool the cabin and batteries. I think a little air leak wouldn't be noticeable at all and might keep you from doing it twice.

[JohnHere]

Glad you clarified. Given the design of the air plenum (tightly fitted to the evaporator) and that of the system itself (most likely oversized, as you inferred), slight air leakage at the bottom of the evaporator probably won't detract much from cooling the passenger compartment.