A/C Problem
08-01-2013, 10:48 AM
#1
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Arizona
Posts: 14
A/C Problem
My apologies if this has been addressed in another thread, search just kept stalling on me.
On cold starts, the compressor kicks on, not overfilled, I need to shut it on and off (A/C, not the car) about 2-3 times, then it will start gradually blowing cold; once it's cold it's nice and crispy. I swear that when it starts blowing cold I can hear one of the fans kicking into high speed. Problem is that it (I'm guessing one of the fans) then cycles off - get a slight surge in RPM - and it'll start blowing warm; this is sometimes after driving 15 minutes, sometimes after 45 minutes. On warm starts, it takes a lot longer to start blowing cool, if it ever does.
Sometimes - while driving - if you shut the A/C on and off several times it'll start blowing cold again, other times it just won't. It happened again yesterday, after some city street driving where it was about to go warm on me, I went for a 10-mile jaunt on the freeway and it blew cold the whole time even after exiting the freeway. Car is a '98 auto with 231K, original compressor, still runs good. I am mechanically clueless by nature, but willing to try anything that won't amputate a limb, any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
On cold starts, the compressor kicks on, not overfilled, I need to shut it on and off (A/C, not the car) about 2-3 times, then it will start gradually blowing cold; once it's cold it's nice and crispy. I swear that when it starts blowing cold I can hear one of the fans kicking into high speed. Problem is that it (I'm guessing one of the fans) then cycles off - get a slight surge in RPM - and it'll start blowing warm; this is sometimes after driving 15 minutes, sometimes after 45 minutes. On warm starts, it takes a lot longer to start blowing cool, if it ever does.
Sometimes - while driving - if you shut the A/C on and off several times it'll start blowing cold again, other times it just won't. It happened again yesterday, after some city street driving where it was about to go warm on me, I went for a 10-mile jaunt on the freeway and it blew cold the whole time even after exiting the freeway. Car is a '98 auto with 231K, original compressor, still runs good. I am mechanically clueless by nature, but willing to try anything that won't amputate a limb, any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
08-01-2013, 11:12 AM
#2
Member who somehow became The President of The SE-L Club
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Posts: 16,033
Two suggestions:
1) Make sure both fans are on when the compressor is engaged.
2) Put a set of gauges on the system. Look at both the high and low so you can see exactly what's going on in the refrigerant system.
Is this Auto Climate Control or Manual?
1) Make sure both fans are on when the compressor is engaged.
2) Put a set of gauges on the system. Look at both the high and low so you can see exactly what's going on in the refrigerant system.
Is this Auto Climate Control or Manual?
08-01-2013, 02:53 PM
#3
It sounds like the compressor is not always "kicking in" when you turn it on. Either the refrigerant pressure in the a/c system is getting low and triggering the low pressure sensing switch or the low pressure switch itself is bad. Get the pressure checked as njmaxseltd said.
The stuff about the fans is a bit vague and contradicting. But one thing that should happen and you can check this, When the car is cold, start it up. Then turn on the a/c. When you turn on the a/c, BOTH fans should start spinning. Otherwise, you have another problem.
The stuff about the fans is a bit vague and contradicting. But one thing that should happen and you can check this, When the car is cold, start it up. Then turn on the a/c. When you turn on the a/c, BOTH fans should start spinning. Otherwise, you have another problem.
Last edited by DennisMik; 08-02-2013 at 11:32 AM. Reason: correct wording
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