attomica

The A/C in my 2000 I30t isn't blowing as cold as it should. The compressor does come on and it does blow cool air, just not cool enough. I have a couple questions:

1. If it's not blowing as cold as it should, does that imply there isn't enough A/C refrigerant and that's caused by some sort of a leak in the system?

2. Does A/C refrigerant have a finite lifespan and the system must be purged and recharged on a periodic basis?

3. Can this issue be addressed at the nearby Firestone or should it be taken to the stealership?

Any other insight would be great because it's around 100° here. You can see my need to get this resolved.

Thanks.

NewLoveI30

You could take it anywhere that recharges A/C. They have to pressure check for leaks before recharging, so you'll know either way.

Taxvictim

On the 4th gens I know there is a sun sensor up on the dash right by the windshield (a little round button). If it's there on the 2000's, then make sure you're not blocking it with a radar detector or a parking pass or something.

I had this same problem on my last '96 I-30t. My belief was that the compressor was shutting down too quickly when I would put a demand on the engine. My solution was to rev the engine at about 2k rpms while coasting or stopped at a light. It seemed to make the AC blow colder.