Air Conditioning Problems?

[drkknight196]

Anyone else having a problem? What was normally VERY cold air from the vents turned to a little cold air. Dealership checked it out, found freon low 1/2 lb. Evacuated and refilled refrigerant (with dye) and sent me on my way. That was two days ago and it seems only slightly improved, if at all. Seems like the compressor is cycling on and off (mostly off) because once in a while the air gets pretty cold, but as quickly as it got cold, the temp goes up again. Any ideas or similiar problems? I'm going back to the dealership Thursday morning just before I head out on a long road trip (temps here have reached the high 90s on numerous occasions) :flamer:

[merc406]

It's got a leak somewhere and he didn't fix it.

[MERCMAN]

Sounds like the condensation is freezing and blocking the drain, hence the on again off again compressor. When it melts, it cools,, check and see if you are getting "the drip" when you sit in one spot. Had a Chrysler mini-van that did the same thing

[drkknight196]

Thanks, merc406 and mercman. No condensation found when evacuating .......... my money's on a leak. Will advise when fixed.

[CRUZTAKER]

How nice it must be to need A/C.

Round here we just open the windows for cold air. :P

[TripleTransAm]

Originally posted by drkknight196
Thanks, merc406 and mercman. No condensation found when evacuating .......... my money's on a leak. Will advise when fixed.


A quick-cycling compressor can be a sign of low refrigerant. The compressor cycles on, sees no pressure within a second, and then cycles off for its own protection. The refrigerant is part lubricant (some sort of oil), and if the system is empty, the compressor can self-destruct.

[jgc61sr2002]

Sounds like the system is low on freon. I agree there must be a leak.

[LincMercLover]

I dunno... Are you using the Auto feature? What's it do if you put it on Max AC all the way down on the temp? If you say it does get really cold when the compressor is on, maybe it's a blocked orfice tube/expansion valve?

Last AC system I played with was my Lincolns. $150 later and a new compressor and condensor, and I had AC. :rollseyes:

[MassMarauder]

^^^^What triple Trans Am said ^^^ Low pressure protection

[schuvwj]

Your problem may be a faulty expansion valve which is flooding the condensor causing the compresor to shut off and on if the refrigerant is full.

[drkknight196]

I keep it on Max A/C (are you kidding, it's almost 100 degrees!) with temp on 60. Even when the compressor cycles on, it still doesn't provide really cold air. Guess I'll just sweat it out until Thursday .........