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Not very cold A/C

17K views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  GWhaley 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi all-

I have a '99 Durango 4x4 w/ the 5.2L. I've been less than satisfied with how cold my a/c blows. I bought it at CARMAX when it was still cool outside and I didn't need a/c. When it got warm out and I started to use it, it wasn't cold at all. I bought a refill tool at the Auto Parts store and some R134a and charged it up. It had very little pressure, but now it's got just under 40 psi.

Also, my heater core leaks, so I bypassed it by connecting the two hoses that go to the firewall together. I noticed my a/c get a LITTLE cooler but it's still not good enough. If I have all three vents pointing at me with the far right one closed then I'm not sweating my asss off, but if there is more than one person in the vehicle and I have to give the passenger that right center vent, then it really sucks.

Anyways, my question now, is where do I go next? My rear a/c blows kinda cold but not really. What is the pressure that the a/c system should be reading at when running and engaged?

Thanks much, it's steadily over 100 degrees here and I'm getting desperate!
 
#5 ·
Should have. Where you select where the air comes from. Upper vents,Floor, Both etc. Should be the sideways "U" shape with an arrow on it. On my Dakota if I turn A/C on thru the upper vents it isn't real cold. Thru recirculate it will blow real cold even at idle.
 
#6 ·
I agree with addicted take it to a shop, those do it yourself kits are a waste of money. also, recirculating is the same as turning on max air.
 
#7 ·
what does the a/c shop do that I do differently? do they charge it to higher than 40 psi? do they recirc the freon and replace it? is it that they ensure that the freon to oil ratio is correct?

I've heard that before... take it to a shop... don't use the do-it-yourself... but I've used the do-it-yourself on other vehicles and had good results.

If I have no other option then I'll do it, I'd just like to know what they'd do differently.
 
#9 ·
i understand...

...unfortunately I haven't been in the area long so I have no buddies here.

Maybe next time I go back home to CA I'll have it looked at my a buddy there.

I guess I was hoping to find someone here who knows AC systems well enough to tell me what to look for, you know, what a tech would look for.
 
#10 ·
Do you know what the high side is reading? It is a possibility you overpressurized the system, its the high side where you get the most accurate reading on what charge is on the system. Too much refridgerant is not a good thing. Have you remeasured to see if the charge is holding over time (not leaking)? Does your compressor make audible clicks when the ac is turned on? Is your evaporator defective?
 
#12 ·
phatfire6 said:
Do you know what the high side is reading? It is a possibility you overpressurized the system, its the high side where you get the most accurate reading on what charge is on the system. Too much refridgerant is not a good thing. Have you remeasured to see if the charge is holding over time (not leaking)? Does your compressor make audible clicks when the ac is turned on? Is your evaporator defective?
Well, I'm guessing that port right on top of the compressor is the service port (low side), and that's all I've used. It's right under 40 psi. Where is the high side port? What should it be reading at?

I don't think I have too much refridgerant, but I'd really like to be able to test it to make sure. I don't recall if my compressor makes an audible click or not because usually I'm listening to the stereo when driving. I'm sure it's turning on though.

How do I test if my evaporator is defective?

phatfire6 said:
By the way, unless you -never- get cold weather, reconnect the heater core to the coolant lines. The coolant has conditioners that keep the interior of the heater core and other parts from rusting, which will prevent leaks.
I disconnected the heater core because it was leaking coolant on my passenger floorboard, it's going to get replaced anyways. I have a few months before I have to worry about cold weather.
 
#13 ·
A/C not blowing cold air

Hello all.

I have a 05 Durango and when I turn on the air conditioner and have all the settings on correctly, it will not blow cold air. I have recharged it with one can of freon. During that the air did get cooler but not as cold as it did before and after one or two uses it went back to warm air. With the temps already near the 90s I would love to have it working again. Any suggestions???

Thanks!:drive:
 
#14 ·
Hello all.

I have a 05 Durango and when I turn on the air conditioner and have all the settings on correctly, it will not blow cold air. I have recharged it with one can of freon. During that the air did get cooler but not as cold as it did before and after one or two uses it went back to warm air. With the temps already near the 90s I would love to have it working again. Any suggestions???

Thanks!:drive:
Holy thread revival, batman! :D

Welcome to the board!

You have a leak in your A/C system. You can sometimesfind the location by looking at the lines, and looking for an area that has a lot of dust and grease accumulation.

Your best bet is to find the leak, either by visual inspection, or UV dye, and repair as required.

The A/C system has a lot of fittings, so while you are working on it, I would also suggest that you consider replacing all the other o-rings while the system is open. The o-ring kit is ~$10 from most places.
 
#15 ·
You need to get a set of guages on it to see what the presures are. I say this to everyone that has A/C issues - DON'T add anything else to it until you get it checked out.

Money is always a factor, but take it to a reputable shop, pay them the hour for inspeciton, then make a decision on what you want to do with it. Charging a system without a proper set of guages is a waste of time, and will cost you more in the long run.

A lot of people just add refrigerant to "top it up" at home. Do yourself a favour - at the bare minimum find a local shop (or a buddy) that will put the guages on it and diagnose it for you. Then at least you know where you stand.
 
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