Hey everyone 2013 RDX w/ 100K miles. So my AC works fine on most days. I don't typically have an issue and it does get cool enough for the most part. However, I do feel it can probably get colder though.

Anyways, on days when it's 85+ degrees and say, if the car has been parked outside and then I get inside, it does not cool down while idle or if I'm in traffic and the car is not moving as much. My guess is my compressor isn't really quite kicking on strong enough or hopefully it's simple as being low on Freon? As soon as I pick up speed and get up to freeway speeds the AC starts working better for sure.

I'm not sure if this is even a thing but do I just need to go to Autozone and pick up a can of Freon? I've filled up my wife's older Honda a while back and it seemed to have helped at the time but I'm not sure how it is with our RDX's. Any suggestions?

 

How long have you owned the car and how long ago did you recharge the freon?

 

Like I said.. the car is at 100K. I got it as a CPO at about 50K. I've now owned it for 6 years. Never recharged it. That was kind of my question.. should I recharge it? I don't typically know the maintenance when it comes to the A/C and how often I need to recharge it. My guess is in my situation I probably just need to. Is it simple? Any suggestions on brands. Secondly how much should I put in?

 

If you haven’t touched the AC system for 6 years, then for proper way you need to take AC machine, completely recovery the old freon, put the system under vacuum for minimum 30-40 minutes, and then completely charge in the new freon.

 

Oof I had no idea.. so in other words take it to an AC shop. Dealer would probably rip me off even more. Thanks man!

So devils advocate.. obviously that's the correct way.. but what do you think about the refrigerant you can purchase where you can refill? Would that not work under my situation where it appears it just needs a recharge? If not, when is it okay to use them? Or do you suggest never to use them period?

 

It's up to you. Sjme people whose cars consume oil, they constantly add oil, so they never change it. It’s the same here, if you want to repair the AC to sell the car, then the can of freon is your way, if you want to use it further, then it’s right to do a full service of the AC system. These AC machines are available in every repair shop, you don’t have to go to the dealer for this.

 

Hmm that's a great way of thinking about it. I don't really know how these systems work. I just figured sometimes they just need to be refilled. Simple as that.

I just assumed the only time you actually need AC service was if it wasn't cold anymore. In my situation it just seems to only struggle when it's idle and very hot outside. Once I get moving it's fine. On normal days I couldn't even tell anything was wrong idle or not.

I do plan to keep it at least 20K maybe even 30K more. I just 100K. Well I learned a lot. Thanks for your input.

 

Recharging or topping off Freon is one thing but you need to find out whether there is a leak in there. If so then Freon will scape again and you end up with the sale issue.
The A/C is a close system and if it is sealed properly it should not lose any Freon. So I recommend a leak test on the A/C as well.

 

So that was kinda my question.. i feel like I might just need a top off based on what I mentioned? The AC works fine it gets cold enough for the most part, other than times mentioned i feel it could get colder. Is it possible people need to top off even if there is no leak especially with a car that is 10 years old?

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If you can confirm that there is no leak, maybe a very light recharge would be fine. Obviously if there is a leak, then you'll have to address it or at least try throwing some stop leak in it.

 

Cool thanks for the recommendation!

 

The AC system, due to the AC compressor, is a leaky system and requires recharging every 7-10 years.

 

He hasn’t recharged freon for 10 years, it’s obvious that he’s evaporated in atmosphere.

 

My car is 9 years old and the A/C works perfectly w/o ever being recharged. The system is closed and doesn't need a recharge unless there is a leak somewhere/somehow which needs to be detected and repaired.

 

If you knew how a AC compressor works, then you would know that the system is not sealed and a micro leak constantly occurs through the AC compressor clutch drive seal because rubber products do not last forever and tend to change their physical characteristics over the years of use.

 

Ditto. This is why when systems get really old they can sometimes need a recharge, or replacement in some instances.

 

Yeah that makes sense. The seal could be compromised due to rapid temperature change of ambient and the engine.

But that is not always the case though albeit it could hsppen. I had a Passat for 20 years and it's A/C worked perfectly to the end. So the seal break out is kind of matter of lock.

 

One thing is to recharge so to add new Freon, but a point that hasn't been mentioned above , is to make sure new oil is added to the compressor to insure the systems longevity. 1000 dollar bill or more to replace a compressor along with other parts for not
taking care of maintenance and you will then learn. Time for me to do the same and take it to my indy for recharging. 130,000 on the ride now , last time it had 70,000 miles . More to it than just changing out the gas..

 

Before you add Freon to your car, get it checked out. Based on the conditions you described in your original post, I'm not so sure you have a leaky system issue (low freon). My last few cars, including my 2017 RDX, never cooled as efficiently when they were stopped or idling. In fact you could hear the AC slow down in those condidtions. It cooled but not as strong as when I was driving.

believe the compressor is belt driven. And the speed of the belt is based on the engine. The RPMs are lower whne you are idling or stopped. It makes sense that the compressor slows down as well. With your RDX approaching 11 years, you could need a new serpentine belt soon. That's a lot cheaper than a new AC compressor.

Good luck.

 

The belt can't slip without making terrible squiki noises. This is why this is nonsense.

 

Never had heard about changing or topping off the compressor oil. Could someone point out how this is done.

 

From what I've read the average car loses 0.41 to 2 oz of refrigerant per year so over a 10 year period, and even if you're car on the low side of the average leakage, it's not unreasonable that you could be down 4 oz of refrigerant. This can be ~20% of the total refrigerant capacity in your RDX so this will affect the AC performance. Adding small amounts of refrigerant will not be a problem but we're talking measuring the amount in ounces, which is difficult to do with the kits sold at auto parts stores. You need a decent scale to measure the weight of the can as you're adding refrigerant and there are other challenges with these kits, such as losing refrigerant while connecting with the low quality fittings supplied in the kits. The two things you don't want to do is introduce any air into the system or overcharge the system and why you would need to add in refrigerant in 2-3 oz increments and then check for any improvements in cooling. It's always best to evacuate, vacuum and recharge with the proper equipment to know for sure the charge is correct but if you can add refrigerant in small increments and monitor the cooling with a good thermometer in the vent you can improve the cooling if it due to refrigerant loss.

 

I have the cars air conditioning system , serviced around once every two years. In the past I just drove and never thought about it. Being on the road as a corporate
sales rep all over the east coast I would average driving around 30,000 to 35,000 miles a year. Drove my vehicles upwards of 400,000 miles before getting read of them.
After having to replace compressors and the accumulator / receiver dryer along with other parts in almost all the cars I had high mileage on I decided normal
maintenance should be included to the air system. Costs to handle this type of break down was well over 1200 bucks each time with a trusted indy doing the work.
There is an oil used when recharging the system that is introduced into the lines where the Freon is recharged. See the vid below

 

OK but this is a repair not maintenance. During leak repair and recharge he is adding some oil to the system. But A/C is a closed loop system and if it is working normal and there's no leak you can't just open the valves and add oil to it. At least not that I've seen or heard of. That's why I asked whether this is usual maintenance (not repair).

 

Yep,,You are absolutely correct. It's a closed system and no maintenance is ever needed unless there is a leak somewhere that occurs.. But if you chose to change your mind and treat the air conditioning in your car as a maintenance item and take it into
a shop to have the Freon removed and replaced, there will be the addition of tag oil introduced into the lines to help protect the seals and the compressor. There is a need to change out the oil to protect the components in my book, if not yours.

https://www.autoacservice.com/does-m...to-be-changed/