tda3

Hey guys....mostly I lurk here, but now I've got a problem and need some feedback/info.

About 3 months ago, the a/c in my '03 TL-S started blowing fog out the vents. The scenario goes like this:

- Start car and turn on a/c in Full Auto mode
- Set temp to lowest setting (60)
- As temp lowers in car, reset temp control to 72 or 74
- As preset temp is reached, system goes from recirc mode to outside air
- Within a couple of seconds, fog starts coming out vents

Additionally, while driving to Orlando (4 hour trip), the system froze up 3 hours into the trip. Once again, I was in the Full Auto mode with the temp control set at 72. Pretty soon there was no cold air. After driving 30 minutes or so with the windows rolled down, I turned on the a/c and it seemed to be working - albeit still fogging out the vents.

Now, I've had this car into the dealer for this fogging issue twice and each time he says everything is fine. It's again in the shop for not only the fogging issue, but the freeze up problem. Again, I'm told that the system is working fine and as it should. That the fogging is normal and that it will freeze up if one runs the system too long in the outside air mode.

This is ridiculous. I've got a '94 Chevy S10 that's got 160K miles with a known minor a/c coolant leak and my truck doesn't do this. ARGHHHH!!!

Anyone else with this issue???

Tom

yield2s

its that sudden change from running cool/cold inside air thru the evaporator to hot humid outside air thru it. Try to eliminate this sudden change.

Chemmech

I suspect your a/c system has a freon leak. After taking the car to the dealer does it run ok for a while? From past experience, frozen evaporators are usually symptomatic of a low freon charge. Or maybe our a/c system are designed poorly? I'd take the car to another dealer just to get a second opinion.

Good Luck!

benzo555

Its normal. I see this in Houston almost everyday. its not a leak.

Chemmech

I guess Cali. weather is too mild for that problem to surface, except maybe in Death Valley on an unusually humid day. The a/c system can't handle alot of humidity I guess, especially when it stops recycling the air. Isn't there a way to overide to keep the a/c on recycle?

maxx96

Here in Jacksonville, FL is the same, with high humidity and high temps. is going to happend. What I'm curious is why are you changing your setting from 72 or so to 60 degrees and back to 72 again, let the auto system do its job, our cars have a great a/c system if you use it properly. You never mentioned what was your temp and humidity when this happened.

CJITTY

I agree with MAXX. I set my AC on about 70 or 71 and it get's cool pretty quick. If you want 60, then I would leave it on 60. Hopefully you don't have a leak.

copland007

It's happened to me a few times.

vperkins2

You guys don't get it... setting his temp to 60 causes the A/C to blow full force (kinda like manually setting the A/C on and choosing the max fan setting) which cools your car down quickly (especially on hot days). Choosing 71/72 when my car's been sitting in a parking lot does not cool down my car fast enough. So I choose 60 for a while, then 10, 15 minutes later I change it to 71. Sounds like that's what TDA3 is doing as well.

Just my $.02 cents,

V.

tda3

vperkins2 is correct. I dial down the temp setting in order to make the system go into full boogie cool down. Once the car is cooled down I back off the temp setting to something that's comfortable and then let the system do it's job.

Some data points.....

While the car was in the shop I was given a 2000 model TL for a loaner. I drove that car several times duing the day and the system did not fog.

As previously mentioned, I have a 1994 Chevy S10 pickemup with a known minor feon leak and over 160K miles and it does not fog.

I've got friends with other makes/models that do not fog.

This car was purchased last summer and there was just as much humidity then as now and it did not fog.

I'm not sure what's going on or what the solution is, but IMNSHO it's damn embarassing to have friends ride with you and say, "What the hell is that? Why is is it fogging like that? My (fill in the blank) doesn't do that. How much did you pay for this thing? What?? The dealer said that's normal? C'mon....you believe that carp?"

My dealer service manager was honest and straight forward (which I appreciate) when he said that he felt it wasn't right. But that his hands were tied since all of the diagnostics that were done revealed nothing wrong. In fact, he said they brought in two new 2003 TL-S's and check their systems for a comparison and mine & the new cars were all very close in system pressures, outlet temps, etc. He mentioned that he's worked on several different auto makers' products and has only seen this on cars whose a/c systems had balance points lower that 32 degrees (I belive he said ours was 28 degrees). He said his gut tells him that if there was a way to reprogram the system to 32 degrees, this fogging would stop. I dunno......

Tom

Chemmech

Thanks for the update. Sorry to hear that this is something we just have to live with. Oh well....