Got_3.2?

iTrader: (2)

hey
i just got my car fixed but when i got my car back i was turning on the a/c and realized that after 10 mins all dat was blowing out was warm air. what could be wrong with my a/c. i had 2 different people say i should get it recharged. would recharging my a/c really fix my problem?

thanks
mike

Type RC

Yes, but when you bring it to dealership make sure they check for leaks in the A/C system.

PenancE

either recharge or leaks

njzprettyboy

i think you need a new ac

Gingerbreadman

go to walmart or advance auto or wherever you shop and buy a recharge kit. You are definately running r134a. That is what they sell exclusively (freon is only purchasable if you have a licsence) and what you use if you are a second generation TL, and it is a super easy process. If you can put air in your tires you can do this fix. The kit with the pressure gadges and the r134a is like 35 bucks as opposed to the 100 plus it will cost you to have your stuff checked out at the mechanic.

If you charge it and it blows cold then it was because you were low on refrigerant. If it stays cold for an extended period of time (months to years) then problem fixed. If it stays cold for a few days and then goes warm again you have a bigger leak (most all systems leak at least a little). Advance Auto/whoever sells leak detection kits as well. Most involve a die that is visible to find the leak or one i have seen involves some crazy glasses that let you see something in the refrigerant. I would get that cause it just sounds cool but try the recharge yourself first and save a lot of money.

Hope that helps
Gingerbreadman

Gingerbreadman

Oh i left out something... if you charge it and it does not get cold then you should take it to someone.... you may have a bad compressor or whatever but at that point the repair may be too complicated for the average backyard mechanic who mostly just changes the oil, etc on their own vehicles.

All of the instructions on how to do the repair are in the kit but if you have questions just post and I or someone smarter than I (which shouldnt be hard to find, heehee) will help you.

tom5683

Is there a DIY on this out there? I have noticed that the AC is not as cold as it probably should be, definatley not warm air, but just not as cold as I rememered. Could be just because its in the 90's here but maybe its worth trying to recharge it.

SatinSilverTypS

iTrader: (1)

recharging is very easy. i have done it on multiple vehicles. there is a complete kit with hoses, fittings, gauges and instructions. it costs around $30 IIRC.

Got_3.2, what work did you have done to you car when you noticed this?

SSTS

Got_3.2?

iTrader: (2)

i hit my passenger side front end. it was purely comestic though. when i borught it in my a/c was fine but now it dosent work any longer. if it is broken is it alot to replace? and is it easy or time consuming?

Gingerbreadman

If your a/c is in fact broken, which is much less likely than, it is out of refrigerant, then yes it could be pretty expensive. I would say it would probably run you from about $350 to $800+ bucks to get it fixed in my area depending on who you took it to and what all had to be done but with such a wide range i guess the estimate really doesnt help.

As far as how difficult it is to replace.... nothing is difficult if you know how. If you have done starter replacements, brake rebuilds, etc in the past then I would say this repair is along the same line of difficulty and you should be fine. If you have only done light repair then I would find a good inexpensive mechanoc for the job because it will just frustrate you and probably wont turn out as well as you hope. I would say the replace of compressor and condenser would take about 3 hours but i really dont know as mine on this car has never messed up and that estimate is from another vehicle i have (and i got a mechanic buddy of mine to do it. i probably could have but didnt have the time and the cost to wife complaining ratio mandated speed).

If the compressor is kicking on when you turn the AC on and is not making some god awful noises I would say it is low on refrigerant and would definately try that before anything else. You will be able to hear and see it kick on if you open the hood and get a buddy/significant other to turn it on and off.

tom5683, i did not look for a diy but if you get the kit it has instructions in it and it basicaly just involves putting a fitting on an intake that looks kind of like the intake on a tire for air and watching the pressure gadges to be sure you don't overcharge the system.

WARNING: As the instructions state more refrigerant does not necessarily mean cooler air. The system can be overcharged and will prevent it from cycling which will mean, in the words of the soup nazi, "No a/c for you".

Got_3.2?

iTrader: (2)

thanks guys but i think the compressor is broken. when i hit the a/c button i dont hear the a/c clicking on or off.

thanks
mike

TeknoKing

ginger is right, overfilling will put too much pressure, and will actually make the A/C worse.

But why would the compressor go when u said you only had cosmetic work done, im assuming it wasnt a hard hit? strange. Bring it back to where they fixed yer car, and tell them prior of coming to them, yer A/C worked fine, and after them, it doesnt work. Make it their problem to fix.

Gingerbreadman

got_3.2, i am not sure if you did this but you have to get out and open the hood to really be sure. Our compressors, like most of our engine components are very quiet and could be missed if you don't get right up on it.

As far as pushing back on the people who did the cosmetic work I would try it but I wouldn't get my hopes up. It is possible and I am sure they will say that it was just a unlucky coincedence that the two events (the cosmetic work, and the broken a/c) happened at the same time. Still check out that compressor again and say what you found please. I am curious now. It would help if I could get a photo of it to you so you would know what to look at but I am at work and can't do that now. Perhaps someone else has one.

Got_3.2?

iTrader: (2)

gingerbread man... i had my g/f hit the a/c button on a couple of times but i didnt hear a click. i did it on her rsx n i could hear it click on/off.

my mechanic friend said the recharge kit prob didnt work kuz theres to much moisture and it didnt activate the vaccum on the compressor so id have to get the lines drained the and have it filled with freon and maybe itll activate the vaccum to activate the compressor. can u please send me a pic to eckoepic99@aol.com

thanks
mike

Got_3.2?

iTrader: (2)

brought it to a shop and they said my freon is full and they checked everything. they said id have to bring it into the dealer since its prob an electrical problem. but nothing else in my car is having and other electrical problems.

Gingerbreadman

so if you didn't hear the click then that means one of two things... either the click was too quiet and you missed it... which i doubt or the system is not kicking in. In that case it could be like the internal temperature sensors that tell it when to kick on.... oh i know... turn it on via the manual controls. By this I mean dont use the button but instead use the manual dials. see if that makes it come on.

somehow you need to determine if it is the compressor system or the controller system. I would say it is the controller system since the guys at the shop have checked out the compressor stuff... BUT they have seemed a bit inept before. Sadly it may be time to take it to the dealer or a good mechanic because troubleshooting the electronics would not really be feasible in a forum like this.

Good Luck and sorry we couldn't get ya going again.

TLofNYC

could be the a/c compressor.

03CoupeV6

My 02 TL's A/C system seems to take a longer time than normal to get cold... it pretty much won't at idle when the car is first started, but after driving around it's pretty cold. Is this normal? Could the ebony interior be the culprit, the A/C just seems like it's not as strong or cold as it should be. Definitely not as cold as my best friend's 98 Camry.