This afternoon it was about 85 degrees. I’ve used the ac many times since I got my MDX in March. Today it took 10 mins before it started blowing cool air. Probably 15 before it was really cold. 2 weeks ago I returned from a trip and my car sat for a week in the driveway. First time I turned the ac on after that week it had a VERY strong smell of vinegar but cooled down quickly. Today the smell started again once it started blowing cool but only lasted maybe a minute. Be had the smell occasionally since then but today was the first time it took so long to cool down. Thoughts? MDX w/ tech 4300 miles.

 

can't explain the smell, but perhaps a hotter car takes longer to cool or to start to cool?
the next troubleshooting steps would be to see if the high pressure side and low side have the correct pressure...if you dont have the gauges, i would take it to a shop or the dealer to diagnose.

 

Having issues with my A/C too on 22 MDX A-Spec. w/ 1.3K miles and an issue since I got it. If it's over 80 or so degrees and car has been in the sun, it takes a long time until the A/C truly blows cold. I get when it's hot and the car has been in the sun, it will take it a while for the car to cool down. But the issues is that the A/C blowing takes forever to get really cool. Tonight, it was very hot, 94 outside. I started the MDX and let run for 10 minutes (had a reflective front window shade covering windshield before I started it too), and then drove 20 minutes with A/C auto lo setting, and it never really got cold. It blew strongly, but barely cool. My Highlander I traded in or my wife's current 2013 Lexus GS would blow very cold air within a minute of turning it on. Something seems off with the MDX. Later, returning I drove my MDX after it had been in the shade for 2.5 hours, and it blew cold air right away with the A/C set at 70. Any ideas. First time and frustratedAcura owner here.

 

I have owned many Honda/Acura products and have always found the AC to be one of the weaker spots but if you have the system on Auto or have recirculation on since the air in the cabin is cooler from the vehicle being in the shade the system will blow cold air faster.

But I would take these vehicles in to be looked at, wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that there is a pinhole leak somewhere, the refrigerant wasn't filled properly, etc.

 

Just for a comparison, my 2019 MDX has a great AC system but the 14 RDX does not.

 

Same issues here with a 2022 MDX Adv package, wife stated it took 7-8 mins before it started blowing cool air, car had been sitting for about 3 hours on a 90 degree day.

 

I have a tip for all new MDX owners. If you have a problem take it to the dealer. Seriously, they will give you a free loaner if needed.

 

This is true of any car in warranty, from any dealer.

 

Up here in Canada, most dealerships have stopped providing loaner vehicles due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

Not true, my Dealer always gives me one, as long as ask. I usually get an RDX or TSX. Never an MDX.

 

All people experiencing these issues, what are you comparing it against? An SUV will take longer to cool than a sedan, a bigger SUV will take longer to cool than a smaller SUV. Also the longer the vehicle is out in the sun it will take as much longer too cool the interior.

If you have remote start, suggest start using that so that the car is cool by the time you enter it.

 

Interesting, maybe the smaller engine is paired with low power compressor?

Or you have a white MDX and Black RDX

 

Maybe this is how Covid-19 is spread in Ontario, if the loaner vehicle has not been sanitized properly.

 

So car is at dealer today to look at A/C (w/ 2022 MDX A-Spec loaner) and waiting to see what they find. 92 here in NJ today, and tested the loaner side by side with my wife's Lexus 2013 GS, my old 2015 Toyota Highlander, and my son's 2020 Subaru Crosstrek. I know each car will take different times to cool down the cabin, but I just wanted to compare how cold the A/C blew in each car. So with the MDX set to 70 on auto, after 1 minute the temp coming out 2 inches inside the MDX vents was 77 degrees, after 2 minutes it was 74 degrees, after 5 minutes it was coming out 70 degrees. With my wife's Lexus, testing the same way in same conditions, after 1 minute the A/C was coming out 53 degrees, and after 2 minutes it was coming out 48 degrees. It got down to 45 in 3 minutes and was still dropping, so I stopped checking after that as the cabin temp was comfortable after 2 minutes anyway. My results for my Highlander were similar to the Lexus, and my son's crosstrek was just a bit above both the Lexus and the Toyota. My MDX is red, the loaner MDX is silver, my wife's GS is dark brown, my highlander is light silver, and my son's Crosstrek is white. So it seems it's not just my MDX, but the exact same loaner is having the same difficulty blowing cold air as compared to my other cars by a pretty wide margin. To answer the earlier question, I did try remote start before to try and cool it down, and the results are actually worse, as the car doesn't seem to kick on the A/C at the set power - more like the power when it's on battery setting, and on hitting the ignition, it kicks it over to a slightly more powerful fan speed. Anyway, very interested to see what the dealer has to say.

 

Dealer visit indicated MDX is in spec. After starting car and running it on Auto Lo setting for 15 minutes, the in-vent temperature did not reach below 60 degrees, and the car's ambient temperature never dropped below 80 degrees per their measurements. However, if they set it on manual Lo at the lowest fan speed setting, the in-vent temperature dropped to 48 degrees, but at that lowest fan speed setting, the cabin would not cool. However, since they were able to achieve that 48 degree in-vent temperature setting, they indicated it was in spec and that there was nothing else they could do. What that leaves me with is a new $60K vehicle that will not come close to adequately cooling the cabin when it is hot out or reaching set temperature setting, and does not produce A/C remotely comparable to any of my current or former vehicles. I'm going to open a claim if possible with Acura w/ a video of this for their review, but would be interested in any other suggestions from this forum?

 

Rodent nest (their piss smells like vinegar) or mildew in the HVAC.

 

I think this is just a Honda/Acura problem. Their ac systems just suck, it’s a real let down. I had this same issue with my ‘07 accord, and now with my rdx as well. The other day, someone in my rdx asked me if the ac was off because they felt like it was blowing humid air (it was actually on and set to 65-how embarrassing). We have a forester as a second car and it blows cold air immediately and cools down the car fast. We also have bmws and a Toyota Highlander in the family, and they all blow cold air. Acura should be ashamed for installing such crappy air conditioners for this price tag. Also, installing a third row vent in the mdx shouldn’t even be a question, give the subpar ac system. Not sure what they were thinking.

 

 

Yep, A/C in my RDX isn't great. I assume it's only worse in the larger MDX (probably use the same, or similar, system). I also get a weird smell every so often. I've checked and changed the cabin air filter ... it didn't help.

 

I just purchased a 2022 MDX SH-AWD Advance and while test driving one that had sat in the Georgia sun for hours, I noticed that the A/C was not blowing cold air right away and I had to go manual and bump up the fan. My 2014 Explore generally pumps out cold air within a minute or two but occasionally take longer if the car's been sitting in the sun. My wife's '14 535i is really bad for cooling quickly, probably worse than this Acura. I am going to clear out the garage so I can park the new MDX inside, and I bought white so maybe that will help.

After I've had it a while I'll report back here...

 

Having been part of the Honda family (forever) and now Acura, I didn't realize how A/C is so different between the manufacturers (from some of the testimonials).
With the heatwave (105*+ F), my MDX Advance struggled with keeping the cabin cool while driving around.
I will probably have to tint the windows sooner rather than later...

 

The ventilated seats in Honda/Acura are also amongst the worse when compared to others. I have personally found the Mustang and Stinger ventilated seats to be significantly better than those on TLX and Accord. You have to be in the seat for a long time or sweating to notice if its even on in Honda/Acura(ofcourse you can also hear them).

 

The car I traded in on my MDX 3 days ago was a '14 Explorer and I'll have to say that the air-conditioned seats were pretty anemic. It took many minutes to feel it and it wasn't all that effective even after that.

My A/C is actually performing OK though I haven't tried the a/c seats yet.

 

Odd, we have 2016 rdx and a new 22 mdx and been in the 90’s here and no problem with our AC’s. Usually turn it down pretty quick

 

are you guys using the AUTO function? If not, that'd explain a lot of issues. Also new cars are using 1234YF vs the older R134A we are used to so it functions in a different way than older cars. Plus repairs are a bit more expensive with the 1234YF and the machines to do the work take a while.

 

I do not think that is the issue here. I bought a 2022 mdx that the ac was not cooling at all , after 2 weeks of use. Something is wrong with these vehicles. I have a loaner 2018 mdx in black and the ac start cooling after a few seconds after a hot day of 95 degree. I am very furious at this point because this car is not cheap and I am very disappointed..

 

Update from my last post. I've since taken my MDX on a road trip from NJ, to VA, and back via WV. It never got above ~85 degrees, but once the car got hot from being left out (for instance stopping for lunch or longer), the car would never cool back down. I've tried every setting; 1) Auto at a set temp, e.g. 70 degrees like I do in every other car successfully but in this car just blows mildly cool air ~60 degrees at 3 in. inside the vent, 2) Auto at Lo temp setting which blows at high speed but again just mildly cool air, 3) Lo temperature at every different fan speed - only the slowest fan speed produces moderately cold air after 10 minutes, but it's too low a speed to cool down the car. Bottom line, it's not just when it's 90+ out, even at low to mid 80s, once the car is left in the heat and you're driving in the sun, the MDX cannot cool the car down to below 77 degrees inside at any setting even after several hours of driving (when testing the interior temp in a shady area - e.g. at sensor by knee). At the beginning of July, I filed a complaint with Acura after the local dealer said there was nothing they could fix and received a case number and the following response on July 8th; "Thank you for allowing Acura Client Relations the opportunity of being involved with your concern. We are sorry to hear that you're experiencing issues with your 2022 MDX. We will forward your case to a District Case Manager for review. The representative will call you in 1 to 2 business days. Thank you and have a good rest of your day." I have yet to hear form the District Case Manager and have followed up via email 2x now. As previous poster said, this is not a isolated issue as the loaner MDX A-Spec I had operated the same, so I'm also furious at this, and there seems to be a real issue with this model. I'd like to see Acura try to resolve or at least respond before I take next steps via Lemon or other legal action, as I think if it was operating as designed and set to a specific temperature, the car would be able to achieve this temperature in a reasonable period of time which this car is unable to do under any circumstance.

 

For two and half weeks, I had no issues with my A/C until today, early evening.
Our outside temps range from 70 to 100 in the dry, Nevada desert.
In the cabin, I usually have it on Auto 67 front, and turned off in the 2nd row.
It's usually me and maybe a front passenger.
At noon, we had a family trip of four around town.
I gave the kids control of their A/C in the 2nd row.
Everything worked fine.

Fast forward to late afternoon, I wanted to take a solo trip.
I turned on the A/C and everything came out HOT.
WTH.
I fiddled around with the controls: mode, 2nd row off/on, left/right front, A/C off, etc.
Nothing changed for 20 minutes - hot air under AUTO and manual on 65 or LO.
It was actually "cooler" by turning off the A/C.
As I pulled up to my neighborhood, I pressed SYNC.
All of a sudden COLD air busted through all the vents!
WTH.

This may be a software issue!?
Maybe the 2nd row A/C button activity from earlier triggered something?

I'm going to go on another test drive and report back...
Stay tuned!

 

Odd - I've used sync, etc. rear on/off etc, and no combination or changes could I get the A/C to go cold once the car was hot. One thing that has seemed weird from day 1 (had the car since April) is that even with a manually set fan speed, the fan speed seems to still be trying to figure itself intermittently blowing faster or slower in an almost random way. This am, after starting the car after being in the shade at 7am, it was fine blowing cold and I could use auto settings. On the way back home after being parked out in 85+ degree heat and sun by 9am, it wouldn't blow anything more than mildly cool, and hot for the first few minutes - 20 minute drive home and it never got cold and I was more or less uncomfortable entire drive in shorts and polo. This won't work in NJ when I go back to a suit and tie in September. Even when I use auto start and start it up 5 minutes ahead, it's still not coming out cold when I get to the car. Something is messed up, and I agree, I bet it's with the electronics.

 

I've had mine parked in a garage since new and so it hasn't heated up much and the air has been cool coming out of the vents at first though takes a while to get cold. This afternoon it was mega humid here in Georgia and the car took longer to cool.

 

I, too, find that starting with the vehicle very hot from sitting in the sun it takes forever for the A/C to cool off well. I had the side windows tinted as well as the sunroof and a visor strip tint which all helped somewhat as I can place my hand in the sunlight beside my tinted side windows then move it to the untinted windshield and really feel the heat increase. On top of that, the entire dash is black and hot as dickens with radiant heat that doesn't go away if you are driving into the sun with temps in the 90's. I haven't figured out yet how to improve that. It is what it is. When the vehicle is very hot the ventilated seats barely work since it's drawing air from the hot surroundings. Clearly the
A/C using this newer freon isn't nearly as good as A/C's of old.

 

This entire thread is a main reason I turned in my ‘21 MDX lease after only a year in. The AC had to work so hard all the time and was either too loud when it should have been at its lowest speed setting like in the evenings or never got the cabin cool enough during a daytime trip. Prior to our MDX purchase, we tested an RDX and on the lot the cooling was an issue too. I had assumed it was because it was sitting in a lot during high noon. Though as others say with different vehicles, my Lexus NX has no issues cooling down on the hottest days.

I came here to see if the redesigned ‘22 was any better than the MY I had. Seems not.

 

Mine works just fine. To your point, you owned a 2021.

 

It's still too common how many complain of the cooling ability. 21 or 22 but you can't deny the general build is probably very very similar especially considering that the engine is a direct carry over from the previous.

I'll be going to look at a 22 soon and I'll be bringing a temp probe to check it after sitting in the dealer lot. It's not unacceptable to expect that the car cool itself after that kind of heat because well, plenty of manufacturers do it.

 

I wish you and your probe happy shopping!

 

I've had the 22 MDX for about 7 months now - I've taken it into the dealer about the AC issue. They say its working as normal, and I guess that's the answer I would expect. Honda doesn't want to deal with it. My X3 blows cold within minutes even after sitting in the hot sun all day.

I've owned probably over 20 cars over the last 30 years - this is without a doubt the worst AC system I've encountered. If I would have known about this before I bought the car, I'd would have moved on to something else. Kinda of a deal killer when you live in Central Florida. Very disappointing.

Buyer beware - its not an isolated issue.

 

Hello All
The dreaded aircon. This is just based off my experience as all systems are different. The temp must be at least 80 degrees outside for your compressor to operate fully and there must be max demand. If you don't have gauges to measure high and low pressure a simple test will give you assurances of your vehicles operation. Roll down your windows and put the controls on max cool with the engine idling. Compressor should stay on continuously with rpm adjusted while operating and engine fans on high speed as this is full demand. You will need a thermometer to measure the intake and output temps. I cannot predict the temp you should read, but you should have a 20 degree or more drop between intake and output. This verifies the system is operating and pulling heat from the air as it passes through the system. When you first turn on your car after sitting in the sun its 120 or more inside the car that is the input for the aircon then it theoretically puts out 90 degrees then slowly brings the temp down as it takes a minute or 2 for you to feel the cooling. The system removes heat from the air and only 20 to 30 degrees at a time. That is how modern systems operate and they have the ability to vary the operation of the compressor to save as much fuel as possible while operating and placing minimum drag/load on the engine. If you call an aircon guy he will not test your system until it's hot enough outside to operate the compressor at full capacity. Your compressor will operate to defrost your windows at 40 degrees but in a reduced state just to remove humidity and cannot be tested at this time. This is generic info and not "Acura MDX 4th Gen" specific. On vehicles with an "Eco" mode the compressor has the ability to operate in a low/reduced state. Modern day systems operate based on demand and will mix outside/inside air to maintain or change temps. They also can activate the aircon at anytime when in "Auto" mode to maintain/achieve set temperature. This is a generic test that should work on any vehicle. I am not a pro I just do all maintenance on my vehicles if possible and have serviced/operated gauges a few times. Just my 2 cents.

Future
2022/2023 MDX Type S Advance
Current
2013 TL SH-AWD Advance - Full Tint/Bra, Full Weathertech - Awaiting Big Brake
2017 Accord Touring - Full Tint/Bra, Full Weathertech - Awaiting Big Brake, 3.7L Intake/Manifold installs
2009 Accord EX-L V6 Navi - Full Tint/Bra, Full Weathertech - Kids Car

 

Hello
Are you referring to a musty smell from the vents after running the aircon? Usually have this problem after running aircon then shutting vehicle down and next time you receive musty smell which goes away if you run aircon but stays if vent run on cool! Sounds like the evaporator has buildup of condensation over time which develops into mold/grime on evaporator. The solution I use requires access to the aircon drain beneath the car where you inject the foam and it melts/cleans all the contaminants from the evap. I use this on my vehicles yearly and allow the foam to stay on the evap. After use you get a nice clean fresh scent and no more stink as this solution solves the problem not just mask the odor! Personally in my vehicles when we use the aircon we run vent for approximately the last 2 minutes and this keeps it from returning. Just my two cents.
https://rechargeac.com/products/ac-c...s/oe-1?lid=479

Future
2022/2023 MDX Type S Advance
Current
2013 TL SH-AWD Advance - Full Tint/Bra, Full Weathertech - Awaiting Big Brake
2017 Accord Touring - Full Tint/Bra, Full Weathertech - Awaiting Big Brake, 3.7L Intake/Manifold installs
2009 Accord EX-L V6 Navi - Full Tint/Bra, Full Weathertech - Kids Car

 

Same issue for my 2021 RDX. Dealer looked at it and said "its normal" and a lot of customers bring up the same issue. The AC is not comparable to most other mfg's. Lexus, Infiniti and BMW will freeze you out quickly. The Acura take a long time to cool the cabin. Best to skip the "auto" or turn down the temp to LOW and fan speed on high till the cabin gets cool. Then once it cools off, you can go back to "auto" mode. In mine - 65 degrees is what I set it too, that in my Lexus would be meat locker temps.

Also, getting the windows tinted with ceramic tint helps a lot - all the windows (as the back window are factory tinted, but little to no heat rejection). Also, tinting the front windshield 70-80% cuts a lot of heat on the dash and the vents below them.

 

The other thing thats irritating with the AC is how the fan will seemingly speed up or slow down on its own. This is even when its not set to "Auto" - just dialed into a certain temperature - mainly "Low". I've never encountered a car AC unit that acts like this one.

Thanks for the tinting tip. Maybe that will help here in Florida.