ac not blowing cold

[douellette88]

my ac isnt blowing as cold as it should be. i hooked up one of those ac recharge kits you can get from your typical auto parts store with a gauge on it, it said there was about 40 psi/lbs in there which is about where it was supposed to be. i can see the compressor clutch engaged and the electric fans running. any ideas?? thanks

[imidazol97]

my ac isnt blowing as cold as it should be. i hooked up one of those ac recharge kits you can get from your typical auto parts store with a gauge on it, it said there was about 40 psi/lbs in there which is about where it was supposed to be. i can see the compressor clutch engaged and the electric fans running. any ideas?? thanks

Was that with the engine running and the blower fan on high and the air flow settings on AC?

IF so and it's a dual temp control unit, is the AC colder on the passenger side?

Does it get colder after a few minutes running with the recirculate button pushed?

[douellette88]

my ac isnt blowing as cold as it should be. i hooked up one of those ac recharge kits you can get from your typical auto parts store with a gauge on it, it said there was about 40 psi/lbs in there which is about where it was supposed to be. i can see the compressor clutch engaged and the electric fans running. any ideas?? thanks

Was that with the engine running and the blower fan on high and the air flow settings on AC?

IF so and it's a dual temp control unit, is the AC colder on the passenger side?

Does it get colder after a few minutes running with the recirculate button pushed?

yes engine running and blower on high and on a/c. tried both with and without recirc, no diff. i dont think its a dual temp unit, i think its just the digital electronic climate control one. did not notice if it was colder on passenger side or not, but i dont think it is.

[reb]

Maybe it just needs to run for a "few" days.? Typically my A/C is off for 8-9 months over the fall winter. When I turned it on last week - first hot day, it blew disappointingly warmish over several days. Now it blows quite satisfactorily cold.

[douellette88]

well thats kinda wierd haha. anyone have any ideas of things i should check or should i just do what reb suggested?

[00Beast]

I noticed yesterday that my car takes a little longer than what seems normal to "cool down" the air from the vents. If you only drive a few blocks at a time, that might be your problem. Go for a nice drive and see if it cools down. If not, take it to a shop and have them run a vacuum and check for leaks, then fill the system with R134a and some UV dye to aid in checking for leaks.

[douellette88]

well i havent gone for a drive yet with the ac on...just tried it sitting in my driveway. but it should blow colder than it does even just sitting there imo

[reb]

douellette88,

Take the car out on the road, drive it around. After running a few hours while driving it should come to life. Sitting in the driveway running is obviously not working for you. If the A/C does not get cold after my suggestion, then follow the O/P advise and take it in for a charge/leak check.

[00Beast]

You need the engine running at a higher RPM than idle to get the system energized.

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

Typically my A/C blows colder after 10-15 minutes of use while driving the car.

Also, what condition are your condenser fins in? If they're all squashed, then your A/C won't work as well as it could. Mine are horrible, so some weekend I'll straighten them with the fin comb, and pick out all the small rocks/debris that entered into them.

Have you cleaned the evap core? That's on my to-do list for sometime soon...

[douellette88]

Typically my A/C blows colder after 10-15 minutes of use while driving the car.

Also, what condition are your condenser fins in? If they're all squashed, then your A/C won't work as well as it could. Mine are horrible, so some weekend I'll straighten them with the fin comb, and pick out all the small rocks/debris that entered into them.

Have you cleaned the evap core? That's on my to-do list for sometime soon...

i havnt tried cleaning it yet..i remember reading something about spraying a hose and having it drip into the floor of the car?

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

Fin comb is $10 at NAPA right now. I ordered one, so I'll use it this weekend when I have free time.

[douellette88]

i looked at my condensor and only the bottom of it has some bent fins so i dont think that is the problem

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

Last summer my A/C wasn't blowing as cold as it used to. 4-5 oz. of R134a later, it was blowing colder. I put in another 2 oz. this morning, and it's been blowing much colder. I've heard that every year an average car loses 0.75-1 ounce of R134a. It could be you just don't have enough R134a in the system for it to get chilly.

[Virginia]

I had a similar issue and it was a clogged vaccum line filter. Buchanan Auto Repair in Buchanan, Virginia fixed it for about $30.00

[douellette88]

I had a similar issue and it was a clogged vaccum line filter. Buchanan Auto Repair in Buchanan, Virginia fixed it for about $30.00

What is that? Haha

[Virginia]

See the A/C blowing throught defroster discussion. The system that controls where the air blows is controlled using a blendor, actuator and vacuum lines. My vacuum line filter was clogged and the mechanic said that he removed the filter and extended the line. If the A/C is properly charged and running (a/c lines under hood are cold and sweating when a/c is on) then there is something wrong with the control system.

[reb]

I read both threads and could not find where it stated the A/C vacuum line filter is located. I'd like to change that part. Could someone post a picture of its location.

[Echo SSEI]

I read both threads and could not find where it stated the A/C vacuum line filter is located. I'd like to change that part. Could someone post a picture of its location.

Based on the description "Virginia" has given:

My vacuum line filter was clogged and the mechanic said that he removed the filter and extended the line.

I am sure she is referring to the vacuum connector (not a filter) in this pic since the "nipples" in that connector collapse (like getting clogged) and the procedure to replace it is to remove the the connedctor and extend/connect the vacuum lines instead of using the connector.

[reb]

Seams to me the easiest solution (rather than bypassing the connection), would be to simply take a drill bit and run it into the clogged "nipples"- restoring flow.