a/c issues

elephantrider · **Posted:** Tue Aug 14, 2007 5:40 pm

anyone have any problems with their a/c not working as well as it should ?

i have a 98 f150 with 130k miles on it, the a/c in the truck will blow snow balls at you even on the lowest setting.

a/c in the liberty blows arse. if you dont keep it on the absolute highest setting, it doesnt stay cold, and then its only mediocre ( sp ? ) at best.

just wondering if anyone else has had similar issues.

its hot as hell in tx, and we need a/c !! i was looking into putting a low profile unit between the rails on the roof to compensate for the lack of a/c " cojones " if it comes to that..

SoDakJeep · **Posted:** Tue Aug 14, 2007 6:01 pm

USE THE RECIRCULATE SETTING AND I FOUND IT GETS COLD A LOT FASTER. MY A/C ISN'T THE COLDEST IN THE WORLD BUT THE RECIRCULATE SETTING MADE A HUGE DIFFERANCE.

elephantrider · **Posted:** Tue Aug 14, 2007 6:22 pm

yep, thats what i keep it on and fan speed on high...

hardhittinz · **Joined:** Tue Jul 03, 2007 10:44 pm **Posts:** 195

mine is the same way it sucks compared to my previous car

LiLredLibby · **Posted:** Tue Aug 14, 2007 6:59 pm

Hey Jason..You might try blowin' the bugs out of and inbetween the rad.and AC condenser.This time of year and especialy as hot as it get where you live,it don't take long to fill up the fins.Take a garden hose and rinse all the way thru from the inside out,and then go feel the difference in the vent temperatures.As you probably already know,the cooler you can keep the high pressure liquid,the colder the low pressure gas will stay.Just a thought. :idea:

Ron

Rush345 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 14, 2007 7:36 pm

Have you checked the condition of your refrigerant??? When I bought my '02 Sport last year the first thing I said is it has to have A/C, after taking delivery found out the A/C was shot got a new condencer and the whole 9 yards my mother lives in Georgetown Texas. So I know about your heat issues. I've heard that people in Texas go to HE!! on vacation just to cool off :twisted:

Check it out you may just need a recharge on your coolant, I'm not a Mech but have it checked. A recharge could be an inexpensive fix.

LEAD

FOLLOW

or GET OUT of THE WAY :shock:

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 14, 2007 7:52 pm

Not knocking Chrysler but their A/C systems have always leaked refrigarent. So after a couple years the A/C system doesn't work as good as it did when the car was produced.

I've owned an Intrepid, Sebring (wifes car) and now the KJ - all of them display the same tendency.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 14, 2007 7:56 pm

You also gotta consider the A/C system size and R134A capicity,smaller capicity = less cooling effect.Also A/C systems are not for cooling the air,that's a by product,A/C stands for "air conditioning" not "air cooling",the A/C system is to reduce the humity which in turns does make it feel cooler.There's a huge difference between the 2 saying's.

Pablo · **Joined:** Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:06 pm **Posts:** 1201

Rush345 wrote:

after taking delivery found out the A/C was shot got a new condencer and the whole 9 yards my mother lives in Georgetown Texas. So I know about your heat issues. I've heard that people in Texas go to HE!! on vacation just to cool off :twisted:

Texas is kinda warm-- sometimes, especially east Texas with the humidity and all. But its not that hot.

jerbacher · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 6:39 am

My a/c has begun sucking lately too. I have a refrigerant recharge kit, but when i hook it up, the gauge on the thing says that its got plenty...

tjkoen01 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:20 am

jasonk wrote:

a/c in the liberty blows arse

can you quantify that statement with temperature reading at the center vent outlet? the a/c in my liberty isn't all that bad. the last couple weeks we have been pushing triple digits here in ky. after work, the ambiant temp in my jeep is anywhere from 130 to 140 degrees. by the time i get out of the parking lot at work (about 2 minutes), it is down to 60 coming out and as long as i keep moving and have it on recirc, it will get down to 40, maybe even 38 at times. can't complain about that when it's 100 outside. it will creep up to 50 if i am sitting in traffic, but that is the nature of the beast.

as long as there are rubber connections (hoses and o-rings), refrigerant will leak over time. i am not an expert on a/c, but i know enough to be dangerous. if you are going to top off your a/c, do yourself a favor, don't waste your money on a recharge kit. you can get a decent gage set at harbor freight for $40 on sale. get that and a good can tap, pocket thermometer and a book on automotive a/c.

every system is different, but generally speaking, you don't want the clutch to cycle too much; when the compressor is off, the evap temp goes up b/c the low side pressure is going up. if at idle, your compressor is cycling on and off when it above 70 or 75 outside, you are probably low on refrigerant. in a properly functioning system, the compressor turns off when the low side gets too low (around 30 psi). if you are low on refrigerant, it is easier for the compressor to get the low side below 30psi, so it cycles more. the idea is to have enough refrigerant to allow the compressor to run most of the time when cruising on the hwy (compressor running faster) and not too much so that when at idle the compressor cannot get the low side anywhere near 30psi....it's a balancing act. that is the basic idea of what's going on, but there is more to it.

IMO, if you put electric compressors on cars, you would be able to make them much more efficient b/c you would not have to compensate for the variation in compressor throughput due to changes in engine speed...there, i'm done (it's a slow day at work)

jerbacher · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:50 am

tjkoen01,

that was really really helpful. althought the gauge on my kit says its in the good zone. the compressor is constantly going on and off at idle with the a/c on max. so, i guess that means i really do need more juice? i guess i'll pump it up!

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:55 am

Don't over charge the system either though... That can lead to more leaks and possibly component failures.

jerbacher · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:58 am

yeah, thats the problem i face now. i know the gauge is not reading correctly, so i have no way to tell when its at a good level...

tjkoen01 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:46 am

jerbacher wrote:

tjkoen01,

that was really really helpful. althought the gauge on my kit says its in the good zone. the compressor is constantly going on and off at idle with the a/c on max. so, i guess that means i really do need more juice? i guess i'll pump it up!

"good" is relative on those recharge kits.

something to keep in mind when charging an a/c system. if you have the can upright when charging, you will be putting refrigerant gas in whereas if you have the can upside down you will be charging with a liquid refrigerant. the difference? when charging with a liquid, you will be add refrigerant much faster than with the can upright. (with the can upside down, you can get the whole thing in there in a minute; if the can is upright, it will take 15 minutes depending on how often the can freezes up) you need to watch out with the liquid b/c it could make it's way back to the compressor and cause damage. on the liberty, it would be hard to do. just to be on the safe side, take it slow. if you have a themometer, put in one of the center vents, with the a/c on recirc and blower on high. as you add refrigerant, the temp should start to come down as the compressor stays on more. once the temp starts going back up at idle, add a little more and then stop (without a gage on the highside you are flying blind and don't want to add too much). drive it for a day and see how it does. If it creeps up too much on the highway, you probably need to add more. like i said before, i get 40 degrees when driving and 50 at idle...just a reference

it's still a slow day at work.....

jerbacher · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:52 am

thanks a lot!

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:00 am

Air temp and humitity has a big role in how "well" the A/C system will function.The clutch cycling is controlled more from the temp sensor on the evaporator then the high/low pressure switches(they will cycle the clucth but not until certian pressures are meet),the evap temp sensor will cycle the clutch when the evap temp reaches about 34 degrees to prevent it from freezing.

And from the service manual you check the A/C outlet temp from the floor vents,not the center vents.The output temps are related to the outside air temp to.

Outside air temp-60 70 80 90
floor outlet temp-52 56 59.4 62

As per the service manual.

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:23 am

TJ,

Sup Dude?

I am about to take my new 07 in and have it checked. When I am in traffic it blows warm air on recirculate and on #4. a real bummer when the car has not cooled down much.

once i get going at a steady speed, 20 mph and air is flowing over the condensor coils it drops quickly. but sitting at a stop light it rises again.

How was your vacation?

tjkoen01 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:58 am

tjkj2002 wrote:

Air temp and humitity has a big role in how "well" the A/C system will function.The clutch cycling is controlled more from the temp sensor on the evaporator then the high/low pressure switches(they will cycle the clucth but not until certian pressures are meet),the evap temp sensor will cycle the clutch when the evap temp reaches about 34 degrees to prevent it from freezing.

And from the service manual you check the A/C outlet temp from the floor vents,not the center vents.The output temps are related to the outside air temp to.

Outside air temp-60 70 80 90
floor outlet temp-52 56 59.4 62

As per the service manual.

I have yet to come across a temp switch on an auto a/c system. You do not need a temp switch b/c the refrigerant temp is a function of pressure (that's what makes a refrigerant work) and pressure is much easier to measure in a moving fluid. Outside temp and humidity have a lot to do with how well a system performs and that's why everything i've read and can recall says to use recirc mode (some vehicles only have the recirc option on the panel vents, specifically jerbacher's '02 liberty and i assume that's why they say use the panel vent). the idea is to get a temp reading as close to the evap as you can while using recirc so that the humidity in the outside has less of an effect on the evap temp.

i'm not trying to give a complete and comprehensive lesson on a/c, i just hate sweating my stupid off in my vehicle and trying to help those out who do not like it either. like i said before, i know enough to make me dangerous :wink:

tjkoen01 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 11:06 am

WoodysKJ wrote:

TJ,

Sup Dude?

I am about to take my new 07 in and have it checked. When I am in traffic it blows warm air on recirculate and on #4. a real bummer when the car has not cooled down much.

once i get going at a steady speed, 20 mph and air is flowing over the condensor coils it drops quickly. but sitting at a stop light it rises again.

How was your vacation?

vacation? haha, it was actually training for work, but it was as close to a vacation as i've had in a while. it was good though.

my a/c acts the same way, but it might not be as drastic as yours, i am fairly comfortable at a red light. it is possible that you (and I) have a bit too much refrigerant. i can take a look at it if the dealer doesn't seem to think anything is wrong.

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