Air Conditioning not blowing cold.

[Kelemvor]

My 2002 durango no longer has working AC. The fans all blow just fine but when I press the A/C button, nothing happens. Just keeps blowing warm air.

I had someon look at ir briefly who said I'm low, but not out, of Freon. He recommended filling it up with the kind with dye and then checking for any leaks. Of course that place wanted almost $200 to do that.

I was told there are kits I can buy that will check the pressure and let me fill it back up. Can anyone let me know how easy that is to do? And do the kits have, or are available with, the dye too?

I want to save as much money as I can so if the filling up part is pretty simple, I'd love to do it myself.

Thanks!

 

[iGas]

My 2002 durango no longer has working AC. The fans all blow just fine but when I press the A/C button, nothing happens. Just keeps blowing warm air.

I had someon look at ir briefly who said I'm low, but not out, of Freon. He recommended filling it up with the kind with dye and then checking for any leaks. Of course that place wanted almost $200 to do that.

I was told there are kits I can buy that will check the pressure and let me fill it back up. Can anyone let me know how easy that is to do? And do the kits have, or are available with, the dye too?

I want to save as much money as I can so if the filling up part is pretty simple, I'd love to do it myself.

Thanks!

There are inexpensive refill kits that you can get from parts store, but they are a quick fix.

The leak has to be braze, or replace and the receiver/dryer replace as well as evacuates the old refrigerant and vacuum out the air and refill as the correct way of doing things.

 

[chorb]

not to derail the thread, but its AC related...

my AC blows colder the faster I'm moving, and if I come to a stop its basically blowing normal temperature air. I've visually checked the fans, and they're working fine it seems. Any ideas?

 

[LTC8K6]

Sounds like a blend door problem, but usually it would be the other way around, I think. Warm when you open the throttle and lose vacuum.

 

[angry hampster]

When you turn on the A/C, do you hear the compressor kick on? Open your hood turn on the A/C. You should be able to hear a click (the compressor clutch) when the A/C turns on and with the hood open, you'll easily be able to hear the compressor itself.

If your compressor is not coming on at all, it may need to be replaced. It could just be something as simple as a fuse or a relay, or the system needing to be "recharged" for $10-20.

Whatever you do, DO NOT buy an A/C 'stop leak' kit, such as this:
http://www.jcwhitney.com/arctic-free.../p2011346.jcwx

It basically contains glue along with r-134a, and will destroy your A/C over time. A simple refrigerant refill would be fine if it does just need to be charged.

 

[MovingTarget]

That's not cool.

 

[Kelemvor]

When you turn on the A/C, do you hear the compressor kick on? Open your hood turn on the A/C. You should be able to hear a click (the compressor clutch) when the A/C turns on and with the hood open, you'll easily be able to hear the compressor itself.

If your compressor is not coming on at all, it may need to be replaced. It could just be something as simple as a fuse or a relay, or the system needing to be "recharged" for $10-20.

Whatever you do, DO NOT buy an A/C 'stop leak' kit, such as this:
http://www.jcwhitney.com/arctic-free.../p2011346.jcwx

It basically contains glue along with r-134a, and will destroy your A/C over time. A simple refrigerant refill would be fine if it does just need to be charged.

I don't hear or feel any difference from inside the car but haven't tried it with the hood up and everything. I'll try that.

If it is just a recharge, I read somewhere about buying a kit with a gauge and seeing what it says and then just filling it up? Can I buy the recharge kits with the dye in them in case there is a leak somewhere?

Would something like one of these be what I'm loooking for?
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...-259q?filterByKeyWord=freon&fromString=search

 

[angry hampster]

Would something like one of these be what I'm loooking for?
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...-259q?filterByKeyWord=freon&fromString=search

THis one should work OK:
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac..._/N-261q?counter=6&itemIdentifier=532242_0_0_

It doesn't look like it contains stop-leak stuff. Again, you want to avoid stop-leak refrigerant.


As for the dye and oil, you want PAG-specific:
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...ntifier=667636_0_0_&target=shelf&viewAll=true


e: also read this..it hits on some of the same points I did but is a bit more in-depth:
http://www.wikihow.com/Fix-Your-Car%27s-Air-Conditioner

 

[Kelemvor]

Anyone know if WI has stupid laws that we can't buy that stuff here? Friend just told me he could never find that stuff and AUtozone's site says shipping not available for a lot of it. That sucks.

Maybe that's why they are gouging me at a shop to do it.

 

[HarryLui]

I suggest calling around until you find a shop that would do cheaper.

My mechanic vacuumed the system, changed the valves, filled the system, found the leak, changed the a/c condenser, and refilled the system. Cost me only $273 with parts and labor.

 

[Raduque]

Unless you have a really loud engine, you should definitely hear/feel the AC compressor kick on. On my F150 (5.4l V8) the compressor had a loud, solid "CLICK" and the RPMs dropped at idle by about a hundred RPM, and you could tell the engine had a load on it.

 

[Kelemvor]

I was also told that they don't kick in if they can sense that the pressure is too low? Maybe someone was pulling my leg. I'll check into it tonight.

 

[Vette73]

I was also told that they don't kick in if they can sense that the pressure is too low? Maybe someone was pulling my leg. I'll check into it tonight.

No that is true. If the pressure is to low or high it will not engage.

There are High/Low switchs that check for that.

 

[iGas]

I suggest calling around until you find a shop that would do cheaper.

My mechanic vacuumed the system, changed the valves, filled the system, found the leak, changed the a/c condenser, and refilled the system. Cost me only $273 with parts and labor.

No way that you will find a mechanic that work for peanuts/free in my town.

IMHO, condenser can run anywhere from $140~$250 a unit (domestic & Asian imports), valves & stems are relatively inexpensive (but could cost up to $40 a pair of valves), siL-Fos brazing rods are $5 each, new drier/receiver cost at least $20 each but typically between $40~$80 each, and refrigerant aren't exactly free as well (R12 would be around $80 a pound if you can find some, while R134a is around $10 a lbs in bulk 20~30 lbs but it would be pricier if you get smaller quantity).