A/C issues

Mark_in_Tulsa · July 10, 2006

Well my A/C is not near as cold as it should be. I have not measured the actual temps, but it is definitely not cold enough. Takes about 20 min of city driving before its actually cool in the truck, and about 15 min of hwy driving before its cool in the truck.

Here are the symptoms and what I have done;

I bought a can of r134a, it was slightly low, but I added it anyways. No help.

I can hear the compressor kicking on when I turn the A/C on, and I hear it go off when I turn it off.

When I have it on fresh outside air sometimes it switches over to recirculation air, and it won't go back unless I turn the truck off. But the lights don't move on the dash. Very rarely does it do that.

Sometimes when I accelerate quickly, not WOT but if I take off quicker than a normal person would at a light, I can feel the air get warm for a sec.

When I do some city driving with the air on for a while I can hear some "whooshing" sound which I guess is the engine fan that is blowing at full strength. When it does kick in it really seams to affect power.

BUT sometimes the next day when I start the truck with the A/C off and it's cool in the morning, the fan will be engaged and is making the "whooshing" sound for about the first 5 to 10 min of my drive home.

The truck never runs hot.

O2 Chevy Z71 5.3 auto. 60,000 miles.

I would really appreciate any help soon, for I am driving to So. California in 2 weeks. I would really love some advice on where to start looking for probs. I'm trying my best not to go to a service shop, since we just saved up the 700$ in cash we will need for gas alone on our trip.

*edit

This is my 666 post. Scary thought........

ken1mod · July 10, 2006

Check to see if the accumulator is cold to the touch with the engine idling and the a/c on. if it is cold, the a/c is ok.

Remember, when the humidity goes up, the air will not work as well. Humidity is the same as heat to an a/c. It is called latent (hidden) heat. Your system may be ok after all. I am from phoenix where it is dry and cars cool quickly even in 110 degree heat. I recently went to New York where temp was 87 with high humidity and the a/c was noticible weak. (sweat dripping off nose for 20 minutes.)

Remember that adding refrigerant to a properly charged system will actually raise the air temps. more is not better.

ken

OUMike · July 10, 2006

Check to see if the accumulator is cold to the touch with the engine idling and the a/c on. if it is cold, the a/c is ok.

Remember, when the humidity goes up, the air will not work as well. Humidity is the same as heat to an a/c. It is called latent (hidden) heat. Your system may be ok after all. I am from phoenix where it is dry and cars cool quickly even in 110 degree heat. I recently went to New York where temp was 87 with high humidity and the a/c was noticible weak. (sweat dripping off nose for 20 minutes.)

Remember that adding refrigerant to a properly charged system will actually raise the air temps. more is not better.

ken

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I live in Houston, TX where the humidity is often at 100%. I never really understood that "high humidity, AC won't work as well". I can vouch for 48 degree air in the heat of summer. Is that unusual?

I think it'd be kinda early for a compressor to be going south on an 02' model, but that sounds like what my truck did a compressor ago. It would not work as well as it did, and finally it just quit on me. I replaced compressor, accumulator, orphus for about $250. Install done myself.

ken1mod · July 10, 2006

I would say that 48 degree air in high heat and high humidity is awesome. They do put stout a/c units in these trucks.

ken

titanium10k · July 10, 2006

When your ac is not on recirc and it is hot outside it is normal for your ac to go into recirc mode...there is a high pressure switch on your ac that will switch your ac into recirc......are u sure it is going into recirc mode ......is the duct actually closing??? i had a prob with my recirc door and it wouldnt close and my ac couldnt keep the truck very cool when idling. I fixed the prob with the door and now my ac when idling on recirc mode,driver side vent the ac on low comes out at about 37 degrees.

Mark_in_Tulsa · July 10, 2006

Check to see if the accumulator is cold to the touch with the engine idling and the a/c on. if it is cold, the a/c is ok.

Remember, when the humidity goes up, the air will not work as well. Humidity is the same as heat to an a/c. It is called latent (hidden) heat. Your system may be ok after all. I am from phoenix where it is dry and cars cool quickly even in 110 degree heat. I recently went to New York where temp was 87 with high humidity and the a/c was noticible weak. (sweat dripping off nose for 20 minutes.)

Remember that adding refrigerant to a properly charged system will actually raise the air temps. more is not better.

ken

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is the Accumulator the thing right on the firewall with the duct wrap around it?. I don't recall touching that and seeing if it is cold, but I do know the low pressure side of the hose going in is ice cold, and 8 inches down the line on the other side of that "orifice" ( i forget the name of it) where the high pressure is, the pipe is warm.

And titanium10k, yes I can hear the duct work change when it goes in to recirc. I didn't know it was suppose to do that.

Well I guess I should get a thermometer and get an accurate measurement, just to make sure it's not just the high humidity.

Thanks guys I really appreciate the quick help.

And ken1mod whats been the temps back there. I'm not going through PHO. But I'm going through Flagstaff on my way to Bakersfield.