Air conditioning wasn't blowing cold. At all.

[Wiscon_Mark]

Oddly, it got rather warm today, so the greenhouse that my car is without tinted windows, I turned the A/C on. The compressor kicked in (I felt the usual drop in power in the pedal) but no cold air. I always get cold air within 5 seconds of turning it on. The really weird thing is that it worked 100% (or close to) last month during that 80* hot streak. I was under the impression that A/C units lose ability/efficiency over time, not just *snap* like that.

Any ideas? I'll probably have the shop I usually go to look at it Tuesday. I don't really want to go without A/C this summer...

[mlitz]

Start your car, turn on the A/C and watch the compressor... does it cycle (on and off) or just stay running?

[Wiscon_Mark]

I believe it was cycling, but I will double check. Oh, I forgot to note in the first post - It hisses like an old struggling A/C unit that's been on all day does. Never had that before either. You can hear it in the cabin pretty easily.

[mlitz]

Sounds like it is low, plus you may have a leak if you are actually hearing a hissing sound.

[MarkSubi]

I shoulda look into mine with this as well. Everything works but wierdly after I took out my Hvach to replace the light bulbs in it and put it back the way it goes I'm sure but now my car isn't blowing cold hair. It's acting like it did before I had tint witch is its warm air blowing for a good while and then it cool to kind of cool.

[Dead91silvia]

Pop your hood, start the car, run the AC.... Feel the lines on the compressor to see if its getting cold or not. One should be ice cold... if not, it might be blocked...

Also see if the low pressure line has pressure at all, if not, then check the high pressure line. If thats got little to no pressure, then you got a leak some where...

The condenser is in front of the radiator and it might have got a tinny pin hole...

[MarkSubi]

If a hole that tiny can do it then thats probably it. :T

[Wiscon_Mark]

Is there supposed to be airflow in front the compressor when you turn it on? Obviously I don't normally work on the car with the engine & A/C on, so I don't know if this is normal.

Robin - which line is which? And if anything was leaking, would I have noticed it on the floor of my garage? Because there hasn't been anything to speak of.

Also- I did run it for 5 minutes, no cycling, the compressor just ran until I turned it off. No cold air even after that time. I also didn't noticed any moisture coming out of the hose on the passenger side that drips water that the condenser removes.

[mlitz]

If there is a leak you would not notice it unless you heard it or it was big enough for you to see it spraying out, If it is a small leak it will just evaporate and do it slowly.
With out taking it in and getting gauges hooked up and seeing the high and low pressure sides actual pressures is, it is kinda hard to diagnose.
But if the compressor is turning on and there is no cold air it is probably low and or has a leak.

[Wiscon_Mark]

Okay, well I'm having my trusted shop do it, but it just dipped really cold out again, so I can't have it diagnosed until it's warmer.

[Dead91silvia]

Ether line coming from the compressor on the top of the motor. One will be warm, one will be cool...

It can leak without you knowing, like from a bad O-ring or something like that.

Look in the pic... There is a valve cap (blue) right by the dip stick. You can take that off, push valve in (it's like one on a car tire), and see if there is any pressure. The top of the cap will have an "H" or an "L", for high or low pressure.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/02/IMG_8748-1.jpg

[Felipe]

i sort of had the same thing, but with my wifes civic.... clutch would kick in and not cold air.... after spending cash here and there, nothing.... at the end of the day the condenser fan was not on, not cooling the air flow and recycling back cold.

it was the dum fan motor... lol