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Whats up with my Air Conditioner

C

coryenyeart

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Toledo OH
I have a 97 xj with a 4.0 if that matters. When I first turn the AC on it blows really cold as it always had. Then after a few minutes it starts warming up and blowing humid air. I can shut it off drive a few miles turn it back on and get ice cold air again, for a few minutes, then warm humid air. I don't know if this indicates that it needs charged or if it could be something simple. Any advice or imput is greatly appreciated!
 
sounds as if the compressor clutch is starting to fail, providing your a/c system is sufficiently charged. with a 97 you could also have a leak in the sstem as well. i would recommend the factory replacement, if it is the clutch. a new compressor with the clutch isnt much more expensive than just the clutch itself
 
This can also be seen when there is moisture in the system that is freezing. System starts up, operates normally, freezes, you shut it off, it thaws, repeat. Also verify the auxilary fan is working, the same cycle can be seen with the condenser temperature, condenser is cool, A/C works well, condenser heats up, A/C falls off, you shut it off, repeat.
 
could be condensation freezing in the dash not letting cool air exchange through the evaporator(?) in the dash...just switch it to vent when the ac starts to warm and let warm outside air melt the ice...dont exactly know what the fix is...
 
I should have been more clear. Moisture can only enter the system if it has been opened for some reason and not vacuumed before refilling. The fan being bad is much more likely.
 
I'd wager it's a really slow leak and you can just top it off with a half can or so.
 
Thanks for all the info. Should the auxillary fan be running all the time or just when the air is running? I'll check it out in the morning. It's really strange because the air for the first few minutes is ice cold.
 
Your fan should run as long as your a/c is switched on. But here is the catch. On one of our company's XJ's, a '99, when it was low on refrigerant the compressor would cut off (I guess the low pressure switch turned it off), this in turn would turn off the fan and you would get warm air through the vents. When we topped off the refrigerant, the compressor stayed on and the fan stayed on. I don't know if it's supposed to work this way but it has worked this way for the past 2 years on said XJ.
 
Most of the answers above are on the right track about the condensor freezing up and restricting your air flow, once the ice blocks it off all together. One of the fixes is to test, and replace if need be, the low pressure sensor switch. If it has failed, that switch is what cycles on/off your ac system, preventing the ac from shutting off and then the ice formation on your condenor ensues....

That's what intially cause my ac problems. About a year after the low pressure switch got changed out, the ac clutch failed. That item is a dealer only item that cost $480 parts and labor to replace. The low pressure switch was a warranty item at the time, so I don't know how much that would have cost to repair...

Ivan
 
The a/c quit 2 years ago on my '97-- stealership said leak @ evaporator; a 10-hour job that requires the dash being ripped out. $1000.00 quote. Still savin' my pennies.

I understand that refridgerant loss means a leak, recharging will result in more loss. :bawl:
 
Townie said:
The a/c quit 2 years ago on my '97-- stealership said leak @ evaporator; a 10-hour job that requires the dash being ripped out. $1000.00 quote. Still savin' my pennies.

I understand that refridgerant loss means a leak, recharging will result in more loss. :bawl:
Click to expand...
i would try another dealership, it isnt that bad of a job and the labor time is about 6 hours not 10.
the fan is suposed to run with the compressor. if the compressor cycles frequently it is low on refrigerant. the compressor should run for w while before cycling off. if it cools for a bit then stops, i would check to see if you have power to the compressor clutch when it quits working. if you have power there and the compressor doesnt run, the clutch is bad.
 
How exactly does a evaporator fail? I had a dye test performed which revealed a good leak.(at least that's what's what the dealership said.) A 3 yr. old vehicle shouldn't lose a/c so soon...

Should I seek another Jeep dealer or go with another garage? I don't want my dash assembled minus alot of screws...
 
with or without dye in the system you should see where a leak is present bu oil stains around hoses or fittings. if the system is low on refrigerant and there are no apparent leaks under the hood, then it must be leaking from the evaporator.
 
dammit mine just quit AGAIN om my 2000!!! and I searched it on the board and found this thread.
I just last week got mine "fixed". It was doing the exact same thing! It cost me $160 to have the system checked ($60), buy a new low pressure sensor ($30), and have it installed ($60) plus tax.
When it has the aforementioned problem (working then stopping) it strangely NEVER drips water.
Well after the service it worked great. Then tonight (first time I really drove it since getting it fixed since I drive a company van all week) it worked for a while then quit again. It started this after I had turned the temp dial about 1/3 of the way towards red to defog my windows. When I turned it back to full cold it wouldn't blow cold anymore. Could have been a coincidence but I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas? I'm gonna take it back to the shop that did the work and hopefully they won't charge me to fix it agian but they prolly will (can they? I don't know as I havn't dealt with shops much).
Thanks for any help
 
y2kxj...

Does your AC come back after you've shut it off for a while, or is it flat out dead?

If it still cools, then stops again; have the shop check the clutch on the compressor. It could be starting to fail, or may have already failed altogether. The clutch was the second thing that went out on my '98 after I had the low pressure switch installed.

Ivan
 
Ok it's been about 25 minutes since I parked it and I just went out and tried it again. It blew a little cold (barely cold) for a few seconds then just blew regular air. I can hear it working even when it blows warm (idle picks up, fan makes a/c noise). WTF? I am so pissed.
Anybody know if I should have to pay this guy to "fix" this again? I'm gonna freak if he says it's gonna cost me again. I can't afford another $160.
 
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