AC woes

B

Bill Bradley

Have a 2007 Legacy 2.5 GT Sedan (automatic) and am in Denver, CO.

Although I've taken it into the dealer(s) several times, and, they state all
is within specs, the AC is just not cooling the car well enough (90-102
degrees F lately), even with Recirculation on.

I've got dark metallic tinted windows on all but the front (illegal to do
that one), but, doesn't seem to help.

Is this just normal with Subaru, or this model?

Thanks.
 
Have a 2007 Legacy 2.5 GT Sedan (automatic) and am in Denver, CO.

Although I've taken it into the dealer(s) several times, and, they state all
is within specs, the AC is just not cooling the car well enough (90-102
degrees F lately), even with Recirculation on.

I've got dark metallic tinted windows on all but the front (illegal to do
that one), but, doesn't seem to help.

Is this just normal with Subaru, or this model?

Thanks.
Bill, let me know if you find out what the problem turns out to be.
I'm having the same problem with my 2000 Forester. But when I'm on
the freeway going 65 it seems to cool better than when I'm in slow
stop and go traffic.
Eddie
 
Eddie said:
Bill, let me know if you find out what the problem turns out to be.
I'm having the same problem with my 2000 Forester. But when I'm on
the freeway going 65 it seems to cool better than when I'm in slow
stop and go traffic.
Eddie

Eddie, that is CLASSIC symptoms of malfunctioning electric fan. Perhaps
is' bad or there is a bad relay or ground/wiring connection?

Carl
 
I thought cooling better at high speeds (which, mine is doing, as well) is
normal, as the compressor doesn't kick on until around 2K rpm or so?
 
Cooling is better at high speeds if the fan is not working properly or is
just not designed to give adequate airflow at idle. Make sure the fan
always kicks in when the A/C is turned on.

Open the hood and see if the compressor engages at idle. It should,
otherwise everybody stuck in a traffic jam would complain about lack
of cooling (not just insufficient cooling).

In 90-102 degree weather, the compressor should run pretty much
continuously unless it is low on its refrigerant charge. It might be worth
it to you to take it to an A/C specialist and have them hook up a gauge
set to see what the pressures are like on the low and high sides. In
really hot weather like yours, I wouldn't expect the low side pressure
to ever drop much below 30 psi.

You could also just bite the bullet and pay for the system to be evacuated
and recharged with the precise amount of refrigerant the system calls
for (it should be on a label on the underside of the hood), and then given
the high and low side pressures for a properly charged system at whatever
the outside temp happens to be for future reference.

One last thing you could do all by yourself is to get a thermometer and
measure the temp of the air coming out of the vents when the A/C is set
to recirculate. It should be at least 30 degrees below the ambient air temp
measured near the passenger footwell where the air is drawn in, which
means only 72 degrees until the car cools down more.

You should also check that when the A/C is set to recirculate, that no
outside air is being drawn in. Have somebody spray a little Lysol near
the cowl (not directly in it) while the car is sealed up and the A/C is
on max. You shouldn't be able to smell it if the outside air damper is
working properly. In really hot weather, recirculate (Max A/C) is the
only way the A/C system can keep up with the high temps and humidity.

Bob
 
Your description of the problem makes me think of the following:

- the compressor should turn on at any rpms as long as there is enough
and not too much refrigerant in the system. If there is too much
refrigerant in the system, the compressor will stop due to the pressure
switch when the temperature is hot outside. Look at the front of the
a/c compressor and make sure it turns all the time when the temperature
inside the car is high.

- the electric fans should work all the time when the a/c is on.

- The expansion valve, if defective could restrict the flow of
refrigerant. (As a side story, my 03 outback's exp. valve was howling
every time the compressor stopped. It would howl for 3-5 seconds every
time. All by itself, it stopped making the noise)

- The compressor V-Belt could be slipping.

- You should be able to see and feel the following:
Thick line to the a/c compressor should feel cold, and if humid outside,
it should show signs of water condensation right by the compressor.

Thinner line from the a/c compressor should feel pretty hot, burning hot.

Thinner line, from the condenser (a/c radiator in front of the engine
coolant radiator) to the liquid receiver/dryer tank (Aluminum colored
tank) should be warm, and at the same temperature on both sides of the
receiver dryer.

Good luck!
 
Bob Bailin said:
Cooling is better at high speeds if the fan is not working properly or is
just not designed to give adequate airflow at idle. Make sure the fan
always kicks in when the A/C is turned on.

Open the hood and see if the compressor engages at idle. It should,
otherwise everybody stuck in a traffic jam would complain about lack
of cooling (not just insufficient cooling).

In 90-102 degree weather, the compressor should run pretty much
continuously unless it is low on its refrigerant charge. It might be worth
it to you to take it to an A/C specialist and have them hook up a gauge
set to see what the pressures are like on the low and high sides. In
really hot weather like yours, I wouldn't expect the low side pressure
to ever drop much below 30 psi.

You could also just bite the bullet and pay for the system to be evacuated
and recharged with the precise amount of refrigerant the system calls
for (it should be on a label on the underside of the hood), and then given
the high and low side pressures for a properly charged system at whatever
the outside temp happens to be for future reference.

One last thing you could do all by yourself is to get a thermometer and
measure the temp of the air coming out of the vents when the A/C is set
to recirculate. It should be at least 30 degrees below the ambient air
temp
measured near the passenger footwell where the air is drawn in, which
means only 72 degrees until the car cools down more.

You should also check that when the A/C is set to recirculate, that no
outside air is being drawn in. Have somebody spray a little Lysol near
the cowl (not directly in it) while the car is sealed up and the A/C is
on max. You shouldn't be able to smell it if the outside air damper is
working properly. In really hot weather, recirculate (Max A/C) is the
only way the A/C system can keep up with the high temps and humidity.

Bob

Excellent post Bob. I just want to add that when you first get into a car
that has been sitting in the sun with the windows rolled up, the inside of
the car will be hotter than the outside. Thus, it's best to switch off
Max/Recirculate to Normal for the first few minutes so your a/c will be
cooling the cooler outside air. Once it starts to cool down inside and the
inside temperature gets closer to the outside temp, then go ahead and switch
back to Max.
 
Dave said:
Excellent post Bob. I just want to add that when you first get into a car
that has been sitting in the sun with the windows rolled up, the inside of
the car will be hotter than the outside. Thus, it's best to switch off
Max/Recirculate to Normal for the first few minutes so your a/c will be
cooling the cooler outside air. Once it starts to cool down inside and the
inside temperature gets closer to the outside temp, then go ahead and
switch back to Max.

Actually it's even better to roll down all the windows to get rid of the
hotter
air inside the car as quickly as possible. A few minutes later, turn on Max
A/C
and then roll up the windows once cold air starts coming out the vents.
 
Actually it's even better to roll down all the windows to get rid of the
hotter
air inside the car as quickly as possible. A few minutes later, turn on
Max A/C
and then roll up the windows once cold air starts coming out the vents.

After rolling down the windows, you may find you don't even need the
A/C. I've got a dark green OB Limited and that sucker gets really hot in
the sun. I'd guess it hits the high 90s with outside air at 65-70.

But then again, I have 2 extra "windows" by opening the sunroofs as well.
 
Bob Bailin said:
Actually it's even better to roll down all the windows to get rid of the
hotter
air inside the car as quickly as possible. A few minutes later, turn on
Max A/C
and then roll up the windows once cold air starts coming out the vents.

I tried that with my wife - "But I don't want to mess up my hair!" <g>
 

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