Air Condition not cold

It sounds like you have a air conditioer compressor that is going out. When they go out the seal go bad which it sound like whats going on. Here is a guide to help you get the problem fixed by giving you an idea of what needs to happen.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-air-conditioner-compressor

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/re-charge-an-air-conditioner-system

Here is how to change the unit out in your car (below)

Please let us know what happens

Cheers, Ken

You guys nailed it. Found one on Amazon for 239.00 AC Delco

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004947IX0/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=2carprcom-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B004947IX0&linkId=fd0d48b54cfa18d1931050af2fae0b53

Working perfect you guys sure know your stuff :

a/c blows cold air and wiorks great as long as the car is moving but when stopped at a red light or driving at slow speeds it seems to start blowing warm air. thought it might have been a cabin filter but i dont seem to find one so i thought it might be the compressor or low on freon.was also told that the newer vehicles will do that as they are set up for the engine to slow down and will slow the a/c compressor down just like the radio goes quieter when u slow down now. could this be correct never noticed before and have had the car for nearly 2 years any suggestions

I would make sure the fan under the hood is working if it isnt you will have the same symptoms if there isn't enough air going thru thecondensor the compressor will cycle.It shouldn't stop blowing cold at idle.Also what is the battery voltage reading at idle at your battery?

well wouldnt the engine be getting hot and see that on the water temp gauge if the fan is not working. I will check that but was just wondering. i will check the battery voltage also. what is it suppose to be about 14 volts?

You will see 13 something volts or just above 14 volts. Also I have had customers complain about ac only works when driving and never complained about a overheating concern.Here's a great example I was driving my nieces Saturn ion and noticed the ac wasn't working driving in a parking lot as soon as I started driving it was blowing cold.Found a bad cooling fan motor.Sometimes the first thing people notice is hey my ac only works while driving.When the ac stops working at idle see if the radiator fan is running?Also make sure there is plenty of air being pushed thru the radiator.

At idle speed, the A/C just plain does not work. You can see the compressor engaging and disengaging okay. If I give it a little gas (maybe 1500-200 rpm's) it blows ice cold. When I checked the low side pressure, the gauge read it to be where it needed to be. I took it to a mechanic that I know and he evacuated the system and recharged it using his pricey machine. Did not help one bit. Am I looking at getting a new compressor? Does not seem right that a car that has not even cracked 100,000 would need one.

Also, I saw something about an "expansion valve" on another forum, but there is no explanation as to what that is or what it does.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

Hello,

It does sound like the compressor is getting weak which is how they act when they are going out.

Here are a couple of guides that should help you get the job done and explain how the system works.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-a-car-air-conditioner-works

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-air-conditioner-compressor

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/re-charge-an-air-conditioner-system

Diagrams below:

Please let us know what happens.

Cheers, Ken

Well it did end up being the compressor. I had a mechanic evacuate and recharge the system, to no avail. Then he tried replacing the expansion valve. After that we sunk the money into the new compressor and now you could store meat in that car if you wanted to. At least he didn't charge me for the evac/recharge and the expansion valve. But it still cost about $400

Glad you could get it fixed, that kind of problem can be tough. Please use 2CarPros anytime we are here to help

Cheers, Ken

Radiator fan does not seem to be running as fast as it used to on a hot day with the ac on. Car is not overheating. Ac cools fine at highway speeds. When sitting at a light or in traffic, ac will be only cool, but when traveling down the highway it gets cold. Sometimes sounds like the fan starts running faster, and the ac starts cooling good. Could it be a sensor or relay,or maybe a radiator fan motor?

The ac pressure and the engine coolant temp will effect the fan speed without knowing those won't know what speed the fan should be running?

Essentially, the A/C in this car is barely functional at idle speed. It immediately and dramatically cools when you idle the engine up over about 1500 rpm's, only to immediately warm back up when you let off of the gas. I charged the system by having someone idle it at 1500 rpm's (which is what a GM tech said to do) while I charged the system. It got better, but not at idle speed. I have looked through ALLData and cannot seem to locate anything that pointed to the problem. Any ideas?

I am good with cars but A/C systems are a little foreign to me.

You will need to evacuate system and vacuum all the moisture out first and then charge to correct level. Once it is properly charged, monitor the gauge readings for any abnormalities. Low side should read around 30-40 psi while high should read around 225 psi but those are estimates since it depends on temperature and humidity where your at.

If low side is high and goes low when you race the engine then that will indicate the compressor is failing. If high pressure is too high then you could have a restricted condenser or faulty condenser fan. Those are just some examples. So try and get the pressure readings and post them on here to try and get an idea as to how the system is acting. And maybe just evacuating and vacuuming system will correct your problem as well.

okay. I do not have a gauge for the high side. Do they sell them at the parts store?

Yes they do.

Air Conditioning problem
2004 Saturn Vue 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic 62000 miles

My ac is cooling in my saturn some but when the car isn't moving it really blows warm air. The air seems somewhat humid coming out. When it's cooler outside it seems to work fine however add humidity and heat and it's uncomfortable.

Is your car running hot when it's not moving?Let me know.

not on the gauges but the air when stopped isn't nearly as cool as when moving. I took it yesterday to check the ac freon level and was told it was e vaced and re charge with the appropriate level of freon and oil. He said the low pressure side is running high but the other side is fine. I was also told that the compressor was tired and needed to be replaced and also the condensor. I was quoted 2000.00 for the repair including labor. I have found parts on line much cheaper but not sure if I can find someone to install. How in the world is it so tired when the car is only 6 years old and the ac is only used 3 months out of the year? Any suggestions?

[quote:f7dbb338a8="glampton"]not on the gauges but the air when stopped isn't nearly as cool as when moving. I took it yesterday to check the ac freon level and was told it was e vaced and re charge with the appropriate level of freon and oil. He said the low pressure side is running high but the other side is fine. I was also told that the compressor was tired and needed to be replaced and also the condensor. I was quoted 2000.00 for the repair including labor. I have found parts on line much cheaper but not sure if I can find someone to install. How in the world is it so tired when the car is only 6 years old and the ac is only used 3 months out of the year? Any suggestions?[/quote:f7dbb338a8]
I have replaced those compressor under warranty thing's fail when they fail doesn't matter how many year's or mile's.I have replaced water pump's at 1400 mile's so there's a example of that.So is the condensor leaking?That's why I usually replace those.If you had the high and low pressure's from the a/c I could tell you more.

Hi,
I have a 2004 Saturn Vue 3.5 V6 automatic transmission car. The A/C only blows cold at above 2000 RPM's. When idling or driving slow it blows hot air. I tried to charge it myself, but the gauge was in the Red and the directions stated not to charge if that was the case. I really don't want to get burned when I take it to a shop, because the parts seem expensive. What could it be, and to the best of my knowledge I don't hear the clutch engaging, but I am hard of hearing so I am not sure. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you for your time

Robert

Could be freezing up due to air and mositure forming ice and blocking off the orifice tube, faulty magnetic clutch, low pressure switch and AC relay-

Thank you, I just went to a qiet parking lot and let the car idle, I turned the a/c switch on and off and I did hear the click of the clutch engaging.

When the ambient tempiture is less than 65 F the air is cool when idling, but when the ambient temp is hot it is warm blowing out unless I am driving. So it might not be a clutch or compressor issue. If so are those parts pretty easy to change myself? (The Faulty magnetic clutch, low pressure switch and AC relay-) How would I de -ice it if ice is building up?

Have it vacuum out and see what happens

Stupid question, can I do that or do I have a shop do it?

You need to have a shop do it with the proper AC quipment

Air Conditioning problem
2004 Saturn Vue 6 cyl Two Wheel Drive Automatic 31000 miles
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My air blows warm in city traffic but gets nice and cool on the highway. They changed the compression valve but not much difference. Has anyone else encountered a similar problem? any ideas? thank you in advance!

We're having the exact same problem with our 2004 V6 Vue. The mechanic first said it was a bad compression valve, but now thinks it may be the compressor. Does your Vue make a whirring sound when you start it? Ours does about half the time. Sometimes we'll drive it and the A/C blows cold the entire time. Others, it will be warm until you get moving at a decent speed and then will cool down. Any chance it could be an A/C fan belt (may explain the whirring sound)?

I've got a 2004 Vue with the 3.5L AWD. A/C just started blowing warm at idle and when we are at highway speeds it will drop down to between 55 and 65 degrees at highway speeds. Dumped and rechanged the 134A and it did not make a difference. Mine does not make any whirring sounds and the pressures on both the high and low side look good. Where is the compression valve that you are talking about JCH281?
Chris

Honestly, I don't know where the compression valve is on the Vue. I'm not sure that was the answer anyway. We ended up replacing the A/C compressor two days ago. A/C seems to be working like new now.

Just did some research...Compression valve, Thermal expansion valve and orfice tube are all the same thing on the VUE. Talked to an A/C mechanic on the phone and he said it was the compressor as well.
Do you know what the part number is, did you but it new or rebuilt, how much it cost you and through who?
My pressures at idle are 70ish and 250ish and at a fast idle it drops to 50ish and 300ish.

Did you experience the same thing?
Thanks,

Chris

tofer11,

This month has been really busy for me and I didn't have time to do anything myself. It's hot in Texas and the wife was in need of a functioning A/C ASAP. We have a mechanic who is a friend of a friend and he handled all of the diagnosis and repairs. We paid him $250 for the work on the compression valve and then he only charged us another $50 when he realized we needed a new compressor. Unfortunately I don't have a part number, etc. I'm sorry I can't be more help to you. Good luck!

Air Conditioning problem
2005 Saturn Vue V8 Two Wheel Drive Automatic 80,000 miles

My Air condition only cools when I accelerate on the as pedal or it works when it is cool outside but if I am idle it blows hot air please help with answers, I took it to a dealership and they charged me 150 to put coolant and the problem still exists and they gave me no answers

Does your electric fan come the one on the radiator with the a/c.If that work's and your system is fully charged and doesn't have a leak then i would need your high and low side A/c pressure's at idle.

the airconditioner blows hot air after driving for more than 3 hours on long trips.

I would have to get some ac pressure readings when its happening. Also do you have auto climate control or manual ac controls?

About 2 months ago, my radiator blew and was replaced (thank you extended warranty!) But now, my heat only blows warm/hot air when the car is moving. If it is idling in park, to warm up; it blows cold air. Also, when I am driving and there is heat, if I stop at a red light, it blows cold air. Mechanics can't find what is wrong and said they have to "research it". Any ideas??

see if you have a bad rad cap and bleed air from system first there are bleeders on engine or should be

Air Conditioning problem
2003 Saturn Vue 4 cyl Two Wheel Drive Manual 789000 miles

The airconditioning on my saturn vue works on the first two settings but the 3/4 settings does not work. It cuts off the A/C and the light that indicates the air is recirculating goes off too.
Is there a simple solution for this one since it half works..
Thanks
Ken