Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Sign up or log in to customize your list. Here's how it works: Anybody can ask a question The best answers are voted up and rise to the top I have a 2001 Honda Civic. The A/C works pretty well - it comes on fast and blows cold. However, after 5 - 10 minutes it stops cooling and starts blowing warm air. If I turn the A/C off, after another 5 - 10 minutes I am able to turn it on again and I can feel the compressor engage and it cools again. Could this be due to low freon? Can I fix this myself? Normally the cause of this is an expansion valve that will not open up fully because it is stuck. Your system looks like the second link that Paulster2 linked. The valve is way under the passenger dash and really painful to mess with. If you can't live with it as is, I would ensure there is sufficient freon in your system (probably is based on blowing cold initially). Then assuming good freon level, discharge the system, replace the accumulator/drier cheap 20-30 bucks, possibly clogged, and easy to replace.

It's just behind the driver side headlight, swap old for new and then vacuum the system and refill with freon; cross fingers that it works now. jual ac split di bekasiIf not, the next step would be replacing the expansion valve, which is a pain and not likely something you want to attempt yourself.ac control unit mercury grand marquis My 2008 Civic developed same symptoms. 1.5 ton split ac electricity billI am pretty certain it is the compressor clutch. I examined the compressor and noticed that the clutch on the front was rusty. Not scaley but brown. I downed the clutch assembly with WD 40. Maybe a short term fix but I'm not hot for the time being. If you try this don't spray on the belt nor the alternator fan. This could be a case of ice formation near the expansion valve.

After the compressor runs for a certain period of time, the freon flow would be choked and would resume after a while when the ice has melted away. Ice formation can occur if somehow moisture got introduced into the system. As an experiment to pin point the problem, you can have your AC blow hot air and see if that improves the time that the system takes to start cooling again normally. Sign up or log in Sign up using Google Sign up using Email and Password Post as a guest By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service. Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged honda ac civic or ask your own question.I get a lot of questions about car air conditioning systems not blowing cold enough. Especially during hot humid summer days. Most people would like to see frigid cold air blasting from their small dash vents instantly upon request. Now that this page is getting some heavy traffic I am adding some additional information and a new “Simple Fixes” video at the bottom along with some related tools and equipment for people who want to take it to the next level.

So lets get that cold air back. Remember when your car has been baking in the sun heat is stored up in large quantities and must be removed before it starts to feel cool inside. But what if the air does not seem to get cold after 5 minutes? There are many factors involved that affect the actual output temperature at the dash AC vents. To follow will be a few examples of common problems that I find when inspecting a car air conditioning system that is not performing as well as it should be. Without a doubt the most common problem that I find is an incorrect Freon charge. The amount of Freon in the system is extremely critical. The manufacturer installs the exact amount that is required for the system to perform at its peak. This exact charge is so critical it is documented in the vehicle’s engine compartment down to the ounce. A few ounces short of a full charge can result in inadequate cooling under high heat loads due to lack of reserve refrigerant. A telltale sign of this condition would be for a compressor clutch to cycle on and off faster than usual.

The rapid clicking sound generated from this condition can usually be heard from inside the vehicle. Sometimes when people try to recharge their system on their own they will actually overcharge the system which can cause poor cooling performance just as much as low Freon levels. In extreme examples an overcharge of refrigerant can even cause AC compressor damage and noisy operation. Not as common as the Freon issue mentioned above but one that is common in my area at this time of the year is a radiator or a condenser that has been considerably clogged with bugs, dust and dirt, or road debris and trash. When this junk starts to reduce the airflow that passes through the radiator and then through the condenser it can cause higher than normal high-pressure readings. This in turn can knock several degrees off of the output temperature in the cabin. This is the kind of problem that slowly gets worse over time. It is very rare that people will take the time to check or clean the radiator and condenser.

The fleet company I work for has made this operation part of the scheduled service operations. We have a pressure washer and we physically clean the radiator and condenser fins every 20,000 miles. Although there are lots of other problems that can cause poor cooling the two mentioned above are ones that I find often. If you think your car air conditioning is not blowing cold enough the first step is to check the output temperature at the center duct with a thermometer. Make sure the recirculation or max air mode is selected and the blower is on low speed. 40 – 50 degrees is perfect. On hot humid days in south Florida 55 degrees is welcomed. Step 2 is to have a professional connect a manifold gauge set and get high and low side pressure readings. With these readings a logical path of diagnosis can get your AC blowing cold as it should be. Read more on this subject if you plan on finding a mechanic to recharge the car air-conditioning. I put together a repair modules section on my you fix cars website that talks about the theory and operation of car air conditioning.