Weak air conditioning

[stamp11127]

The high is supposed to get hot. If it didn't you wouldn't move the heat from the cabin to the outside air.
To properly diagnose ac issues you need to know the high & low side pressures plus the static pressure after it has been off for at least 15 minutes.
The fan shroud needs to be in place, fan clutch needs to be working and the condenser should be clean of debris.

 

[Lyndon Taman]

How do I check to see if the fan clutch is working properly? I can stop the fan from turning with some cardboard while everything is on.

 

[stamp11127]

It is probably shot. When engaged it would probably tear the cardboard to shreds. The link below is from a diesel engine - those fans move a ton of air when they come on. You don't want to be in the way when it does! You should hear yours cycle on and off.

 

[2012EL3RDGEN]

Hi new to the forum and looking for some help.

I have a 2012 Exp EL, its black (yes i know) and I live in AZ where it is super hot. When i first got it the AC seemed to work better.

Now it seems to take forever for it to cool down and likely will not unless I get on the highway and run at high speed for about 30 minutes. This only changes a little if it was in the garage prior to the trip or not. I took it in to have the AC looked at and they say nothing is wrong and its just a big car with lots of windows. It has electric fans and you can hear them roaring but it doesn't feel like its moving much air.

My question is if its 100+ outside what temp should i be able to get out of the vents? Right now i get about mid 50's at best. I am working to get some gauges to be able to look at high and low side pressures vs static.

 

[stamp11127]

Welcome to the site.

There is a link to a pressure/temp chart in the Heating & Cooling Section.

 

[bobmbx]

Hi new to the forum and looking for some help.

I have a 2012 Exp EL, its black (yes i know) and I live in AZ where it is super hot. When i first got it the AC seemed to work better.

Now it seems to take forever for it to cool down and likely will not unless I get on the highway and run at high speed for about 30 minutes. This only changes a little if it was in the garage prior to the trip or not. I took it in to have the AC looked at and they say nothing is wrong and its just a big car with lots of windows. It has electric fans and you can hear them roaring but it doesn't feel like its moving much air.

My question is if its 100+ outside what temp should i be able to get out of the vents? Right now i get about mid 50's at best. I am working to get some gauges to be able to look at high and low side pressures vs static.

A 30 degree drop across the evaporator is what you can expect. Your mileage will vary, and the vent output temps will be higher when you're sitting still simply because the radiator fans don't pull nearly the same amount of air across the condensor as driving does. Plus, when you're driving, that hot air pulled from all the coolers up front gets "left behind", but while you're stopped, it tends to swirl around the engine compartment and gets recycled back across the coolers.

What color is your interior? The large cubic volume of these vehicles can carry a huge thermal load; the more there is to cool, the longer it takes. Add in the heat being added by the sun still coming through the windows, and the outside air turning your windows into heat exchangers.

Do you open the windows when you start driving? When you're parked, the inside air will be hotter than the outside air (unless you park in the shade).

 

[1955moose]

Now you know why I live in Daly City. When I want my Suv to be as hot as a pizza oven, I'll deliver pizza again like I did in my teens. 115 degrees, yuk! At my age my body gets dried out enough in 70 degree weather. Not to mention with all the water I'd need to drink in Phoenix, I'd be up peeing 5 times a night minimum. Hell, I get up 3 times a night as it is.

Sent from my N9131 using Tapatalk

 

[Motorcity muscle]

Disagree with comment about under charging system, a undercharged system with freeze up and reduce air flow. Sounds like OP problem, if needed when working on a/c use a large fan to boost air flow thru radiator and a/c condenser coil to get system to correct pressures.

 

[gixer2000]

Disagree with comment about under charging system, a undercharged system with freeze up and reduce air flow. Sounds like OP problem, if needed when working on a/c use a large fan to boost air flow thru radiator and a/c condenser coil to get system to correct pressures.

Not exactly true. You can be under charged but as long as your above a 32° evap temp it wont freeze.

 

[Lyndon Taman]

Hey gang. Looking at RockAuto I see an apparent 2 options for a fan clutch. 3 out of 5 brands say 'reverse rotation' and the other 2 just have brand names and part numbers.
It also recommends the water pump at the same time, what do you guys think?

 

[Lyndon Taman]

Also, nothing is leaking anywhere, coolant never fluctuates, truck never overheats... just the rad fan is retarded.

 

[2012EL3RDGEN]

Ok thanks for the responses guys. The interior is light tan. I got ahold of some gauges and was able to check things out.

The ambient temp was about 100. The static pressures were about equal at 120. Then when started with the AC on max the low side was 47 and the high side 215. After running for about 5 minutes the low side was 50 and the high side was 250. From what i can tell by looking at the chart i was referred to the high side is a bit too low? and the low side a bit too high?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Motorcity muscle]

Not exactly true. You can be under charged but as long as your above a 32° evap temp it wont freeze.

When liquid refrigerant is fed into starving evaporator it will instantly flash to a vapor and quickly lower the coil temperature. Evaporator will start to freeze up but airflow will remain thru portion of coil not froze up yet. Exactly the OP problem. Be at this for 39 years.

 

[mquick5]

I somewhat understand how ac systems work, but these seam to suck! I had the same experience with a 2005 Kia mini van. The service tech would always say it's fine, you have a lot of cabin area to cool, blah blah blah. Well I traded that van in when the family grew for a same year Chevy Suburban. Both vehicles had black exteriors, and the old Suburban still chills better than this newer Expedition. And the Suburban's cabin space has to be larger, or at least sure seams like it.