Yes, I know I should do a search, however, I've done about 8 and keep getting 20 pages of threads to look at including the OT threads. (aaack. Can we get a primer on searching.)

Problem: A/C after a long cold winter now a hot april, is not working. Today it was 90 out and no A/C. ugh. Checked interior fuse. It's fine. How can you tell if the big green fuse is any good (the on ein the engine compartment)?


I cannot even tell if the motor is coming on, but I guess I could charge it and see if it helps, and then go from there.

Any suggestions, oh great ones?

 

I had a similar thing happen, Robyn, and found out from a friend in FL who is an independent tech that MINIs/BMWs have very sensitive a/c systems. Check the refrigerant pressure. Hope that helps.

 

Hi Clo!

Checked the refrigerant this morning. Added new stuff and voila! it is cool again. Yay! Saved me a 2 hour trip into Bob Smith, and possibly a need for a compressor.

I love my car!

Hey! Are you driving a clubman these days???!

 

I had a leak in my aircon once. I had to replace the condenser.

I just thought I'd point out that winter in Southern California is not cold. Now a winter with -20ºF temps, that is cold.

 

Heh, but what you don't know is that my MINI spent Most of December buried in 30 inches of snow in Idaho! It started snowing the day we got there and was still snowing when we left:


Maybe not so long, but definitely cold.

 

Hey. Same problem here over the weekend. It was beyond hot and the AC was not cooperating.

What kind of refrigerant kit did you use? One with the pressure gauge? I understand that overcharging can screw up the AC system so I got one of the Interdynamics kits. But the pressure read in the normal range and I don't want to run the risk of overcharging if it really will screw things up.

 

The AC needs to be running when you check the system. Most of the kits you buy in the store won't actually allow you to overfill them. It will simply stop filling when the pressure reaches where it's supposed to be.

Where in Idaho? My parents have a cabin up in Hayden Lake, about 10 minutes away from Coeur d'Alene. They got record snow there this year from what I hear!

 

We got the one with the gauge because it was recommended, but we got it at Autozone, not Walmart (hate that place) and it was $30. Then ran into the same issue. Reading was at 30. Uh oh, what to do now? Well, figured if it was the compressor it wouldn't hurt it any more than it already was (girl thinking, I know ), so we just added it anyway. Husband says the product is sold to the public. They wouldn't sell it if we could blow up the can up or your system, so yes it's designed to to work for all of us and to shut itself off. And your pressure is going to be higher especially if it is hot (physics) and while revving the engine you could see the pressure go down.

With the car and AC running husband began adding refrigerant. For about a minute nothing happened and I was dreading replacing the compressor. Then, Yay! Yay! it started to get cool. The refrigerant has to be forced into the system and replace the air with refrigerant. The can says that you have to rotate the can from 3 o'clock to 12 continuously and it stopped adding about 8 minutes into the fill. The can says it can take up to 15 minutes to fill it. Remember the 143a is designed to be better for the environment, and won't last as long as the old style freons made years ago. Keeping it on hand is a good thing.

The can still reads at 40. Not sure if the gauge is off or what, but I do know the AC is working and is cold! Husband just said that the gauge reads the pressure in the system, and the pressure may be up but the refrigerant needs to replace the air. His advice is to keep rotating the can, revving the engine and do not let it go over 50-55.

Hope that helps puckschmuck95!

We were in Rexburg! Not nearly as far north as Coeur D'Alene, but definitely lots of snow! Beautiful country! (in my best John Candy voice!)

 

As a reminder, you should run your A/C for 5 minutes a week even during the winter. Lubricants in the refrigerant keep the compressor seals lubricated. If you don't, you risk blowing the seals on the first hot day you switch on the a/c.

 

Most definitely!

I unloaded I guess about half the 22oz Arctic Freeze canister in there. I only let it fill for about 6-7 minutes since I wanted to make sure I didn't overdo it.

Cold air was flowing again and, as Chick used to say, the door was shut, the lights were out, the butter was getting hard and the jello was jigglin'. Hay mucho frio!

Thanks.

 

Resurrected thread. First one that came up in my google search

I run my AC all the time in Northern California but we had a hot day this week, 95-100 and after sitting in traffic for 30 minutes the AC started blowing warm air. When I got home and turned the car off the fans were still running.

The next day was cooler out but the AC's still blowing warm air.
LMAO, it's raining today.

I guess I'll try the "Arctic Freeze" but I'm also gonna check with my mechanic.

Thanks for the help

 

Would check to make sure you can here the a/c pump kick on, clutch is not frozen or stuck , then make sure you have pressure and R134 in the line, might have to hook it up to a gauge. Which can also tell you its charged.

 

Thanks, will do.

Damn, the Arctic Freeze was almost 50 bucks ($10 back when I return the bottle) I hope I needed it.

I do hear the ac pump. Mechanically it seams fine.

 

$50? Must have gone up a bunch.
You can see if the clutch is engaging (the middle of the AC will spin)

Have you checked your low speed fan? It should be on when the AC is engaged. History has indicated that if the low speed fan goes out, lack of cooling can kill the AC compressor.

 

+1 on checking the low speed also and that its charged .