| A/C acting up, mechanics out there diagnose it for me.
- Click HERE for Original Thread
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| cardingtr |
Here's the symptoms..
I would be driving in the freeway 98 deg outside, my MDX cruising at freeway speeds, the car is cool. I park in the parking lot, and half the time it losses cooling. I open the hood and noticed that one of the fans in front of the radiator goes on/off in a cycle about every 2 secs. When that happens, it's hot inside.
Then, I drive off in stop and go traffic, it MAY not regain the A/C unless I drive fast into the freeway.
Freon is full, that was replaced about 3 months ago. I got that checked last week in a different shop and the mechanic said its full. Now I noticed this bubbly, hissy sound by the glove box that started about a week ago.
My MDX is 75K miles. Acura dealer is 300 miles away so I will just go to local AC shops but I need some input before I go.
Once the AC starts acting up, I got this musty smell, sticky hands on the wheel experience.
Thanks is advance guys. |
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| Halgsr |
well the hissing noise sounds like the lower clip for the cabin filter has come undone, just stick your head below the glovebox and take a look, if you push it , it will go back into place, (passengers and easily knock it off)
make sure you have the A/C on recirc, so that you are re-cooling air.
and with this heat your A/C will not work as well as the cooler temps.
just a side note, you dont have freon in your car you have refrigerant = HFC134a |
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| SuperTech |
| Probably a bad expansion valve. This is part of the evaporator and is inside that case behind the glove box. This is the source of the bubbly noise. |
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| cardingtr |
quote:
Originally posted by Halgsr
well the hissing noise sounds like the lower clip for the cabin filter has come undone, just stick your head below the glovebox and take a look, if you push it , it will go back into place, (passengers and easily knock it off)
make sure you have the A/C on recirc, so that you are re-cooling air.
and with this heat your A/C will not work as well as the cooler temps.
just a side note, you dont have freon in your car you have refrigerant = HFC134a
Thanks. You're right, that was refrigerant. Only shows I don't know nothing about A/C. But I am sure something is wrong with my A/C even at this temp. I own this car through 5 summers and it never acted like this before. |
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| cardingtr |
quote:
Originally posted by SuperTech
Probably a bad expansion valve. This is part of the evaporator and is inside that case behind the glove box. This is the source of the bubbly noise.
Thanks SuperTech. I will take note of that.
What about the symptoms where the AC only acts up at low engine speeds and the fans cycles on and off? |
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| SuperTech |
The fans will come on when the compressor is engaged. Proper operation of the A/C requires air to pass through the condensor. That's the thing that looks like a radiator, that's in front of the actual radiator. There is a failsafe in the system that cuts off the circuit when it detects line pressure is too high or evaporator temp is too low.
The condensor on the MDX has an integrated receiver-drier. Contamination of this drier could cause some funky A/C issues like what you're experiencing. If the R134 was topped off with something that was contaminated, this could be the cause. And could also explain why the expansion valve is screwed up too.
But no mistakes about it...hissing and bubbling noises are from that expansion valve.
So there are quite a few things that could be the issue here. All you can do is take it to a competant and certified A/C technician to have them diagnose it. Because unless you have all the equipment, there's nothing you'll be able to do. |
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| backld |
My 2002 MDX AC compressor recently stopped working. A few weeks before I would hear a gurgling sound from behind the glove box when the AC was on. According to SuperTech's post it sounds like an expansion valve. How would I know this? Would there be signs of leaks? Oil?
Thanks |
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