| Subject: | air conditioning |
| Question: | Hi Anthony, 1996 Mitsubishi Spyder Eclipse 88K miles, 5-speed My AC is somewhat cold when I go fast, but in stop and go traffic or when I am idle, the AC is warm. I had it looked at by a mechanic. He relieved some of the pressure of the freon (he said there was too much pressure in there) and said my compressor was too weak. After his repair, my AC was much colder (the way it should be), but the there was still the difference in temperature at fast and slow speeds. And occasionally, it would still revert back to not being cold before it was fixed, for about 10-20 minutes at a time. However, the AC has now completely reverted back to the original problem I described in the first paragraph. I just bought this car a month ago, and the AC was fine during the test drive so I didn't think anything of it at the time. I did the first repair about 2 weeks ago. Thanks for your help. |
| Answer: | Thomas, True, a weak compressor will contribute to your A/C air getting warmer when the car is idle. It's not often that a compressor will go bad because it's such a simple device, but it can happen. Other things that can cause weak compression are: Dying alternator Loose A/C pulley A/C belt loose or slipping Idle speed set too low All those items can be easily checked by your mechanic, and replacing all your belts (including your A/C belt) is good to do every 5 years / 60,000. If your mechanic is really clueless, have him replace your receiver/dryer
canister on your condenser. If there's a blockage in your A/C system,
it usually occurs in the receiver/dryer. A blockage will most surely
contribute to weak compression as well. |