car ac works but no cold air

I've been reading for a week or so about how AC systems work and problems they could have. One consistent thing I've read is to check how the compressor clutch reacts when you turn on AC - if it disengages then it doesn't have enough pressure and likely has a refrigerant leak. My 94 Cherokee (apparently not great AC systems to begin with) seems to be blowing only slightly cool air when AC is on max settings. However, my clutch seems to be running fine. It never disengages or stutters even for a second. Aside from refrigerant leak, what are some other reasons why an AC system would not be producing much cold air? I figure I'd ask here before I bought some UV dye to try to track down a leak. If we're ruling out the possibility of a leak in the system and you're still not getting cold air then it's probably due to normal wear/age. The refrigerant system is supposed to be a sealed system, but this is rarely perfect. If the AC system has never been serviced or it's been many years (6+) since it has been you could be just experiencing normal leakage.
Cars are exposed to road vibrations, temperature extremes, and just time. Due to this the seals on the system breakdown slowly. The refrigerant will leak away very slowly and air will be introduced in to the system. You'll continue to have good enough pressure so the clutch engages but not enough to cool the car. Rebuilding the system should make it like new and give you a good 10 - 15 years of life out of it. There's a cost/benefit of rebuilding the system vs a periodic vacuum & recharge. If memory serves me correctly 1994 would have been within the range of when cars were switching from r12 to r134a. My experience is that the first cars to come with r134a had very poor AC cooling in comparison to earlier cars or current cars. The problem is the system is low on refrigerant. Since the clutch engages, there is enough refrigerant in the system (pressure) for the clutch to engage. If there wasn't enough in the system, it wouldn't even do that. If the system were where it is supposed to be, the compressor would kick on/off constantly once the system has been run for a little while.
This happens after the pressures get to where they need to be on each side of the system (high/low). buy wall ac unitSince it is running all the time, the system pressures never gets to where they're supposed to be for the compressor to kick off, so it continues to run. air conditioning unit recommendationsThis is also why you are only getting lukewarm air.central ac units cost That your system has that many years on it is pretty common that some of the refrigerant has bled off. More than likely a recharge of the system with new refrigerant which includes a stop leak will probably keep the system golden for another five years. I wouldn't give up on your system yet, as there is probably still plenty of life left in it.Browse other questions tagged ac jeep cherokee or ask your own question.
When you turn on the air conditioner in your car, you expect to receive a flow of fresh, cold air. However, that’s not always what happens. A number of different problems can prevent your AC from blowing cold air into the cabin, and some are more serious than others. Potential causes of hot air As mentioned, there are many potential causes for your AC to blow warm or hot air into the cabin rather than cold, fresh air. Low Refrigerant: Low refrigerant will prevent your air conditioner from operating (the clutch won’t kick in and make the compressor cycle if the amount of pressure in the system is off). This is actually the single most common problem for an AC not to blow cold. Low refrigerant can stem from a number of things, including leaks and failed components. Bad Clutch Cycling Switch: If the clutch cycling switch has failed, then the electromagnetic clutch on the air compressor won’t kick in, which means that the refrigerant cannot be pressurized and the system won’t work.
Blocked or Broken Condenser: The condenser is where the magic happens in your air conditioner and if it has been blocked up with debris or is damaged, you won’t get cold or even cool air from the system. Restrictions in the System: What happens when you kink your garden hose? The water won’t flow, right? The same is true for your car’s AC system. If there’s a restriction somewhere in the system, it blocks it all up and prevents the AC from blowing cold. While there are several potential issues, the most common is low refrigerant. The level of refrigerant in your system decreases naturally over time (very, very slowly), but leaks can also occur. If your AC isn’t blowing cold, it must be serviced by a licensed mechanic certified for HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) work. Buick Enclave AC Problems On a recent 10 hour drive this summer in my Enclave, I noticed the front AC vents were not delivering the normal air flow about 4-5 hours into the trip.
My wife and I were starting to sweat. We did not have the rear "aux" system turned on. We tried taking the system off "auto", turning up the fan motor, turning system off to rest it, etc etc, but nothing worked. We ended up cranking the rear aux system (which was working) to lower the temps and make the rest of the trip somewhat bearable. The next day the front AC worked fine on short twips around town so I know we are not low on freon or anything. On the return trip home, same problem. No front AC after about 4-5 hours of driving in hot weather. Called dealer's service dept who said he had never heard of this problem, but admitted the Enclave does have a series of odd things breaking down. Anyone else experience this? Any suggestions before I take it in to be looked at and lose my car for a day or two?See AlsoHow Your A/C System Works I Am posting here because i wanted to offer support about the problems you shared. Thank you for posting . i felt alone with my issues about my truck.