AC Problems not working?

Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,814 POSTS
Have the compressor checked. Ensure the belt tension is correct.
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 AT 2:00 PM (Merged)
Tiny
WIINC1
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
It starts hot and stays hot. So this wouldn't be a freon issue?

Thanks for both of the replies.
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 AT 2:00 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,814 POSTS
It can be a freon issue but the noisy compressor or related components indicates otherwise.

You could have a slipping belt or failed compressor/clutch.
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 AT 2:00 PM (Merged)
Tiny
FIXITMR
  • MECHANIC
  • 9,990 POSTS
Was it working before? Did the noise start after it quit working?
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 AT 2:00 PM (Merged)
Tiny
LYNOTA
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1998 HONDA ACCORD
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 133,000 MILES
Hello Guys,

I have a 1998 Accord and last year my a/c would work on certain days and on some days it wouldn't. I brought it to a repair shop and they traced the problem to the climate control, which was replaced. Well now here we are again with the same problem occuring again. My a/c hasn't been on in a week and it's hot! What could be the problem? Certainly it was not climate control to begin with.
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 AT 2:00 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,814 POSTS
Hi lynota,

If you had replaced with a used unit, it is possible. New units also possible. Honda is not very impressive with this item.

Anyway you need to check for compressor operations and gas level etc.
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-1
Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 AT 2:00 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SMUELLER49
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Mine did the Same on my 1997 Honda Accord. Blows hot air. Then a Certified Mechanic from church came over and lifted the passenger side felt panel near gear shift. Showed me a "gold bar" switch. He switched it over. Yes! Cold air. My **** was broken on the dash was all.
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 AT 2:00 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SMUELLER49
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Church mechanic solution. Correction. Felt panel on floorboards of the Passenger side near the center of the gearshift thingy. A GOld bar switch that can be switched on instead of the broken one on your dash. Perhaps.
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 AT 2:00 PM (Merged)
Tiny
EFFLORES
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
  • 1998 HONDA ACCORD
Air Conditioning problem
1998 Honda Accord 6 cyl Two Wheel Drive Automatic 265K miles

Hi. My a/c "cool" is operating erratic. Often, at engine start and when driving in hot weather with system in "auto", the cold air won't come out and the fan compensates at full fan. Warm, outside temp air, comes out. Then, suddenly, it will come on and stay on, and very cold, like normal. Sometimes the system powers up normally. Also, sometimes when I accellerate really fast, after a few seconds the air will start getting cold, sometimes very slowly and sometimes almost immediately cold. I know the condensor fan works, and I don't hear any belt squeels to indicate a loose belt. My Haynes manual describes how to get diagnostic information out of the display but when I follow the procedure it turns off the system off instead of giving me "88" on the display. Any help here will also be appreciated. Thanks!
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 AT 2:00 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,814 POSTS
Hi efflores,

Thank you for the donation.

I have sent the diagnostic files to you, let me know if it is the same as described in your Haynes manual.
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 AT 2:00 PM (Merged)
Tiny
2CARPRO JACK
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,533 POSTS
Does it also do this in manual mode? Hondas use an expansion block system instead of a fixed orifice, the expansion blocks work very well, but do tend to stick sometimes which will cause warm air to blow instead of cold.
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 AT 2:00 PM (Merged)
Tiny
EFFLORES
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  • 5 POSTS
I'll check to see if in Manual mode it does this, but I'm pretty sure it does.

The problem seems to be fairly predictable. The A/C will not cool unless the car is initially driven for about 3 - 5 minutes, then it comes on strong. Almost sounds like a relay or some sensor acting erratic. Yesterday I checked the freon pressure and it was at the low end, 25, during idle, and when the clutch engaged it would go up past 30. So I added some freon. What I'm not sure of is if the clutch is engaging when the car is first driven.
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 AT 2:00 PM (Merged)
Tiny
2CARPRO JACK
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,533 POSTS
It should be around 30+ psi when idling hot and the clutch engaged. Try holding therpms up around 3k to see if thecomp stays engaged, this will at least tell if it is working at higher rpms like when driving it. What you describe could be a low charge or the expansion block
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 AT 2:00 PM (Merged)
Tiny
EFFLORES
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
It makes no difference if I take the system out of auto mode and into semi-auto. What I did notice today is the clutch is not engaging at cold start, even when the radiator fan is engaged (when A/C on). I actually took a flash light and observed the clutch under the hood. But after a short drive, the system starts working. I checked under the hood and noticed the clutch engaging and disengaging along with the radiator fan after that short drive.
Now, however, after recharging the system, I have a new problem! After the system warms up, it cycles on only momentarily, then off as if it were in some sort of self protection mode. The cooling is degraded, as you might expect. This just happened last night after I finished recharging the system. I left the car sit for about an hour, then I put the pressure gauge on it and while the compressor was engaged continuously (before it went into the cycling mode) it measured 32 PSI. But when I took a static pressure reading after engine shutdown it built up from 50 PSI all the way up to 80 psi. I'm not sure what the static pressure should be, but perhaps I've overcharged causing this new system power on/off cycling problem? When it cylces on/off you can hear sort of a metallic "pop".
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 AT 2:00 PM (Merged)
Tiny
2CARPRO JACK
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,533 POSTS
Thats bad, there is too much in the system and it is shutting down due to excessive high side pressure. When the engine is hot and idling it should be around 30-35 psi with the comp engaged. DO NOT run it anymore with out having some of the 134a evacuated or it could damage the comp
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 AT 2:00 PM (Merged)
Tiny
EFFLORES
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
Thanks. For the original problem, do you still think the expansion valve might be the problem after describing my original symptoms? Or could it be the air conditioning pressure switch located on top of the receiver-drier?

Any easy way to let some pressure out of the low pressure end other than taking it in for servicing? I just so happen to have one of those r-134 bottle screw on trigger valves that I can no longer screw on to another bottle because it would not spin off the old r134 can. But the trigger valve still works fine, and the hose attaches to the low end of the a/c system just fine as well. I know if I attach it and press the valve it would release pressure, I just don't know if that is considered ok to do. Or, if the a/c low pressure attachment point is like a schraeder valve, can one just push it to release pressure (again, low end side)?
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 AT 2:00 PM (Merged)
Tiny
2CARPRO JACK
  • MECHANIC
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I cant condone releasing refrigerant into the air. It is supposed to be reclaimed by a recovery machine. What you do that I dont know about might just work though. It may be the cycling switch, but the pressures need to be correct first. Then hold higher rpms to see if clutch stays engaged. To really see what is going on, it may be necessary to have a full gauge set (high and low sides) on the system to see what is happening. This will also show if the expansion block is indeed sticking or not responding correctly
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 AT 2:00 PM (Merged)
Tiny
EFFLORES
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
Thanks. I very much appreciate the advice. I know the compressor is working at high rpm AFTER the initial 3 to 5 minutes of driving because once the a/c engages at that point, it works like normal for hours. And even if I turn off the car for 15 mins, it will start up with the a/c working. But the longer I let the car sit (more than 30 mins), the more probable I will not have a/c when I initially drive the car, but until 3 to 5 mins later (and in my neighborhood in the summer, you can boil in that time!).
Perhaps another clue is, when the a/c decides to turn on, it doesn't always turn on "full cold"; it often gradually builds up to full cold over the course of 2 mins or so. So, we have two symptoms: 1) no compressor engagement first 3 - 5 mins of driving; 2) when a/c finally starts working, it often gradually builds up to full cold.
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 AT 2:00 PM (Merged)
Tiny
AMANDAORSHENITAYOUPICK
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
  • 1998 HONDA ACCORD
  • 230,700 MILES
I have a 98 honda accord ex 4 cyl and the a.C doesn't work(needs new air compreser still not fixed yet) I was driving and all of a sudden it was lots of smoke coming from my front driver tire. My car was not running hot and the smell was strong. It kind of smelled like a burning clutch(my car is auto) remember this smell from a pervious car I had. Brake pads are medium. Can you tell me what that might be?
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 AT 2:00 PM (Merged)
Tiny
2CARPRO JACK
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,533 POSTS
Since it does this in both modes, Im still thinking something mechanical like the expansion block, but until the pressures are checked on both sides in all conditions it is hard to say.
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 AT 2:00 PM (Merged)

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