A/C Not blowing cold
 

My wife has a 2003 Chevy Tahoe with about 85,000 miles on it. The a/c does not blow cold while idling at red lights, etc. Also, it is taking a long time to cool off once she starts to roll. Any ideas so I know what to look for when I bring it to a mechanic?

My truck did that and had to replace the compressor. Check your belt to see if loose and check freon.

I would say low on freon but as previously stated it could be the compressor

Clogged orifice tube or low freon. Does condenser ever freeze up?

dink fill me in here, my ole ladys condenser froze up on the way to florida, was gonna get the orifice tube changed and re-charge the freon whats up with the condenser icing over

It could be a worn compressor clutch or freon charge.
You can get a cheap gauge at any auto parts store that is fool proof.
Just plug the quick connect to the system and it is color coded.
The colors tell you if it is low, good or too much refrigerant.
If'n I was home, I would check it for you. But I won't be home for 2 weeks.

Shaw, if the compressor and condensor start to freeze up, it may be the high pressure switch. In short, if it doesn't send signal, the compressor keeps pumping, in turn, it will make the condensor or more freeze up. It can kill a compressor in a hurry. Get it checked.

Roger that thanks man!

Check and see if you have an electric fan, for your radiator. You may have two if I am correct, one is to help pull air through the condenser for your ac, if it is not working your condenser is not efficient; especially when idling because no air is flowing through it ( ex. while at stop light) and causing high pressure on your AC system, thus poor cooling. Electric motor on fan may not be working.

Have this checked first! If you have the AC compressor changed and it still does it, now you have to fix this, double the money.

If it is not this then proceed with having AC system checked.

Hope this helps

my company vehicle is an 03 suburban and it does the same thing. Sucker won't cool off at all if its just idling. I went start it 15 minutes before leaving the other day, and the thing was just as hot as it when i first started it. It doesn't start blowing cold until I start moving. Brought it to the mechanic, he said its just old... I call BS, well either BS or my boss didn't want to pay for it to get fixed and he thought it was easier to just tell me that...

Sometimes a faulty fan clutch will cause A/C problems as well, or so I was told by a mech.

H2O is on target. 02-03 were transition years from manual to elctric fans. Some had em, others didn't. If that fan isn't pulling, it will not cool, just like your home ac.

Good call H2O

You are correct my friend. Same theory of low air flow through radiator when idling. AC condenser is right in front of radiator. Most vehicles are starting to have electic fans on them.

Also, on older vehicles the fins on the condenser will become plugged due to all the bugs it eats, they get stuck and it doesn't hurt to rinse it every couple years. That is the cheapest fix of all, but usually I am not that lucky.

Thanks, just trying to help others save some money, from my usually expensive learning lessons. :redface:

This is easy......get on the highway. If it freezes up, your low on freon. If it blows hot at a stoplight, your fan clutch is bad......at high speed, you have lots of air blowing thru, so fan doesn't matter. But usually your traveling for a long period of time so it has the time to freeze......FYI.....freon does NOT evaporate which means if its freezing up, you have a leak. I changed my evap last year, it was 800 bucks!!! Pull the dash, r&r, replace dash.....it'll never be as cold blowing as it was before......

Bad compressor clutch can slip at highway speeds also.
Mine did that when I got over 50 mph.
Worked will at idle and around town. Didn't work worth
a crap at highway speeds.

Make sure your radiator is full too. Last summer coming back from Florida we got stuck on I-10 and all of a sudden the A/C stopped blowing cold. Pulled off, filled radiator and it has t done it since. Maybe the clutch wS slipping but it hasn't happened again.

Just had my wife's 04 Yukon fixes yesterday. Hook to computer and scan it. On hers it was the temperature sensor had went out. It was telling the truck it was 50 degrees outside when it was actually 100 degrees. When u get going and the motor heat warms it up it gets hotter which makes it work. The computer will not run the ac if the temp is below 60 degrees.

ok, too much technical stuff for my dumb a$$. I am bringing it to Kwik Kar in Moss bluff at 5:15 to have them test it. Hope its just low on freon.

Ok, results from Moss Bluff Quik Kar: Freon too high: Blue guage reads 60 (tech says it should read around 30) Red guage reads 225 (tech said it should read 200). Says my orifice tube is the most likely problem. $3.00 part. $80 labor. 3 cans freon @ $20 per can. So for less than $200 I should be back in business.

Does this sound about right?