Air Conditioning Problem
 

A/C was working fine on Sunday, blowing out Ice Cold as ususal. But yesterday, the compressor wouldn't kick on. (I can normally hear it and feel it).
It is not intermittent, it is just simply not kicking on at all.

Anywone had a similar issue? Anything I should check before bringing it to a stealership?


Thanks in advance

Only the normal stupid stuff like make sure the AC is actually switched on (not just the fan) and make sure you have it set to a temp that is lower than ambient. Outside of that you can check some fuses otherwise you might be stuck.

If under warranty -- I'd just take it to the dealership. AC compressors usually aren't cheap...

if it does not turn on at all then it needs a recharge, just buy the recharge kit at auto zone with the gauge built in. Replace until pressure is in the safe zone. If you get the compressor switch constantly kicking in ( on off , on off) after recharge then you have to much freon in it and use a small metal screw driver to release a little pressure at a time until compressor switch or clutch stays constanltly on.

You may have to do this a few times as it may be erratic until every thing settles in from the high side to the low side, due to charging from the low side.

Last year moving to vegas I had problems with my sentra and instead of me screwing around with it I took it to pep boys and they flushed the system, recharged it and checked it for only $120 with a year guarantee. The car as been fine every since.

Just watch out how they put the z up on a lift

If you've got a warranty, take advantage of it.

If not, then I'd start with checking the electrical side of things.

Check the metal ac lines...member posted same problem cause of his intake.

This actually isn't true... my friend is an HVAC specialist and it is the opposite... it could be low if the compressor is constantly running. Eventually it might freeze up and stall but it would be a while before that happened. Usually they quit on the home AC systems because they are never shut off due to not reaching temp.

Might just be a clutch switch, might be a panel, might even be the compressor but usually you get some symptoms of that (burning smell, noise, etc). As mentioned the systems are expensive unfortunately so outside of the small checks you will ultimately have to suck it up. Even if it is just the line set that is leaking, I believe you need special tools to properly oil and bleed the system, not just a recharge kit.

Correct. If you intend on PROPERLY working on any A/C system, you need several specialized tools. The biggest one is the system used to vacuum and fill/charge the A/C with freon. In order for the A/C to work, you need to vacuum all of the old freon and moisture from the system before recharging. Also, there's special wrenches for the lines as well as other things you need. This is why I haven't touched an A/C system since leaving auto tech school. The cost of the tools doesn't justify itself when I have 1 or 2 A/C repairs every couple years. I'm sure we have the equipment to do it here in the shop, but I haven't had any A/C issues since working here.

does the compressor have its own dedicated fuse? i'd check that first. unless you scuffed up the a/c line real bad doing intake install or hit something on the road casuing a rupture, these a/c systems will not leak probably for the life of the car.

B.S. you don't need thousands in tools, a fews cans r134a , proper r134a charged oil, and a cheap in line guage from any auto parts store and r134a leak dectector oil if you have a leak.

Harbor Freight sells professional guages cheap and even the vacuum pump is only $150 at H.F.

Most of this can be bought at autozone for around $50-$60 and done in the parking lot with in 10 minutes.

Or just have pep boys do it for a $120, they have all the same equipment as the big rip off shops and most do quality work. For the $120 they can at least diagnose the problem if it exists and purge and refill the system properly for around a $120.

Cheaper than you going to nissan dealer that will charge you a $150 alone to just tell you whats wrong, then another $150-$300 in labor to try and fix it, plus parts.

A/C problems on a Nissan is like Tits on a bull. Wow. My experience has been nissan A/C's run forever. Lol. I thought the A/C ran on magic or something?:tup:

easy there tiger... from my experice using 134A (on another car) it only worked when the A/C system wanted to take in more pressure so there is truth to requiring professional equipment to suction out and recharge the system. :)

You only need a vacuum pump if you intend on flushing out the entire system and refill it with new oil and r134.

You don't need a vacuum pump to release gas under pressure, there is a simple shrader air valve stem that releases gas on the low side ac charging port, the r134a should be properly reclaimed to avoid release into the environment, the professionals have a system that reclaims the gas and they clean & reuse the old r134a .

If your only recharging the system, you don't need a vacuum pump. If your only recharging a system release of r134a into the environment shouldn't even happen, if done properly, unless your system has a big leak.

The only difference with the professionals with the more elaborate tools, will recharge the AC from the high side, as compared to the home garage method of charging from the low side, for consumer safety.

First thing to do would be to recharge the system with 1 can of r134a leak detector and another can of r134a gas, then run the AC and check for leaks. You can do this for around $30 with autozone products.

hummm.... those cans only really worked for me once. most often the system would not take it in.

Well, it seems the foam I had between the CAI and the A/C lines..... well it basically warmed up so much, the CAI rubbed through it and hit the A/C lines......... :(

Warranty wil not cover :( BAD DYI on my part..... not I gotta pay up. Lesson for ppl installing Stillen CAI..... DO IT RIGHT!!!!!!!! AND TRIPLE CHECK TO MAKE SURE THERE IS NO WAY FOR THE CAI PIPE TO RUB THE A/C TUBES. :(

I didn't mention needing thousands of dollars worth of tools, I simply said the cost of the tools doesn't justify itself. Like you said, there's plenty of shops that will test and diagnose an A/C system for cheap. However, if you want to PROPERLY work on an A/C system...

The cheapest R134a reclaimer I've seen was like $1500. If you want to get the computerized reclaimer/refill station, you're looking at at least $3k for a cheap entry level unit. Add a decent set of line tools for another $50 (unless you like mangling your lines), and some gauges for like $70. Don't forget the leak detector kit for about $50, a decent thermometer for $15, A/C clutch tool set for like $50, and that should cover most of what you'll ever encounter when working on automotive A/C systems. If all the correct tools are unnecessary, why do shops and dealerships have them?

Your method might work for you but it hasn't worked for me or anyone I know personally.



That sucks :( At least you know what the issue is, though.

LOL I'm a mechanic for a living and I can safely say, just about everything you said gsxr750 is either wrong or improper/unsafe procedure.

Dang man this stinks!

I just discovered this problem on my car today! The pipe assembly wasn't too expensive ($28) to replace, but not sure how to do this install...I did read thru the Service Manual and I'm not sure how to drain the system...or if i need to. Anyone else fix this themselves??

I had the same problem a while back. I had to take it to the dealership and they said the CAI was literally rubbing metal to metal on the AC line. They repaired it but, they are only allowed to repair it as per their manual. Meaning that the problem would just come back because of the aftermarket intake. So what I did was cut a little piece of garden hose and sort of wedge it in between my intake and the AC line. It's been 2 years with no problem.

What did they charge you, if you remember? I wouldn't think they'd cover that under warranty.

I think it was $400 or so. Those dealerships will get you. However, after they were done and I did that tweak to the lines with the garden hose it was a solid fix.

You have to remember, not only do they have to find the leak but they are either replacing or repairing that line. And then they have vacuum down and refill your unit. On top of removing the bumper and all the other necessary crap to even get to it. Expensive, but necessary.

Also not covered under the warranty due to it being an aftermarket part that caused the issue.

I was just going to tell you that an AC system is closed loop and if the gas leaked out you have a leak and recharging would be futile until you fixed the leak.

I've decided to take it to the dealership on Monday. The service guy was really nice and said he assigned the tech to it that handles a lot of modded 370s. I worry about even the bumper removal at a dealership with my ings+1 lip, brake cooling ducts, and oil cooler. Maybe I'm crazy.

My problem is the Aircon will only be cold set to the lowest temperature. Turning the temperature setting above the lowest setting will automatically turn on the heater. I already live in a hot country so help in solving this problem is really appreciated. AC button is on always and have ensured it is.

Check your Condenser Fan see it is working..

The problem arose when I started to reinstall my dashboard after having it reholstered this afternoon. I had to reset my airbag warning light and I forgot to check about the aircon switches. I only discovered the fault when it was set to the lowest temp setting and when I turned it to raise the temp setting just a notch the vents started blowing hot air. But if I turn back to the lowest which is 18 I get the cool air. I also played around with the other knobs with regards to finding a solution to this but all the other knobs/switches are functioning as usual other than the temp setting. I assumed if the condenser fan was not working I would not be able to get cool air. But to be on the safe side will check it tomorrow. Thanks