AC Compressor Not Turning On
10-12-2015, 02:22 PM
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
AC Compressor Not Turning On
I posted this over on the GT3 forum but maybe some of you guys have experienced this same issue.
I recently drove my car from Orange County to San Francisco with my AC blasting ice cold. Then I let the car sit for roughly four weeks and had started it briefly after two weeks to make sure the battery wasn't dead.
I went to drive my car yesterday from San Fransisco to Sacramento and the AC wouldn't turn on. The HVAC controller thinks its working as the snow flake is on at lower temps and I'm able to disable the AC via the button but the compressor isn't turing off/on. With the car idling I can turn the AC Off/On and the RPM's stay constant which is why I know the compressor isn't kicking on. I had the AC serviced a few months back to add freon, so I know the fluid isn't low. I checked the fuses in the driver side kick panel and everything is OK.
Could it be the AC relay? If so where is this located, how do I verify if its bad, and what about a replacement?
I recently drove my car from Orange County to San Francisco with my AC blasting ice cold. Then I let the car sit for roughly four weeks and had started it briefly after two weeks to make sure the battery wasn't dead.
I went to drive my car yesterday from San Fransisco to Sacramento and the AC wouldn't turn on. The HVAC controller thinks its working as the snow flake is on at lower temps and I'm able to disable the AC via the button but the compressor isn't turing off/on. With the car idling I can turn the AC Off/On and the RPM's stay constant which is why I know the compressor isn't kicking on. I had the AC serviced a few months back to add freon, so I know the fluid isn't low. I checked the fuses in the driver side kick panel and everything is OK.
Could it be the AC relay? If so where is this located, how do I verify if its bad, and what about a replacement?
10-13-2015, 09:27 AM
#2
Nordschleife Master
There could be a ton of things wrong. Modern day cars AC systems are complicated. Without getting into too many boring details,,I'd suggest having someone with a scan tool capable of reading manufacturer related DTCs. I believe Durametric is capable of reading these codes. They will not turn the Check Engine light on,but the faults will be stored in memory.
That's the best starting point,without getting into swapping parts. That can get expensive quickly.
That's the best starting point,without getting into swapping parts. That can get expensive quickly.
10-13-2015, 10:26 AM
#3
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
There could be a ton of things wrong. Modern day cars AC systems are complicated. Without getting into too many boring details,,I'd suggest having someone with a scan tool capable of reading manufacturer related DTCs. I believe Durametric is capable of reading these codes. They will not turn the Check Engine light on,but the faults will be stored in memory.
That's the best starting point,without getting into swapping parts. That can get expensive quickly.
That's the best starting point,without getting into swapping parts. That can get expensive quickly.
By the way, you may cross post this in the turbo forums as the turbo guys appear to use the Durametric quite extensively
Here is a thread frequented by heavy Durametric users should you go the Durametric path: http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/9...-primer-4.html
Post your results......
Thanx
Bruce in Philly
10-13-2015, 02:15 PM
#4
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
The reason my AC isn't working is that my car "forgot" it had AC...wtf Porsche. This is due to the low battery situation from it sitting for so long. A PIWIS reboot is being performed and it should be good to go! I guess I need to drive my car more than I currently am, also when going on long business trips I need to make sure the battery is fresh and able to hold a good charge.
Update on Root Cause: I went to leave the dealer, my car pulled up, I sat down and right away got back out, the AC didn't work again. I don't think the service tech verified the AC system before letting it leave the shop. That was the reason I brought it in but it happens. The root cause was the car was low on freon due to the O ring leaking at the AC compressor. After driving straight from Orange County to San Francisco with temps as high as 107 degrees, it might have fried the O ring on the compressor, then letting it sit for a long period of time let the freon leak out.
Update on Root Cause: I went to leave the dealer, my car pulled up, I sat down and right away got back out, the AC didn't work again. I don't think the service tech verified the AC system before letting it leave the shop. That was the reason I brought it in but it happens. The root cause was the car was low on freon due to the O ring leaking at the AC compressor. After driving straight from Orange County to San Francisco with temps as high as 107 degrees, it might have fried the O ring on the compressor, then letting it sit for a long period of time let the freon leak out.
Last edited by KOTYKB; 10-13-2015 at 09:35 PM.
10-13-2015, 03:24 PM
#5
If there is one overwhelming trend with our cars, it seems (IMHO) that an under driven car or older battery creates problems in the car's configuration files. It would be really sweet if we had a way to dump the configuration to the screen. Just saying.