# Auto climate control "blows" **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [June 29, 2014, 8:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/auto-climate-control-blows/85704 "2014-06-29T20:03:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mmsaab95](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@Mmsaab95](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mmsaab95)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2014, 8:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/auto-climate-control-blows/85704/1 "2014-06-29T20:03:00Z")
I have a 1999 Saab 9-5 2.3turbo manual. Air blows warm. I’ve only owned for three months. I replaced nasty cabin air filter. Had a shop do a check and they found nothing wrong. I also replaced ACC control panel in dash with good used unit. Also I don’t see any water dripping under car. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/auto-climate-control-blows/85704/2 "2014-06-29T20:22:40Z")
I think you need another shop. This shouldn’t be rocket science. Do you have a local air-conditioning specialist? ---
**Author:** ![knfenimore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@knfenimore](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knfenimore)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2014, 8:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/auto-climate-control-blows/85704/3 "2014-06-29T20:29:13Z")
I take it that you have checked all fuses on the drivers side? Does the mix doors drive when the cool is selected? Does the second fan come on when the ac is turned on? Does the compressor clutch engage when you ac? ---
**Author:** ![Mmsaab95](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@Mmsaab95](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mmsaab95)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2014, 8:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/auto-climate-control-blows/85704/4 "2014-06-29T20:41:51Z")
Yes compressor clutch engages. I hear the fans come on when I turn ac on. All fuses check good . I will check if second fan comes on. ---
**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2014, 9:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/auto-climate-control-blows/85704/5 "2014-06-29T21:05:59Z")
Maybe a blend door problem? This would be common on a 15 yo car with automatic climate control. ---
**Author:** ![knfenimore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@knfenimore](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knfenimore)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/auto-climate-control-blows/85704/6 "2014-06-29T21:33:02Z")
There is little motors that drive the blend/mix doors and they go bad. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2014, 9:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/auto-climate-control-blows/85704/7 "2014-06-29T21:39:52Z")
I agree with Lion9. Lack of condensation suggests that there’s no refrigerant left in the system. I think a good A/C shop is in order. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/auto-climate-control-blows/85704/8 "2014-06-29T22:09:04Z")
Even a competent mechanic at a “regular” shop ought to be able to figure this out ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2014, 10:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/auto-climate-control-blows/85704/9 "2014-06-29T22:20:34Z")
I agree. The results would suggest that the guy the OP took the car to was not an A/C-proficient diagnostician. The thing about using an A/C shop is that they have the specialized equipment and expertise to deal with the problem properly… and without violating EPA laws. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2014, 10:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/auto-climate-control-blows/85704/10 "2014-06-29T22:29:02Z")
Mountainbike I like you just fine . . . But please don’t shortchange the guys that are not working in auto AC shops I’m 609 certified I’m ASE certified in auto HVAC We have the latest and still current AC recovery, evacuate, recharge machine at the shop We have sniffers I have expertise We don’t vent refrigerant into the atmosphere We don’t violate the EPA laws I know you were just making a point ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2014, 11:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/auto-climate-control-blows/85704/11 "2014-06-29T23:22:31Z")
Db, you would definitely be considered in my book an A/C shop. I did not mean to imply that shops that do all kinds of work should not be considered qualified, only to suggest that many shops are not. I should have been more careful of my wording. I can see how I could easily have been misunderstood. I’ll try to do better in future. {😛 ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 1:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/auto-climate-control-blows/85704/12 "2014-06-30T01:26:33Z")
@db4690 … **the same mountainbike** does make a good point. My wife and I were on a cross country trip delivering a nice 1986 Cadilllac Fleetwood FWD to my nephew in Glendale, CA. He bought the car online and we were more than happy to deliver it to him. About halfway through the trip…in the middle of August…the AC stopped working. I went to the largest auto repair shop in town that was supposedly the best in AC repair. They did find the problem rather quickly…a loose connection and blown seal. They completely evacuated the system and recharged it with R-12. The only problem was…they couldn’t get the system to turn on. I took the car and paid about half the repair cost at the insistence of the manager because we were in a time crunch. When I had driven about 50 miles…I remembered that some GM cars needed the battery disconnected for a minute or so to reset the AC. I stopped and found the tag right in front of the battery with that information. A few minutes later…we were once again on our way to Glendale with the AC working normally. I called the manager at the shop and told him what the problem was and he didn’t ask for the remainder of the bill and I didn’t offer. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 1:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/auto-climate-control-blows/85704/13 "2014-06-30T01:43:55Z")
If there were no refrigerant in the system, the low pressure switch would prevent the compressor clutch from engaging. The problem might be with the expansion valve. [http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=2778022&cc=1423099](http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=2778022&cc=1423099) The expansion valve is what regulates the refrigerant entering the evaporator creating the cooling effect. If you have someone connect a set of gauges to the system and monitor the low/high readings, it can be determined if there’s a problem with the expansion valve. Tester ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 2:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/auto-climate-control-blows/85704/14 "2014-06-30T02:06:19Z")
"If there were no refrigerant in the system, the low pressure switch would prevent the compressor clutch from engaging." True. And the system would only push out warm air. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 2:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/auto-climate-control-blows/85704/15 "2014-06-30T02:11:29Z")
The OP states the compressor clutch is engaging. Tester ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 2:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/auto-climate-control-blows/85704/16 "2014-06-30T02:21:06Z")
Okay. Either way, it needs a qualified A/C tech.