I am at my wits end with my car’s air conditioning - Mitsubishi Outlander 2003 - so far the mechaninc has replaced the radiator (first initial problem) then the air conditioning would only work when the car was driving (moving). Whenever I stop at a light the cool air dips or stops. The fan still blows just not cool air.
Then we replaced the condensor
Then we replaced the fan cooling module (item that has been recalled)
the system is charged properly and when on the highway, I often have to turn it down because it is too cold
it just stops making cold air when stopped.
Each time I go in I suffer through the diagnostic fee to find a problem they fix but doesn’t solve the problem
It sounds like a compressor problem or clogged orifice. Could be a mix door, but I doubt it because most now are motorized and not vacuum. A real A/C tech would be able to diagnose it with a set of gauges and not throw parts at it.
When an AC does not cool when the vehicle is stopped…it’s normally the cooling fans that are not working. Are both of your cooling fans operating when you turn on your AC?
I had a similar problem in a car of a different make. It turned out the fan speeds 1 and 2 were not working due to the blower motor resistor being blown out. I guess there was enough natural flow at high speeds, but no cooling at low speeds unless I turned the fan up. The resistors are fairly inexpensive and most of the time easy to replace.
so I moved on from the original mechanic, and went to a dealership hoping that a Mitsu tech could solve a Mitsu problem. They found a leak in the shrader valve (?) but it did not solve the initial problem of inconsistent air.
Now they want to replace the compressor and the expansion valve to the tune of $1,400 ($800 after market parts) they think it "should’ fix the problem - it just doesn’t seem like that is the problem
I have noticed that the car is beginning to overheat in stopped/heavy traffic. It seems like everything is tied to a fan or something related.
The radiator fans MUST be in operation whenever the A/C is on.
Some assumptions here, but IF the fans are running, IF the evaporator to compressor line is cold, and IF the compressor is engaged at idle but the dash outlet air is not cold then the possibililty of a blend door problem is possible.
The blend door is what shunts air from the A/C evaporator to the heater core depending upon whether A/C or heat is desired.
I’ve seen one fan on while the car is running and another kicks on when the AC is turned on, unfortunately that’s only been seen while the car is parked, on the freeway in stopped traffic, baking under the summer sun who knows -
it should be noted - when the engine is cool (in the morning or @ midnite when I’m driving home the AC works fine.
The point about the fans is that both must be running whenever the A/C is on and the compressor is engaged. This should happen no matter the time of day.
After that, the next thing that needs to be known are system pressures; both static and at elevated RPMs.
Just my 2 cents, but whoever is working on the A/C should notate this on the copy of the repair order.
It’s difficult to diagnose an A/C problem when so little technical detail is unknown.
(I doubt very seriously that you need a compressor. The expanion valve may, or may not, be debateable.)