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Air conditioning question

11K views 18 replies 9 participants last post by  Matt Khasidov 
#1 ·
Hi, i have a 2008 armada le, we noticed this past weekend that by having the suv parked with the engine running and a/c, this was at a shopping center, it was very very hot, like 109 degrees, well we noticed about 20 minutes of waiting that the air was starting to fade away, not cool, almost like if i only had the fan running, i also notice the temperature gauge almost at "H", then we left the parking lot and it went back to normal, air was running ok. i have always felt like this every time we are park idle but i guess since is been hot this really took a toll on this thing. So, my question is, has anyone experience this before? what do you think is going bad? i have always notice that the a/c on the armada is not so great, once i took it to the dealer and they told me because it is a big car. also, i have a crv and i did the same test and the crv's a/c ran ok and the temperature gauge was fine. i appreciate the help.
 
#2 ·
Nothing is wrong with your rig or the A/C system, we all have experience this, for some reason our rigs don't do too good idling for long period of time during the hot summer with the A/C running, what i do is giving it a little gas and it blows cooler, I'm used to it now so it like second nature when sitting in the parking lot.
 
#17 ·
Had the same problem



Ac pressure was down 5psi for temperature graph correlation. Went to walmart, got a can of cooling enhancer, pressurized system to correct psi for oat (outside air temperature) and it works as advertised again. The warm cold warm cold air flow is the first indicator of a minor pressure drop within the system.
Also added a bottle of radiator super cool. Dropped idle engine temp to 186 from 202 at 101 degrees oat.
 
#5 ·
Here's a great thread on how to easily clean the evaporator:
http://www.clubarmada.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20292

Another DIY is to spray the condenser with this:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/AC-Safe-Air-Conditioner-Coil-Foaming-Cleaner-AC-920/100599017

My late father-in-law was an HVAC engineer for a multi-site hospital. When I told him about cleaning the evaporator, he said to follow it up by cleaning the condenser as well. I've been doing this for the last couple of years now and its amazing how much grime, dirt comes out after spraying it with the cleaner.
 
#6 ·
Your truck is overheating. When the water temp gets too hot the ac loses its cooling properties. You need to figure out why your truck is overheating at idle. Any car is not suppose to overheat at idle unless there is a problem. I would check your thermostat, coolant level, and if your fan is engaging into high speed.
 
#12 ·
When I replace my radiator this what I did. I just started the truck and put the heat on without the blower going and then I took the cap off the over flow reservoir and let the engine heat up and add more fluid until it is at the right level.
 
#14 ·
It could be also that your condenser fan is not working properly either. I know mine does not work on mine. Recently on another topic someone had theirs fixed and it seemed to fix the issue.
 
#15 · (Edited)
The condenser fan not working would certainly effect the AC performance but would have little to no effect on the cooling system. Sounds like air in the cooling system, bad thermostat, or problem with the radiator. Someone mentioned our trucks don’t like to idle in the heat….not true. Our trucks have some quirks but that is not one of them. I have had my truck in well over 100 degrees pulling a 6k trailer, idling in traffic jams, all in over 100 degree heat with front and rear AC working just fine, normally on the lowest fan settings. My temp gauge never moves and stays just left of center on the cool side. I noticed it runs a tick cooler with the CSF radiator as well. I would be careful letting the gauge climb towards hot…aluminum heads and block do not like that.

Definitely bleed the system of air. Remove reservoir cap, start engine with heat on high and allow to reach normal temp. Keep an eye on reservoir and add if needed. Once the T-Stat opens and closes a couple times put the cap back on and take it for a drive. If it still heats up start looking at all cooling components. Also, what cap do you have on your radiator? It should be a cap that seals (Preferably OEM) with no spring to allow pressure to release. If not that too would cause the issues you’re having. Good Luck.
 
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