Why Is My Car’s A/c Is Suddenly Blowing Cool Not Cold Air And Making Noise
Posted in Air Conditioning | Asked on Feb 5, 2012
Below is the question about Why Is My Car’s A/c Is Suddenly Blowing Cool Not Cold Air And Making Noise, This past Saturday, I was driving my car and when I turned on the ac, it took a lot longer than usual to get cold. Even then, it was not as cold as it normally gets. I had not driven the car the past couple days, but my husband had. He always rides with the windows down, so the a/c wasn’t used until last night.
When I started the car and turned the ac on, I could hear a noise coming from the engine. I pressed the ac button off and heard a whooshing sound, like you would hear when turning your home’s a/c on and off. The air eventually cooled, but only slightly.
My car is a 2001 Nissan. It has never been recharged. Does this sound like a simple refill, or would that noise indicate a dying compressor? Or something else entirely?
I found a coupon for a local place, and for $29.95 they will do the following: performance test the system, leak test all connections and components, inspect all drive belts and hoses, evacuate and recharge the system (freon addtl). Is this a good price?
Whoops, I apologize for the extra “is” in the title!
I am aware that the coupon is for a test, not repair. 
I asked a few other people and they thought it’d be a simple recharge, so I just wanted it checked out to be sure. Anyway, they did the test and said a hose needs to be replaced. That plus a receiver dryer will cost over $300, plus $200 for labor. I am taking it to the shop that did my brakes to see if they’ll give me a discount on the labor. Hey, even $25 will please me. Thanks everyone – I will update if I happen to get a different diagnosis.
There are 7 Answers for "Why Is My Car’s A/c Is Suddenly Blowing Cool Not Cold Air And Making Noise"
A/c has to be charged,
The air conditioning system in a motor vehicle can be a very complicated thing to diagnose and can sometimes become the most expensive thing to repair too. Why? There are so many components and things that can go wrong and it can happen to any car, regardless of age. Generally, the easiest problem to fix is gas refill. If your air conditioning system is fine however it has run out of gas, $100 anywhere will get you a refill. This will get you cooled down again. However, if the gas has leaked from somewhere, then a simple refill will only mean the gas leaking again. This is why you must get your air conditioning system diagnosed professionally. In saying that, a professional will pump your air conditioning system with a coloured die/liquid, and then turn on your air conditioner, the compressor will pump the die as though it were normal air conditioning gas, leave this for a few minutes, and wait for a leak to show up. If the leaking die leaks onto the ground as though it is coming from the engine bay somewhere, chances are a pipe or hose needs to be replaced or tightened and this can be traced easily. If there is no leak from under the engine bay, then the only other place it could leak from is under the dash. Then you have an expensive problem. Before you assume that there is a leak from under the dash, ensure that there is a leak to begin with as a dash leak cannot be physically spotted without pulling the dash apart and getting inside. Generally, if you get a refill, and your air conditioning goes good for a few days then starts taking ages to cool the cabin down again, you can definitely assume a leak exists, so you may have to burn that $100 to refill your air conditioning system and wait for that second time for it to stuff up. If your leak is dash related, then you can assume that your evaporator core or heater core has malfunctioned. Both expensive items to replace and they are the sort of items you need to buy brand new and not second hand, and pulling the dash to bits to get inside to replace them means the mechanic’s clock is ticking. They generally charge anywhere from $60 per hour. Sometimes, your evaporator core or heater core hasn’t stuffed up, instead maybe a connecting pipe has developed a pin prick, which is enough to leak the gas. Either way, you will need to get into the dash, to find the pin prick, if indeed that is the problem, in order to replace or patch up the pipe. Now other things that can go wrong, could be a faulty heater tap, it may not be sending or receiving either way which means cold will work but heat wont, or the other way around. Another thing it could be, sometimes the actual switch that you use to point it to cold on the dash, sometimes that switch can stuff up, so when you point it to cold, because a short circuit has occurred, your air conditioning system wont actually receive the information that you want cold, and hence wont deliver the instruction (i.e. cold). Generally, compressors don’t malfunction as often as all the other aforementioned stuff but get the mechanic to check your compressor, ensure it is functioning properly and has oil in it, and ensure that your air conditioning pulleys are in working order also. There is also another part in front of the radiator called a condenser core, it acts as a radiator for the air conditioning, in that the gas is cooled down via the air that enters through the front of the car. Sometimes this can get clogged or damaged from steep drive ways.
Your coupon is a good price for what they claim to offer but in reality it is to get YOU, the person with a problem to bring their car in thinking that your going to get your A/C fixed for 29.95 + freon…
Noone is going to take a perfectly working system in for a check…so the only thing a check will reveal to someone who is having a cooling
problem is a repair solution, hence why they send out the coupon…
Now from what you’ve mentioned so far, I would tend to guess…Compressor…and if thats the case you’ll need a drier/accumulator and assoc parts… usually when you get into an A/C system the magic number seems to be 1000.00, so be prepared for that…if you want it fixed properly..
don’t be alarmed if you need a fan clutch also as proper air flow is critical in allowing for proper heat transfer…I’d stay away from the coupon mailers.
Good Luck…
OKAY FIRST THE COUPON IS MOST LIKELY FROM SOME CHAIN STORE OR SOME WANT TO BE A/C REPAIR SHOP.
THINK OF ALL THAT THEY ARE SAYING THAT THEY WILL DO FOR JUST $29.95, THEIR LEAK TEST IS A VISUAL LOOKING AT AND THEIR INSPECTION IS THE SAME. WHY EVACUATE AND RECHARGE THE SYSTEM IS THERE IS FREON IN IT BECAUSE YOU ALREADY SAID THAT IT COOLS A LITTLE.
YOU WOULD IF NECESSARY ADD SOME FREON AND DYE TO CHECK FOR LEAKS IF NEEDED.
“STAY AWAY FROM THESE PLACES, THEY WILL MOST LIKELY SCREW UP YOUR A/C SYSTEM WORSE”
AS FOR IT BEING A 2001 AND YOU SAY THAT IT HAS NEVER BEEN RECHARGED, WELL ALL A/C SYSTEMS NEED TO BE CHECKED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS AND USED AT A MINIMUM OF 2 TIMES A WEEK ALL YEAR LONG.
HAVE A TRUSTED INDEPENDENT A/C REPAIR SHOP FIRST CHECK IF YOU EVEN HAVE FREON IN THE SYSTEM AND ONCE THAT IS DETERMINED THEY CAN PERFORM A COMPLETE A/C SYSTEM LEAK CHECK IF NEEDED.
DO NOT BUY A RECHARGE KIT AND DO THIS YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU WILL HAVE NO IDEA OF THE HIGH SIDE PRESSURES AND BY PUTTING A THERMOMETER IN THE VENTS AND READING IT WILL NOT TELL YOU IF YOU HAVE SLIGHTLY OVER-CHARGED THE A/C SYSTEM.
If it is making noise when it starts blowing cool instead of cold air you are in need of a new A/C compressor. Simple as that.
Normally a/cond system recommended every 2 years need to service. service a/cond system is : need to replace a/cond receiver drier, put new or refill a/cond gas ( not top up} and compressor oil. It’s also checking yr a/cond compressor , a/c expenses valve and a/c cooling coil . BUT if u said got something noise sound at engine maybe be u can ask any service advisor at any workshop to check yr a/cond belt. try and see before u change the part. asking them first ok.
Each system has its own uniqueness, but generally you should be able to add freon yourself, and change the hose. Be careful, and wear gloves to protect your hands from the freon though, because it will cause freezer burn. The hose replacement can generally be found at NAPA, Schuck’s or some other parts store. It you find the hose and freon change kit, you could save $150 doing it yourself. Just be safe, but it’s not hard. Make sure everything is tightened back down.