A/C problem

[bmrrwolfe]

Alright out of no where on drive home in my sisters 03 the AC started blowing out hot and I mean not warm but as if the heat was on. We stopped and everything seems normal and the compressor kicks on as it should. Then I noticed some drops of water on the passenger side floor. I took the small plastic cover off from the bottom of the dash and there was a decent amount of moisture on the cover and everything it covered.
What is going on here??

 

[jnaut]

The accumulator and condensation drain is on the passenger side firewall... I'm thinking something may be clogged or damaged? My understanding is that your compressor won't cut on at all if you're too low on refrigerant. Are you dripping condensate from the normal drip hose on the firewall? If not it may be backing up and gathering on the passenger floor.

 

[bmrrwolfe]

The accumulator and condensation drain is on the passenger side firewall... I'm thinking something may be clogged or damaged? My understanding is that your compressor won't cut on at all if you're too low on refrigerant. Are you dripping condensate from the normal drip hose on the firewall? If not it may be backing up and gathering on the passenger floor.

I will have to check the drip hose on the firewall. Where is it located at? Yeah my dad said with the dripping there it seems like a clog. We are about an hour from home so we just shut it off and are going windows down till I can really take a look at it, but I figured I'd get some opinions from the experts until then

 

[jnaut]

I will have to check the drip hose on the firewall. Where is it located at? Yeah my dad said with the dripping there it seems like a clog. We are about an hour from home so we just shut it off and are going windows down till I can really take a look at it, but I figured I'd get some opinions from the experts until then

I'm assuming this remains relatively static on all KJ years:

Under hood: On passenger side firewall, a large silver cannister with 3(?) hoses coming out of it, a couple go into the firewall which connect to the condenser: that's the accumulator. Right below that is a small rubber hose right against the firewall, in an 'L' shape which drains coolant straight out of it. Under normal operation in a relatively warm climate, after running the AC for a while you should get noticable drip out of that hose. Many people come here freaked out that a puddle is appearing on the passenger side of the KJ that seems like water.

Not sure how you'd address a clog if there is one. I might be able to check my manual when I get home, see if it says anything about dealing with clogged condensers.

 

[bmrrwolfe]

I'm assuming this remains relatively static on all KJ years:

Under hood: On passenger side firewall, a large silver cannister with 3(?) hoses coming out of it, a couple go into the firewall which connect to the condenser: that's the accumulator. Right below that is a small rubber hose right against the firewall, in an 'L' shape which drains coolant straight out of it. Under normal operation in a relatively warm climate, after running the AC for a while you should get noticable drip out of that hose. Many people come here freaked out that a puddle is appearing on the passenger side of the KJ that seems like water.

Not sure how you'd address a clog if there is one. I might be able to check my manual when I get home, see if it says anything about dealing with clogged condensers.

Thanks! I will check the hose when I get home and see if anything is coming out when I turn the AC on.

 

[bmrrwolfe]

Well I found the drip line, and nothing is coming out. The condenser and lines under the hood get real cold, so I would think the condenser is okay, and that there may be a clogged line?
Any suggestions oh how to unclog a line?
Thanks!

 

[boebr1]

the lines get cold because the refridgerant is getting compressed as it heads to the condensor... if something was clogged, it wouldn't flow, and it wouldn't get cold... if it's cold to the touch the levels should be good enough to get cool air... if it is humid out your condensor will get iced up. then you will get no airflow through it, at which point you will get airflow from other areas... possibly recirc? not sure... the drain hose described above is for your melt-off to drain out of (not coolant, so that puddle that appears to be water IS water). if you get a lot of dust through your system (as in the filter is gone) you can form mud in the drain... try sticking a pipe cleaner in there and see what it looks like when it comes out. usually squeezing and rolling the drain tube is enough to break everything loose and make it fall out... Though I have never looked at mine so I don't know if you can do that on a jeep.

 

[jnaut]

I completely forgot to look at my manual last night but I believe it has a section on handling clogs in the runoff system.

Theoretically, if the condensate wasn't able to drain off, you could experience what you were feeling: hot air coming out of the system.

The condenser could also be freezing up which sometimes (ironically) indicates low refrigerant. However, if the condenser were freezing you shouldn't be getting water in the cabin. And when the condenser did thaw, it should still come out the primary drain hose.

I remember something about jamming a coathanger into that rubber hose, but you want to be careful and not jam it up too far and damage the condenser.

 

[bmrrwolfe]

Thanks guys!
When I get home and her KJ is there I will try a soft pipe cleaner and hope it does something. If not I may to fab something soft that can be bent to shove in there and hope for the best!

 

[ptsb5a]

Had this happen at home once. A/C condenser in the furnace plenum wasn't draining properly and the system had a low refrigerant charge. Ice would form on the condenser and then all I'd get was the hot air in the house circulating. Felt like the heat was on in July. Got the A/C charged up and the drian routed better so that it drained well and the problems went away. Might be the same issue, water is unable to drain from the condenser and so it freezes on it. When that happens the ability to cool air is severely hampered. So, you get air moving over and around but not through the condenser and it feels hot because it's ambient air and if you're somewhat chilled inside the KJ it feels like the heat is on when this sort of situation is encountered.

 

[bmrrwolfe]

Update.
I tried to shove a thin bendable grabber through the drain about 14-16" in and didn't seem to find anything in the way. Afterwords I let it run for about 10 minutes, still no cold air, and no water through the drain, although air was blowing out the drain...
All the lines and condenser got cold and built up condensation and it did not drip on the passenger side this time, or maybe it wasn't running long enough to get whatever is behind the dash (evap core?) to get cold enough and condensate.
Also had some refrigerant with a gauge on it to check the pressure and its right where it should be.

 

[boebr1]

try to find the hvac filter... just in case... see if it needs to be replaced. probably in the dash somewhere really hard to get to. If it is plugged up with dust and such, you won't get enough airflow to keep things from freezing up

 

[jnaut]

Something seems clogged but maybe it's not in the hose orifice. Sometimes the AC has to run a while before any real condensate builds up (enough to drip).

I wonder if you have a blend door issue... of course that wouldn't explain why condensate was coming in the passenger cabin and not out the drain hose.

You might have to start actually getting into the dash. If everything is pressurized correctly, this may be a relatively inexpensive fix at an AC shop.

 

[bmrrwolfe]

Something seems clogged but maybe it's not in the hose orifice. Sometimes the AC has to run a while before any real condensate builds up (enough to drip).

I wonder if you have a blend door issue... of course that wouldn't explain why condensate was coming in the passenger cabin and not out the drain hose.

You might have to start actually getting into the dash. If everything is pressurized correctly, this may be a relatively inexpensive fix at an AC shop.

Yeah I don't really want to tear into it since it isn't my KJ, but since my dad will be in town this weekend hes going to take a look at it, and possible just take it somewhere after that.

 

[jnaut]

Any update on this?

I was able to look at my manual and while I didn't post here, it detailed the exact symptoms you have and suggests there's a clog on the evaporator runoff system.

It even said if you see water accumulating on the passenger floor or hear water sloshing around in the dash area, you've got an evaporator clog.

 

[kb0nly]

Could be a blend door problem, that has been posted on here a few times...

 

[bmrrwolfe]

Finally a update.
Took it to a Ford dealership that was ran by a buddys dad, and they said condenser was leaking "see its wet and oily" my response "well yes it was raining the entire 30 min trip down here I bet it is wet, but why is there is there still the right pressure of freon" and he just said its the condenser. So buddy gets a condenser and starts to remove the old one, while freon starts pouring out, I say stop, no not going to happen its not the condenser.
Took it my dads buddy who is saying condenser is all. Just like i said but that the blend door is not functioning.
So you guys were right.
I know its tucked in there, but could I replace the blend door?
Its at the dealership overnight getting a quote in the morning before anything gets replaced and they tested everything else and it appears okay.
Any write ups on replacing it?
Thanks!!

 

[jnaut]

Blend door could be a vacuum issue as they operate on the vacuum system. I'll let others more knowledgeable post on that.

 

[bmrrwolfe]

Blend door could be a vacuum issue as they operate on the vacuum system. I'll let others more knowledgeable post on that.

I beleive they tested the vaccum lines that control it, and said the door itself would not function even when told too.
I will double check with them in the morning to make sure they did in fact check this out though
Thanks!

 

[jnaut]

I beleive they tested the vaccum lines that control it, and said the door itself would not function even when told too.
I will double check with them in the morning to make sure they did in fact check this out though
Thanks!

I've never seen the physical blend door mechanism, but if the vacuum system is functioning, what could be wrong with it? I'm imagining it has some sort of hinge mechanism. Corroded? Stuck? Just needs to be cleaned?