2003 Air Conditioning Problems?

[mickeyblueyes]

Hey guys, I did a search and came up with pre 03 answers. Are there know issues with the a/c units on 03s ,I feel like one min the A/C is fine then I am busting a sweat (no its not menopause SA. ) It also seems like the air is not coming out where its directed. I heard of "blend door " problems. Can someone tell me more about it? Also does a 03 have reg freon or the new stuff? I have never ever needed a charge , and do not want to be ripped off. Can a average guy fix a blend door? thx

 

[AABEN]

No one has ran freon for years it went by the side in the 80 or early 90. Yes they have trouble with the blend doors. All so could be your unit needs recharged. I had my blend door fix about 8 months back and it is doing good as for now. === good luck ===

 

[GSatler]

i can't get cable from can of r134 to connect to low side intake valve. are the sizes standard? i used this hose on my intreped. is a adapter i can buy

thanks

gregg

 

[Crunch]

i can't get cable from can of r134 to connect to low side intake valve. are the sizes standard? i used this hose on my intreped. is a adapter i can buy

Any 134A connector should fit. Make sure you are connecting it to the fitting closest to the firewall. Me and a friend charged our A/Cs the other day and noticed the cheapo connector/hose/gauge he got from NAPA didn't fit. It would slip over the valve, but wouldn't lock and slipped off while letting some refrigerant escape. We went to Walmart and got the $16. 95 dispenser and it fit fine. My guess is that some dispensers are better than others, and like us, you got one that didn't work. The Walmart dispenser is blue, one piece with the gauge built in to the trigger/release part of the unit. The dispenser that didn't work had ball bearings that should have locked it on to the valve, but didn't. The Walmart dispenser had plastic locks.

 

[mickeyblueyes]

No one has ran freon for years it went by the side in the 80 or early 90. Yes they have trouble with the blend doors. All so could be your unit needs recharged. I had my blend door fix about 8 months back and it is doing good as for now. === good luck ===

How much did it cost to get repaired and did you have a dealer or repair shop do it? Thx

 

[Crunch]

How much did it cost to get repaired and did you have a dealer or repair shop do it? Thx

Before you get a dealer or shop to fix a potential blend door problem I would check the pressure of your AC. If it is low on refrigerant you could have all the problems you describe except misdirected air. For less than $25 you can buy the equipment and at least one can of refrigerant and do it yourself. If you do this, make sure you buy the refrigerant that has no leak sealers or other additives in it. There's a TSB out on that: (2003 TSB's) cautioning against it. Also, you should search for and download the Dodge Repair Manual for the '03 (03DRM. PDF). It can save you a lot of money in repairs. Beginning with page 2776 there is a lot of information about the A/C system, and servicing it. I've also found that you can affect both the heater and A/C temps by turning the temperature knob all the way to cold or hot, then all the way in the opposite direction. After recently charging my system I was turning the temp knob into the red before the vent air would rise above 42*. It seems as if the temp knob isn't as sensitive to very small changes as it should be. If you want to see how to diagnose and fix a blend door problem it begins on page 2791 of the 03DRM. PDF file.

 

[Delrayz]

Revisit Issue 66, Member 2 member

 

[rscurtis]

Those adding 134 with one of the recharge kits should be cautious that the product does not contain any sealant. Once the sealant is added, there's no going back, it's all yours. Future repair of the system may require the replacement of ALL its components- evaporator, accumulator, all hoses, compressor and condenser.

 

[rbattelle]

I agree with Crunch - your symptoms sound exactly like a freezing evaporator core.

Mine has been doing it for a couple years now. I manually cycle the compressor when it happens.

Ryan

 

[Crunch]

I agree with Crunch - your symptoms sound exactly like a freezing evaporator core.



Mine has been doing it for a couple years now. I manually cycle the compressor when it happens.

Mine froze up at the 3. 5 year point. That was preceded by the frosty steam-like stuff coming out of the vents when I switched from recirc to fresh air. A week or so ago I was noticing the same frosty steam and recharged it. No more frosty steam and it works a lot better, though it could use a bit more refrigerant. No the only ongoing problem is the rising temperature when I'm running it on fresh air and stop at an intersection. It will go from 42* to 55*+ while sitting at a light or stop sign. I think I remember reading that was due to some kind of a computer problem, but I can't remember for sure and never did anything about it. I usually just switch it to recirc when stopped. I've also learned through experience that running the fan on high is far less efficient than running it on the three lower settings as the air passes to quickly over the coils to cool adequately. That said, I thing it was DPKetchum that pointed out constantly running your A/C on recirc will foul up your system with bad smells and bacteria since it's pulling in sweat, spit and everything else that is being expelled by the people in the cab and whatever else gives off particulates in the cab. Pleasant thought, eh?