06CLX

My fiancee's 06 LX coupe (Auto Trans) is having multiple problems with the A/C. The most confusing one to me is the following:

When the car has been sitting outside all day on a really hot day (90+) the A/C will not turn on at all. It will not even blow hot air. After driving on the interstate for at least 20min, it will usually come on, but not always. When it finally does, it still takes time to begin cooling, which makes me think the compressor is not turned on until then, either. All of the A/C lights are working as normal when this is happening. The engine temp says it's cold (like a normal start up) and never gets above normal temp (thus, not an overheating prob or fan prob). Once the A/C turns on, it works as normal and doesn't turn itself off again.

This started about two years ago and only happened once a year until this year. Now, it's happening a few times a week. The dealership has looked at it three times and can't find anything wrong (probably b/c the car is still 100% covered under my extended warranty).

Is there some type of temperature sensor that thinks the engine is too hot to run the A/C? I've had cars that overheated before and the fan never stopped blowing while that was happening. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

Other problems:
--It doesn't cool very well until I've been driving at 30+ for a few minutes. I've even tried starting the car 10min before we leave to see if it'll cool down. It will a little, but not like it should be.
--A/C blows warm during acceleration (auto trans). Not just under hard acceleration, ANY acceleration. On hot days, I'm usually jamming the pedal to get it to cruising speed as fast as possible so the A/C will start cooling.
--Of course, the dealership could not "recreate" these issues, either.

ezone

Do you mean the blower fan INSIDE the car doesn't work?

Figure out where the fan motor is (under the dash on the passengers side), and when it isn't working you SMACK it with your hand (or a foot). If it starts running, the fan motor is bad.
Replace it.



Then see what else is wrong.






Everything described would happen if the inside fan doesn't work.


It just needs to be broken when they get in the car and start looking. If you and the service writer can't get enough info on the work order for the "installer" to make an educated guess, then the car needs to be acting up.

Yes, the engine computer has the authority to shut down the AC if necessary, but that is not your problem right now.

Assuming you mean this is when the AC is actually working...
The AC in these cars is wimpy at best.
If the car is a dark color, the sun can create heat faster than the AC can cool it off.
On a 90-100 degree day, sitting in the sun, the interior of the car could be well over 180 degrees. It takes a godawful long time to cool down from that sort of temperature.


I drive a 12 Civic. It is still wimpy on the AC when it is 100+ outside.
I roll all the windows down for the first block, this lets the heat out much faster than waiting for the AC to attempt to cool it off that first 80 degrees or so.

Part of this is normal, all of the engines power is needed for acceleration, so the AC is shut down during some periods of acceleration.
There is a software update that reduces the occurrence of this, but does not eliminate it.
Here, read this (should open a PDF)
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...ePU_r1DmyhiuxQ

HTH

06CLX

Thanks Ezone.

Just to verify your assumptions:

Yes, I was referring to the fan INSIDE the car.

Yes, the A/C is working normally during the "other problems" listed at the bottom of the post.

I think I will try also getting the windows tinted. I thought I had an A/C problem in another car for years until I tinted the windows. Just a little advice for others reading this thread (and myself, too).

ezone

Ok, that needs fixed first.

Reason: The HVAC controller MUST see a blower fan speed input signal, or else it shuts off the compressor after about one second (you can usually hear the compressor clutch kick on then immediately kick off after the control unit realizes the blower isn't running).

HTH

06CLX

Could it also be caused by the blower relay? I don't know much about relays except that they turn things on. I just noticed that it was offered next to the blower fan on Auto Zone's website ($10 relay vs. $100 fan). However, I'm sure you would have already suggested that if it could be the problem. I've just never seen a small motor that went back and forth from working perfectly and not working at all. Either way, I'm glad I get to keep all of my arms and legs for this repair. Thanks again.

ezone

Yes, it COULD be a relay, but not likely.


Picking the cheaper part just because it is cheaper will only cost you extra if it doesn't solve the problem.

Much like choosing to take aspirin because it is far cheaper than the correct antibiotics. Not solving the problem.


Could be, but it is not what I see all the time so I didn't even bother to mention it.

I see it quite often.
In fact, that is how the vast majority of these fail.
Been going on for decades (in my world).

I posted the quickest and simplest method I know of for figuring this out when they fail in the "usual manner".
Almost no tools involved.
Follow the "diagnostic step" that I outlined earlier:
Trust me on this.
Do what I posted first.
Takes all of 3 seconds:
If it works, that's an easy win.
If no joy, then resume normal diagnostic methods.



When you get under the dash and look, you should see a fan motor sticking out the bottom of the fan housing. (You might need to remove a flat plastic panel to find it.)
Will look similar to this


Smack the center of it with the palm of your hand.

ezone

Umm, that's a problem.


Why pay more, for lower quality parts?


DangerZone is not the cheapest, by a long shot.


$37 at Majestic. Item #2




Here:
http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/...=HEATER+BLOWER

HTH

06CLX

Wow, that's crazy. Thanks for the pricing info. Of course, the a/c worked yesterday...

CraigW

iTrader: (1)

Next time it fails to work lower the glove box and pull out the cabin filter and look in at the white plastic blades of the blower fan, with car on and fan set at low reach in through glove box and spin the fan blades by hand and see if it will start spinning and enable A/C.

Failure to startup seems to be common on the 8th gens...and the part # for the blower has changed.