• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

day by day AC problems get worse

W

wgregt

NAXJA Forum User
Location
SoCal
Hey again gang. It's been 4 weeks since my last jeep-related issue. ("Hi Greg...")

88 XJ. 4.0 flat 6. 3XX,XXX miles.

Thursday: AC blows cold, Fan speed on hi. Works wonderfully in 100+ CA weather.

Friday: AC works, but it's less cold. Air blows on all speeds fine.

Saturday. Not cold. Kinda cool at first, then diminishes in temp. Blower speed fine.

Sunday: NO AC. Blows hot air, but blower still blows fine.

Monday: Blower does nothing. I slide the switch, and get nothing at all. Check fuses, hoping for a quick fix. Nope. Fuses are good. Blower fuse is A-OK.

Thoughts? This started out as me thinking I simply need more R-12 (tough to find here in CA), but now the blower won't even push hot air? WTF?

-greginCA
 
hmmm...after reading quite a few postings here (@ 3am no less...funny how jeep issues won't let my mind turn off sometimes) I think I may have my own answer. Today when I pulled into the garage @ home it burped coolant all over my floor, and that's WITH the aluminum Max coolant bottle. Putting that in the mix with no blower and hot AC leads me to a non-working fan clutch...anyone concur? Think after reading postings here that I'll try either the Napa HD version or the Advance version tomorrow if that's the case...Makes sense though...day by day the fan clutch failed more & more...I'll know more soon as the sun comes up...
 
Sory, but that won't be your HVAC problem. Easy first. Does the blower even work on high? And is the AC compressor clutch kicking on and off? Is the compressor shaft actually spinning if it does kick on?
 
Check the resistor pack for the blower motor..sounds like that might have given up. Seen it a lot on Chrysler's and Fords especially. Symptoms are blower only works on high setting or goes out all together.

Was the Jeep running hot at all before it puked coolant? I know on some vehicles the a/c will automatically cut off if the motor gets hot.
 
Resistor pack? What does it look like and where is it located? Yeah, it was running a bit hot when it puked coolant. The blower does not work on any speed now, but it did yesterday.
 
Ahhhhh...the SEARCH function. Found & read all about the thermal fuse in the resistor pack in the passenger footwell area. Will check that now. Need to find out where the blower motor is as well, just in case.
 
Well, it doesn't work @ all, so I'll try and jump the blower motor. It's under the coolant tank on an 88 model, embedded in the firewall, correct?
 
I'd bet my bottom dollar it is the ignition switch and wiring to it that is fried on the AC blower, AC power. One factory undersized brown wire to that switch that is overloaded with AC running on Max is common to all those problems, including I think turning on the electric radiator fan and AC clutch, IIRC!!!!!!!!!

I know the AC / heat blower is on that circuit. And I suspect the control wires for the AC clutch relay and electric fan relay may be on it too.

Do the turn signals or windshield wiper work anymore? They are on the same circuit too! Never blew my fuses either, but eventually the jeep ignition switch (electric slider switch, not the key lock mechanism) locked up as stuff overheated and melted the switch and wiring connections. The switch and harness connection is way up under the dash on the top side of the steering column.

Did it twice with one jeep, once with the other. Since then I ran bypasses on both, (the ignition switch is a pain to reach) for that brown line with larger wires, fused with a dash mount power switch on them.
 
Well, i just checked the blower motor clip connects with a multimeter. It's getting 12 V (11.6 really) to the plug that runs to the blower motor. Which leads me to think the blower motor is shot.

I'll check those signals and wipers now. If they both work, can I rule out this wire?
 
Not to throw a wrench into this, but say the blower motor does the trick, and I get air back in the cabin. This still won't fix my A/C from blowing hot air, right? If I don't have a leak, could a non-working fan clutch be the cause of my hot-air-only problem?
 
wgregt said:
Well, i just checked the blower motor clip connects with a multimeter. It's getting 12 V (11.6 really) to the plug that runs to the blower motor. Which leads me to think the blower motor is shot.

I'll check those signals and wipers now. If they both work, can I rule out this wire?
Click to expand...

Sounds like it is not the ignition switch and local wires, but keep it mind, it will happen someday, sooner than later. Sounds like a dead blower motor all right.

Check the clutch and Efan. The Efan should come on with the clutch, and should come on when radiator outlet hits about 185 F (radiator inlet and engine T-stat will be at about 215 by then).

Check for leaks, old hoses, bad coolant bottle and or bad bottle cap and check the fan clutch.

Check the AC hoses for oil at the clamps ends, signs of a leak, and check the AC compressor clutch for oil, also a sign of leakage.
 
I've got the HD Napa fan clutch spoken about here, and I'll try & install it tomorrow (I'm reading here that the serp belt has to come loose on my '88 in order to install it?) after I get the blower motor in. Hoping the faulty fan clutch (I can turn it easily with one finger when cold all day long) is the reason my AC started blowing hot air a few days ago, right before the blower stopped blowing. Sound reasonable/logical if the AC has no leaks? The blower motor/vents opening have been moaning for a while now (see my post "chewbacca hiding inside my AC vents?") until the just stopped altogether rcently.
 
The news so far is:

-out of refrigerant (r-12)
-blower motor is no good
-leaking from "expansion valve" on AC...anyone know what this is/what it looks like/where to get one? My Stealer says "discontinued"..
-fan clutch is A-OK, so the NAPA one goes back tomorrow
 
Later models don't have an expansion valve. I'd be surprised if yours did, but I'm not sure. If you did, it's an aluminum block about 1.5x1.5x4" that probably has a little sheet metal pressure bulb on it and a little tube. Often these just need new "O" rings at the connections. Later models have an oriface tube. Most of the expansion valves I tested under warranty were replaced needlessly and worked fine. You are giving us a bunch of conclusions without the complete story! We can't really help you nearly as much as if you give us the information that leads you to these conclusions.
 
winterbeater said:
Later models don't have an expansion valve. I'd be surprised if yours did, but I'm not sure. If you did, it's an aluminum block about 1.5x1.5x4" that probably has a little sheet metal pressure bulb on it and a little tube. Often these just need new "O" rings at the connections. Later models have an oriface tube. Most of the expansion valves I tested under warranty were replaced needlessly and worked fine. You are giving us a bunch of conclusions without the complete story! We can't really help you nearly as much as if you give us the information that leads you to these conclusions.
Click to expand...

He has the "aluminum block about 1.5x1.5x4" expansion valve version, same as mine. Mine crapped out a few weeks ago. I got a new one for about $27, locally. www.ackits.com should have them too online.
 
winterbeater said:
You are giving us a bunch of conclusions without the complete story!
Click to expand...

You are correct. My fault. I took it to the local shop today to get a pro opinion on the AC. Those were his findings. I knew the blower motor was bad, and thought the fan clutch was, so I was 50/50 on those parts. Now I'll see if I can find the expansion block, then call around to see if someone has R12 without having to drive to Mexico/TJ this weekend and look for it...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Z
1992 Jeep Cherokee XJ AC R12 replacement with (Hydrocarbon 12 A) or R134a ?
Replies
3
Views
1K
Unclewolverine
U
X
91 4.0 AC does not work well in heat
Replies
9
Views
814
xjerod
X
W
No Spark
Replies
6
Views
1K
Runnin'OnEmpty
R
1
1990 Cherokee No power to AC clutch
Replies
8
Views
768
1990WhiteXJ
1
T
Can An AC Condenser really Be That Bad?
Replies
11
Views
945
tempest411
T
Back
Top