98 XJ AC Issues

Hi All,

I have a 98 XJ Classic Limited 4x4 with 115,000 miles on it and has been in the family since the day it came home from the dealer.

The AC seems to blow at a temp in the morning that keeps the cabin nice and cool. In the late afternoon, I have to run the AC on fan speed 4 and the cabin will not cool down enough to keep me from sweating. It is cooler, but now way does it get cold.

I had it evac'd and filled 6 months ago and dye was put in at a shop. They did not tell me it was leaking.

What could it be? It seems everything is working...to my knowledge and the condensate tube is clear.

I welcome your thoughts.

Matt AKA Hella31

Take it in and have the pressure checked. It sounds like it's running low on refrigerant.
Chances are you have a minor leak. Unfortunately, the most common leak in the XJ is a cracked evaporator coil(the one behind the dash) In this case, dye in the system will not show a leak anywhere in the engine compartment.
Sometimes you will get dye leaking out of the condensation drain, but that's not all that common.
In Georgia, I wouldn't recommend using any of the sealant products on the market. You have too much moisture in the air. If the system was empty for any period of time, moisture has gotten into the system. Even evac'ed properly, the desiccant is moisture contaminated. Adding sealant will clog up the system.(AC sealant reacts with moisture)

You can continue to add refrigerant every few months if the leak isn't too bad, or find and repair the leak. If you search, there are a couple threads on pulling the dash to change the evap. coil. It takes about a half day. Good luck.

Thanks for the answer.

I added coolant this morning and the valve on the compressor started to release gas. The compressor started to shut off, start, shut off, start and made a horrible noise. I stopped by my local shop I use and they are going to check it out.

Thanks man.