Posted: 5/23/2007 10:45:03 AM EDT
Last year my Air blew nice and cold. I tried it today, and it's nice and warm. So I go to the local car parts store, get me a bottle of 134a, and a gauge, and head home. I throw the gauge on the valves and it reads "empty", zero pressure. I'm like, "cool, just a re-charge". So I start it up, turn on the A/C to max, and put in some refrigerant. I watch the gauge to get the correct pressure, and I hear the compressor kick on. Good sign, I thought. I go inside the car and,  , STILL HOT as hell.Now, I used to do a little refrigeration work a few years ago, so I'm not a complete goob when it comes to this. I know the difference between an evaporator and a condenser. And, I know the difference between the high pressure line, and the low pressure one. There are two sensors that I can see under the hood. One is on top of the canister that may or may not be a dryer. The other is on the high pressure line going into the compressor. Who has some experience with this sort of thing. I'm pretty mechanically inclined, so I think I can fix it, and save me a few hundred dealership dollars. Any clues? |
Yes, the clutch is cycling......the system seems to be holding pressure....and I know that one of the lines should be cold... But the thing is, neither line is cold...  ....I read some stuff about a low pressure sensor that would inhibit operation if the pressure got too low. And it was empty...Also, there is some kind of sensor on the line from the condenser to the compressor. |
ding! I'd bet a dollar and a doughnut on it. Try some stopleak and see if it helps |
I think I'm going to take it to the dealer. They said they'd charge $129 to evacuate it and recharge it. I'm crossing my fingers that it works. But what troubles me is that I know that an A/C system is a closed system. So nothing should be leaking out or need to be replaced, refrigerant wise. If it leaked out once, it'll leak out again. And I may get a quick fix this summer, but do I want to be charging the system every summer? There is some kind of issue here. I'm always a little paranoid about dealerships because they like to stick it in your ass. I wonder if I could rent a vacuum pump from the auto parts store? It wouldn't hurt to see if it holds vacuum, before spending money on more refrigerant. |
if you were closer to me, I could hook you up, I have everything needed to vac. and charge R134A |
damn you for living in MI!!!........lol... 
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| My parents had a similar problem with their Cherokee. It ended up being the evaporator. Apparently the geniuses at Jeep put it under the dash in such a way that requires removal of the entire dash to fix it, which from what I hear is an all day job to tear out and put back in. |
Just had mine replaced. Mine is a 2001. If you have to get it replaced dont go to a dealership. It would probaably cost you 1000-1500.00 Mine was done by a former jeep mechanic for 543.00, It took a full day to do it. Hes worked on jeeps for years and said if the ac goes bad 95% of the time its the evaporator. Its mostly in the 2000 and 2001 cherokee's. NOW THIS IS IMPORTANT, DONT GET AN AFTERMARKET EVAPORATOR TRYING TO SAVE MONEY, THEY WONT WORK RIGHT. Get an original factory part. The fins on the aftermarket are too small, the air wont be near as cold with the aftermarket part. |
thanks. mine is an '01 also |