AC isnt really working but cant find any issues

[Ryan J]

So my ac is blowing about 75 degree air at idle, driving it will get down just below 60. Its cool enough to keep you from sweating but not cold by no means. My pressures are all in range comparing them to the outdoor temp. My recirculation door seems to operate and i can see the blend door open and close at the actuator. Cant physically see it working. Anybody got and help or advice?

 

[jawzs2]

Is the electric fan running with the A/C on?

 

[Ryan J]

Is the electric fan running with the A/C on?

Yes

 

[TC]

You can try the heater core hack by installing a shut off valve on the coolant line feeding the heater core. My ac temp dropped about 25 degrees by doing this.

 

[jws123]

So my ac is blowing about 75 degree air at idle, driving it will get down just below 60. Its cool enough to keep you from sweating but not cold by no means. My pressures are all in range comparing them to the outdoor temp. My recirculation door seems to operate and i can see the blend door open and close at the actuator. Cant physically see it working. Anybody got and help or advice?

You may want to take it somewhere have them evacuate the system and do a fresh re charge I have seen contaminated systems where people just charge system without evac or use the wrong refrig and it will never cool.

 

[Ryan J]

You can try the heater core hack by installing a shut off valve on the coolant line feeding the heater core. My ac temp dropped about 25 degrees by doing this.

I actually just went and got some of those hose cutoff clamps. I was going to try to clamp the heater core lines closed just to see if it helped.

 

[Ryan J]

You may want to take it somewhere have them evacuate the system and do a fresh re charge I have seen contaminated systems where people just charge system without evac or use the wrong refrig and it will never cool.

Ive evacuated and charged the system multiple times. I just did it again the other day and its giving me the same results, well i replaced the metering block, was hoping something was up with it but didnt help any. Was working this morning and this afternoon it quit completely. Ive got to see if the compressor went out again or if the refrigerant leaked out.

 

[Jeepwalker]

When I recently changed the radiator on a certain car ...a street-driven car, there were tons of bugs, dirt and debris, even some parts of leaves lodged between the AC condenser and the radiator. I mean like half or 2/3 plugged. And it didn't look dirty/bad until I had the two split apart. The condenser is the heat-rejection part of the AC system, so it has to have decent airflow. I wonder if you might have something like that going on?

 

[Ryan J]

When I recently changed the radiator on a certain car ...a street-driven car, there were tons of bugs, dirt and debris, even some parts of leaves lodged between the AC condenser and the radiator. I mean like half or 2/3 plugged. And it didn't look dirty/bad until I had the two split apart. The condenser is the heat-rejection part of the AC system, so it has to have decent airflow. I wonder if you might have something like that going on?

Yeah i have took the little plastic cover off the top and blew air between the coils plus ive used coil cleaner like you would on a regular residential condenser. I am a refrigeration tech so ive tried a few things but just cant seem to get it to blow colder than 65-70 degrees

 

[Wild one]

GTYankee is the one who found this video.

How to Clean Ram Truck Evaporator

In this video we show how we fixed the air flow problems with this 2015 Ram 3500 truck. The process should be similar to other ram trucks. YOU SHOULD NOT hav...

www.youtube.com

 

[Jeepwalker]

Ryan...have you always owned this truck? And did it did it work fine before?

If you're an AC tech...sounds like you did all the refrigeration-side I'm guessing. Verified pressures...the clutch is cycling like it should. The refrigerant expansion valve is working fine, no suspected blockage??

The remaining variables here that I can think of is are the blend doors REALLY closing fully to allow all the 'cool air' to blow through w/o mixing in any warm air?? I know you say they are, but worth tripple-checking those. There's always a chance (though somewhat rare) that a blend door is broken from the shaft (essentially not fully closing off), or some foam door seal has come off. Not likely being a 2017 but just throwing out some ideas.. Blend door breakage (from the shaft) was fairly common on older Jeep Grand Cherokees, I have one like that.

 

[Ryan J]

Ryan...have you always owned this truck? And did it did it work fine before?

If you're an AC tech...sounds like you did all the refrigeration-side I'm guessing. Verified pressures...the clutch is cycling like it should. The refrigerant expansion valve is working fine, no suspected blockage??

The remaining variables here that I can think of is are the blend doors REALLY closing fully to allow all the 'cool air' to blow through w/o mixing in any warm air?? I know you say they are, but worth tripple-checking those. There's always a chance (though somewhat rare) that a blend door is broken from the shaft (essentially not fully closing off), or some foam door seal has come off. Not likely being a 2017 but just throwing out some ideas.. Blend door breakage (from the shaft) was fairly common on older Jeep Grand Cherokees, I have one like that.

Ive had since 2016, its a 2012. Had 60k on it. I think in '21 the compressor went out so i replaced it. It worked, honestly dont remember if it was blowing super cold or not. Then shortly after, i had to get the cam and lifters replaced and the mechanic had it for 4 months with the system completely open the whole time, im sure thats common in auto but thats a no no in refrigeration. When i got the truck back the ac didnt work, found that he didnt tighten the hoses back down on the compressor. He had my low side running up over my air intake and caused a leak on the evap core. Plus several other things. I took it back and showed the guy and i was so displeased with his work i didnt even let him fix all of it. I didnt want him to touch my truck again so i payed another mechanic to change the core and it worked afterwards but wasnt super cold. Oh before i had the core changed, i replaced the low side line and the metering block just trying to eliminate the leak down to the evap core. So it had a metering block from oreillys that ive been skeptical of. So the other day i put the factory one back on it and there was no difference.

So do all the blend doors mix heat or is it just the one behind the glove box? All my airflow directions change with the buttons, the one behind the glove box that changes with temperature, i can see the outside moving but i can physically see if the door is moving inside.

 

[Daw14]

wonder if some mud dobber or other material ended up inside somewhere. Tensioners good ?

 

[jr27236]

Do you have a cabin air filter? Of no l you can cut open the area and buy the door and filter for it. And then you can check the coil inside the truck. They will get blocked up like crazy. Also maybe you can get a snake camera and see if the blend door is moving internally. These were a chronic failure on my Ford explorer because heat would melt the foam gasket to the box and the actuator arm would twist right off the door.

 

[Jeepwalker]

Hmmmm....ok. Your description had a lot more info than originally. Based on what you said ....Here are three other thoughts:

1) Did you replace the desiccant?

2) Did you do anything with the POE?
POE is Hygroscopic (absorbs moisture), even through a plastic jug. And it's very difficult to remove. You can't just evacuate the system to remove, or so I've read. Read THIS [see below]. Normally not an issue for most hvac work, but if it stayed open for a long time, moisture-contaminated oil *could* be part of the issue. You might try replacing the desiccant (again if needed). Or ...Not to create more work for you, but a guy could consider removing the AC parts and dump the oil out ..measure and replace the POE in the compressor ....or call around to a shop and see if they have a flush machine and give you a tripple-flush. Bc, it's real hard to get the oil out of the condenser and compressor. But then they need to get the right amount of oil back into the compressor so it doesn't get murdered upon start-up. And if you're going to do that, a guy might as well replace the compressor. But for starters, try a new desiccant.

3) Does your tk have dual-zone heat/cool controls? Do a youtube search how to check the blend doors. They don't seem to be as chronic of an issue on Rams as other vehicles. I'd put blend door issues at the bottom of the list right now. You could remove the motor and run the shaft with a pliers and ensure the doors bottom out. Or dry the dryer first.

[Edit] The link above doesn't work... here is the text:

One major concern with POE oils is that they are hygroscopic. If they remain in contact with air, they have the ability to absorb its moisture. For a technician, this means that when a repair requires opening a system, it should only be left exposed to the atmosphere for as long as necessary to complete the repair.

This requires some forethought and planning. When replacing a compressor, for instance, you wouldn’t want to remove its stub cap until you are ready to braze it into the piping. Also, if the system is left open for an extended period (such as overnight), cap it off to prevent the oil from absorbing moisture.

STORAGE AND PROPERTIES​

It is normally better to use several smaller containers of POE oil for a particular job rather than one large container for several jobs and have to store the oil between jobs. If unused oil does need to be stored, it should to be stored in its original metal container rather than a plastic container.

POE oil can absorb moisture through the walls of traditional plastic containers. That’s why manufacturers ship new POE oil in metal containers.

Another concern for technicians is the ability of POE oils to be effective detergents. These oils can effectively clean the inner surface of a system, releasing debris that might be present. When converting an existing mineral oil system to use POE oil, it is a good practice to install a suction line filter-drier into the system. This will help filter out the debris released by the POE oil which may clog metering devices or lead to a premature compressor failure.

While brazing copper tubing, it has always been recommended that the tubing be purged with nitrogen to prevent the formation of oxide scale inside. This is even more important when installing and servicing systems containing POE oil. If brazed without the use of nitrogen, the oxide scale formed on the inner tubing can be scrubbed from the walls by the oil and travel throughout the system.

Another concern is the difficulty of removing moisture from POE oils. Moisture will stay dissolved in the oil and cannot be readily removed by applying a vacuum; moisture can only be removed from POE oil with the use of a desiccant. Again, normal servicing practices always recommend replacing the liquid line filter-drier when a system is opened for service. It is even more important with systems using POEs.

Servicing systems with POE oils has some added concerns for service technicians, but following good industry practices will prevent these oils from creating future issues for the system.

 

[alpinegreenneon]

When I've had a system open for a time, I evacuate it overnight, or even longer if it was open for weeks. Vacuum boils out any moisture.

 

[Jeepwalker]

....I evacuate it overnight, or even longer if it was open for weeks. Vacuum boils out any moisture.

That's a great strategy. But we're talking 4mo of open exposure here.

Understanding moisture presence with POE?

The #1 HVACR Community

hvac-talk.com

Manufacturers say you can't 'really' get desiccant "un-moistureized" once it's absorbed moisture (enough to do it's job) even by pulling deep vacuums (and it absorbs moisture from the air pretty quick). It has to be changed. (I worked in the commercial HVAC industry for yrs). I would suggest to the OP, try changing it again.

.

 

[Daniel12]

So my ac is blowing about 75 degree air at idle, driving it will get down just below 60. Its cool enough to keep you from sweating but not cold by no means. My pressures are all in range comparing them to the outdoor temp. My recirculation door seems to operate and i can see the blend door open and close at the actuator. Cant physically see it working. Anybody got and help or advice?

Do you hear a audible difference in the air flow when you come to a stop? I was having a similar issue. Scan your HVAC system with AlfaOBD for humidity sensor issues. My new humidity sensor is on the way.

 

[GTyankee]

May i suggest ..

Pull out your lower glove box, in fact, pull the top box also

Now, just to the left of the Blower Fan, you will see the BLEND Door Actuator, it has 2 screws & electric connector.

Step #1 , Before you do anything else, play with the HVAC Controls, fan on Low & any other control, ie: Cold/Hot, as you watch the Actuator, you should see an Rod & a White lever moving.
That shows IF the actuator is working.

Step #2
Move the Temperature control, so that the WHITE Lever is in the down position, its not necessary, just makes reassembly easier.
Then Remove the 2 screws , let the actuator hang there.
Now grab the metal rod or the White Lever & move it left & right with 2 fingers, you don't need force.
You will be feeling for friction or weight,
If you do feel the friction or weight, then move it slightly harder & you should hear a THUD as the BLEND Door opens & closes.

That same method can be used on any of the 4 actuators

...........................................................................
Now if you removed the lower & upper glove compartments, look up, you will see the Recirculation Door & Actuator.
You can use the Recirculation button to watch that door open & close.
If you can Not, go to Step #1 & #2
...................................................................
Behind the Radio Bezel, there are 2 more actuators, almost side by side. They are the MODE Doors, #1 & #2
They direct where the hot or cold air blows
Defrost, Feet, Dash & some Dodge Rams of the 2009 - 2012 years have a VENT that blows air flow to the back of the center console, so that the passengers get air.

........................................

real good video

Ram 1500 Blend Door Actuator - 2009-2018+

Quick video on replacing the driver's side blend door actuator. If your heat is cold on the driver's side but hot on the passenger's side, this might be your...

www.youtube.com

you will not have the glove box cord

 

[moist_oyster]

There should be a desiccant bag that's jammed up in the bottom of your condenser, it might be clogged. My air wasn't getting cold and I pulled mine out and it was dripping with what I assume was oil (it was neon green and felt like the a/c oil). I replaced it and it was better for a little bit, I imagine it's jammed up with oil again and I have no idea how that much got into the system.

I just pulled my air box for blend doors and when I filled the refrigerant back up I was getting 25psi low and 175psi high on a 70 degree morning. I imagine that there is a blockage somewhere and that the desiccant bag is the problem again