Aux fan not working - Does this make ac to not work

[OptimusPriM5]

Funny you posted this thread, this was my exact experience 1 week ago. Fan wasnt coming on, AC blowing warm, compressor kicked in and nothing. I thought was either the fan or heater valve.

Shop determined there was little to no freon in the system and found leaks in check valves and switch. All replaced, fan now works and back to blowing at approx 40degrees

[white_335i]

Originally Posted by OptimusPriM5

Funny you posted this thread, this was my exact experience 1 week ago. Fan wasnt coming on, AC blowing warm, compressor kicked in and nothing. I thought was either the fan or heater valve.

Shop determined there was little to no freon in the system and found leaks in check valves and switch. All replaced, fan now works and back to blowing at approx 40degrees

Lol, in my case there is freeon in the system which is adding to the confusion..

I am going to hook the manifold guages and report back.

[white_335i]

Sharing a funny incident that happened with me this morning before going in to the AC issues -

I ordered RobinAir AC manifold guages from Amazon warehouse deals. Received the package last night and opened it this morning to read the pressure readings.. I started connecting the hoses and realized that the hose doesn't have the correct threads to the quick couplers. I thought maybe whoever has returned the guages before did not include the nuts to thread on to the couplers.. Then I started looking at the guages and voila, I see "Pittsburgh" on them.. Wow

Back to the issue at hand, I went to auto zone to rent the guages(which I should have done in the first place).. Plugged in everything and I am seeing Low pressure @ a 45 psi and the high pressure @ less than 50 psi...

Is this signs of failing compressor?

Thank you all for helping me diagnose the issue. I would be lost without your helping/holding hands...

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by white_335i

Sharing a funny incident that happened with me this morning before going in to the AC issues -

I ordered RobinAir AC manifold guages from Amazon warehouse deals. Received the package last night and opened it this morning to read the pressure readings.. I started connecting the hoses and realized that the hose doesn't have the correct threads to the quick couplers. I thought maybe whoever has returned the guages before did not include the nuts to thread on to the couplers.. Then I started looking at the guages and voila, I see "Pittsburgh" on them.. Wow

Back to the issue at hand, I went to auto zone to rent the guages(which I should have done in the first place).. Plugged in everything and I am seeing Low pressure @ a little over 40 psi and the high pressure @ less than 20 psi...

Is this signs of failing compressor?

Thank you all for helping me diagnose the issue. I would be lost without your helping/holding hands...

The low side can never be higher than the high side. Even if the compressor hasn't been running for days, the low side and the high side without the compressor running will be in equilibrium. Either the gauges are off or you are reading the gauge incorrectly.

[white_335i]

Originally Posted by upallnight

The low side can never be higher than the high side. Even if the compressor hasn't been running for days, the low side and the high side without the compressor running will be in equilibrium. Either the gauges are off or you are reading the gauge incorrectly.

Sorry, you are right.. I didn;t have the high side connected properly. Just updated the values.. They are both the same with the ac off and on 45 on the low and and 50 on the high with ac on..

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by white_335i

Sorry, you are right.. I didn;t have the high side connected properly. Just updated the values.. They are both the same with the ac off and on 45 on the low and 50 on the high with ac on..

If you have the variable displacement compressor, the displacement is not changing that is why the high side is so low. If you don't have a variable displacement compressor the high side reading should be between 150-200 psi. I'm would say that in either case, you need to replace the compressor.

[white_335i]

Originally Posted by upallnight

If you have the variable displacement compressor, the displacement is not changing that is why the high side is so low. If you don't have a variable displacement compressor the high side reading should be between 150-200 psi. I'm would say that in either case, you need to replace the compressor.

Thanks Upallnight.. Looking at the OEM options that are out there.. I am leaning towards a Behr compressor. Since I will be opening up the system, I am thinking about replacing the expansion valve, pressure sensor and the Receiver/drier unit..

I see that the receiver/drier unit is in the condensor.. How hard is it to replace that?

Thanks for all your help..

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by white_335i

Thanks Upallnight.. Looking at the OEM options that are out there.. I am leaning towards a Behr compressor. Since I will be opening up the system, I am thinking about replacing the expansion valve, pressure sensor and the Receiver/drier unit..

I see that the receiver/drier unit is in the condensor.. How hard is it to replace that?

Thanks for all your help..

Unless you have the equipment to recover the remaining amount of refrigerant in the system, I would advise you to take it to a shop to have them recover the refrigerant. You can open up the system once all the refrigerant have been removed. I don't know your mechanical ability or the tools that you have at your disposal so it will be hard for me to tell you how hard something is to replace.

[white_335i]

Originally Posted by upallnight

Unless you have the equipment to recover the remaining amount of refrigerant in the system, I would advise you to take it to a shop to have them recover the refrigerant. You can open up the system once all the refrigerant have been removed. I don't know your mechanical ability or the tools that you have at your disposal so it will be hard for me to tell you how hard something is to replace.

I plan to take it to the shop to get the refrigerant out. I did buy a vacuum pump to vacuum the air out. I am a little mechanically inclined. I've done the suspension, Oil pan gasket job on this car.. So hoping this is going to be "relatively" easy? I also have the glove box compartment out to replace the FSR unit and pulled the cover that hides the expansion valve.

[g300d]

The infamous variable displacement compressor strikes again lol!

FYI OEM for the compressor is Calsonic Kansei, it's a CSV 717.

Aside from the expansion valve you may want to do the dessicant pack/filter in the condenser too.