Hi everyone...
About a month ago my A/C started to not feel "as cold" as usual on my way home from work in New Orleans. The next day, it seemed to only be slightly cooling, but when I would stop at stop lights it would get colder. I figured it was low on freon, even though the compressor was obviously kicking in every time the A/C button was pressed, along with the corresponding fans.
I went to a reputable shop (that has rebuilt an A/C system in one of my other vehicles previously), and we found that the Beetle was indeed slightly low on freon, although the shop said it wasn't low enough to keep the system from coming on completely. They tested it for leaks and found none, but stated, "It's normal to lose a little freon over time." They pulled out all the freon, pulled a vacuum for about an hour. Refilled with the proper amount of freon, and the system started to blow slightly cool air, but nowhere near cold. Pressures on the high side were around 175 and around 30 on the low side, which I believe for the high side are not high enough, even though the system was indeed filled with the proper amount of freon. The pressures did NOT change with throttle. The shop seems to think it's the expansion valve, but I've read other posts online where people say it's the actual compressor. The shop doesn't think it's the compressor since it actually kicks on, but they admittedly don't know much about the Beetle system.
This is what happens...if you let the car idle, the A/C will eventually get cold as long as you stay idling. The second you drive off, the A/C no longer blows cold. The compressor doesn't kick off; it stays engaged even when not blowing cold and the clutch spins, but there's just no cold air. SOMETIMES (rarely) when you are driving through town and stop at a red light, the A/C will start blowing cold. But, it usually doesn't kick on because it seems to need a few minutes of idling before it starts blowing cold; usually, it takes 5-10 minutes just idling before the A/C will properly blow cold (like it did when new). I know this because I'm a home health nurse and I sit for about an hour at night doing paperwork; with 100+ degree temps and 100% humidity in New Orleans you NEED A/C...and after I sit for about 10 minutes, the A/C will finally kick in and start to freeze you. Sometimes I hit the A/C button on and off quickly (which you can feel the compressor kick on and off as evidenced by the engine bogging) just to try to kick the system into working, even though I don't believe it to be an electrical problem. Another note: the less hot it is outside the more chance you have of the A/C kicking in at idle. On rare occasions when it is super hot out even sitting for several minutes idling the A/C won't kick on. Also, the A/C will not kick on even when idling at the first start of the day...but if you drive a while THEN idle, it will kick on. Usually, after idling for few minutes as stated above, the A/C will kick on and continue working just fine, until you actually move the car. The second I drive away, no more A/C.
So...what does this sound like? Expansion valve? Compressor? I'm surprised I can't find much info on this problem online...and the posts I've read detailing a similar problem don't state what they did to fix it. One post states that the guy just went ahead and replaced the entire system, which fixed the problem...but never said what the actual culprit was.
Any ideas??!???
Thanks!
Jeff
About a month ago my A/C started to not feel "as cold" as usual on my way home from work in New Orleans. The next day, it seemed to only be slightly cooling, but when I would stop at stop lights it would get colder. I figured it was low on freon, even though the compressor was obviously kicking in every time the A/C button was pressed, along with the corresponding fans.
I went to a reputable shop (that has rebuilt an A/C system in one of my other vehicles previously), and we found that the Beetle was indeed slightly low on freon, although the shop said it wasn't low enough to keep the system from coming on completely. They tested it for leaks and found none, but stated, "It's normal to lose a little freon over time." They pulled out all the freon, pulled a vacuum for about an hour. Refilled with the proper amount of freon, and the system started to blow slightly cool air, but nowhere near cold. Pressures on the high side were around 175 and around 30 on the low side, which I believe for the high side are not high enough, even though the system was indeed filled with the proper amount of freon. The pressures did NOT change with throttle. The shop seems to think it's the expansion valve, but I've read other posts online where people say it's the actual compressor. The shop doesn't think it's the compressor since it actually kicks on, but they admittedly don't know much about the Beetle system.
This is what happens...if you let the car idle, the A/C will eventually get cold as long as you stay idling. The second you drive off, the A/C no longer blows cold. The compressor doesn't kick off; it stays engaged even when not blowing cold and the clutch spins, but there's just no cold air. SOMETIMES (rarely) when you are driving through town and stop at a red light, the A/C will start blowing cold. But, it usually doesn't kick on because it seems to need a few minutes of idling before it starts blowing cold; usually, it takes 5-10 minutes just idling before the A/C will properly blow cold (like it did when new). I know this because I'm a home health nurse and I sit for about an hour at night doing paperwork; with 100+ degree temps and 100% humidity in New Orleans you NEED A/C...and after I sit for about 10 minutes, the A/C will finally kick in and start to freeze you. Sometimes I hit the A/C button on and off quickly (which you can feel the compressor kick on and off as evidenced by the engine bogging) just to try to kick the system into working, even though I don't believe it to be an electrical problem. Another note: the less hot it is outside the more chance you have of the A/C kicking in at idle. On rare occasions when it is super hot out even sitting for several minutes idling the A/C won't kick on. Also, the A/C will not kick on even when idling at the first start of the day...but if you drive a while THEN idle, it will kick on. Usually, after idling for few minutes as stated above, the A/C will kick on and continue working just fine, until you actually move the car. The second I drive away, no more A/C.
So...what does this sound like? Expansion valve? Compressor? I'm surprised I can't find much info on this problem online...and the posts I've read detailing a similar problem don't state what they did to fix it. One post states that the guy just went ahead and replaced the entire system, which fixed the problem...but never said what the actual culprit was.
Any ideas??!???
Thanks!
Jeff
