Blend Door or not to Blend Door…

[nailhead_sled]

…That is the question.

Well it was finally warm enough in T.O. to turn on the a/c during the drive home from the office today. Spun the knobs, rolled up the windows, and got ready for a cool breeze….however, much to the contrary I was greeted with a front of air no cooler than the outside temperature.
Switching to the ‘Max A/C†setting proved to be no help either, as this position produced the same result. I am still able to change the temperature of the air between ‘outside ambient’ (cold position) and hot.
Initially I was thinking it was a blend door issue, but wouldn’t the fact that there is no cool air in the ‘Max’ setting negate this theory?
I recall reading several posts where users had reported broken blend doors but still had functioning A/C in the ‘Max†setting.
Just trying to get a better idea as to the cause of the problem before I begin pulling things apart.
Thanks in advance,

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

It doesn't sound like the blend door. You'll get ice cold air when in Max A/C mode. Super heated air at any other positions. Is the compressor working??

 

[nailhead_sled]

Haven't performed a full check yet. Just trying to narrow down the list before my lazy ass actually checks things out.
Cheers for the info though..

 

[nailhead_sled]

Still haven’t properly investigated, however the absence of any clutch engagement noise (in AC or Defrost) leads me to believe this one won’t be an el cheapo repair.
Thanks anyways..

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

That sucks. Good luck with the repair.

 

[nailhead_sled]

Duracool Rocks

Well after enough subtle hints from passengers, I decided to get off my butt and attempt to repair the a/c system. Being lazy, I opted to try the cheapest and easiest fix first. I purchased 2 6oz cans of Duracool (134a cannot be sold to un-licensed individuals in Canada) and a hose with the required couplings. I added the first can with the motor off, then with the hose disconnected I started her up with the a/c in max and the blower on high. The compressor was cycling every 2-3 seconds. So I proceeded to add the second can with the motor running and the a/c on (kinda figured this would help to ‘pull’ the Duracool into the system), and as the can emptied the compressor began to cycle slower and slower, until now where it only cycles every 3-4 minutes (not sure what is ‘normal’).
I took a cheesy probe type thermometer and jammed it in the interior vent to check the outlet temperature, and sure enough its about 54deg - MUCH better than the HOT air it had been pumping until today.

Now, I’m not sure what the low side pressure is as I’m too cheap to buy the gauge, or even if the system is fully charged, but for $70 Cdn (35 cents US) I no longer have to be embarrassed when taking clients out for lunch.

I would definitely recommend Duracool to my Canadian brethren who do not have access to 134a refill cans.