It's a 2005 CRV, automatic with all power options- in excellent condition, but the AC doesnt seem to work at a stop light or when idling. JUST had it recharged (days ago) and one place says it's the compressor going, the other says it's a vacuum leak that the engine needs to produce enough vaccum to overcome the leak for the controls to work.

Is this a common issue? If so, what is it, most often?


Thanks!

 

Is your condenser fan working?

 

The fan that's behind the cooler/radiator, right? Yes

 

To me sounds like the compressor is not making enough pressure at idle..that or it wasn't recharged properly...but act system is a closed system why did it needed to be recharged to begin with?

 

It wasn't blowing cold, and then an AC place (not a Honda dealer) charged it and said that the reason it doesnt blow cold at idle is that the compressor is shot. It's not something he would have time to fix, either, so I dont think it was an upsell, but then again I don't know how much of an expert he is on these.

I figured that the people on here who's experience was Honda CRV-specific would know if there was something else to check so I thought I'd ask here. When you say it's a "closed system" what do you mean?

 

When I say it's a closed system it means once charged it should normally last for ever without any changes to it, unless a leak or bad compressor..now the reason I ask why in the first place is if he has to add freon then there is a leak , a bad compressor be do to a bad clutch , it either works or don't doesn't do in between ..since he added freon was the system evacuated properly? Was the system topped off like added to existing freon in the system.. It might be also being over heating with too much freon in the system . If the system wasn't evacuated properly and was empty of freon , then there is moisture in the lines that the dryer can remove... The ax system is a very simple system ...it compresses the freon to super heat then gets cooled down then the pressure drop creates a cold section just like releasing the air out of an canned air , after the pressure drop under the glovebox ..it just recirculates back to the compressor..so choose from one part of the system that could be the culprit ..only other rare situation is the heater valve might be slightly stuck open even on full cold ..so it's mixing just enough hot coolant at idle that it won't produce cold air.. Until the system get colder when you move