The AC in my car wont work. It only blows warm air. It is a 01 Dodge Neon. Neone know what could be the prob?

Question

It is hot in Alabama, and I do not have an AC. I turn it on but nothing comes out but hot air...I have no idea what the problem is, how much it would be to fix or nething? Please help

Answer 1

First thing is first. If it is an 01, you probably don't use freon. It is probably R-134a. Go buy some and recharge your system. Look it up online or buy a repair manual (good to have anyway) to find out how to do this. If that doesn't work, take it in. AC work is expensive but if you don't know what you are messing with, don't try it. You don't want to screw anything up and you probably don't want to take car advice from a bunch of strangers on the internet telling you all different things.

Answer 2

I'll add in a bit more information. It is a 01 Neon, so it is a R-134A system. It does not have a "little glass window" so don't bother looking for that.

Start the car, and switch on the A/C. Listen to the engine sound from outside the car. You should be able to tell if the compressor turns on or not, as the engine sound will change, since the compressor drags the engine down. You may even be able to hear the compressor clutch click, and whir... If it switches off and on a lot, it's low on R-134A. If you never hear it click on at all, check the fuses first, but it's probably so low on R-134A that the system won't let the compressor turn on. The compressor is lubricated by oil that circulates with the R-134A, so if the system is low enough on R-134A it stops the compressor to prevent damage.

If the fuses are good, add one can of R-134A, and see if the compressor comes on. If it does, then you were low on R-134A, charge with how ever much the sticker under the hood says to charge with.

Be prepared to do this every few months or so, until you fix the leak. It will keep leaking until you fix it.

Also, be careful not to overcharge...that will cause compressor damage, and that's at LEAST a $200 repair.

Answer 3

Logically, A/C will work forever, as it is an air sealed system. The A/C system work off of vacuum. If the vacuum is broken, the R134A is exposed to air, and it will slowly leak from that point. You can recharge it yourself, but I wouldn't, as thoes "Do it yourself" A/C kits usually end up comtaninating the system and will cause the A/C to not be able to be done properly. The A/C Machine we have at work has an analyzer that tells you the mix of what is in it. If it is not R134A, R12(which is not illegal to recharge with, any vehicle with R12 must be retrofitted to take R134A), or air, then we can't do a system charge, as what ever other chemicals are in the system can contaminate the e-vac machine that we use and can cause R134A breakdown and ulitimatly render an A/C system useless.

A/C is a luxury, and people seem to forget that. Luxuries cost money. A/C systems are very delicate, and commonly need parts replaced. I think the last 20 A/C services I have seen run through the shop have had to have parts replaced. It is very uncommon (here) to see an A/C system 5 years old that holds vacuum still. I had an old 1987 Plymouth Caravelle that still had working original A/C, and I have a cliant with a 66 Thunderbird that still has working A/C. Logically, A/C will work forever as long as the refridgerant isn't aloud to leak/breakdown (breaking down is when it comes in contact with air).

Also, thoes "Do it yourself" kits don't have any gauges or very poor ones, and don't tell you how much refridgerant you have added, and A/C system is very sensitive, too little R134A/R12 and the stytem will not work, too much and the system will freeze up. Its better to pay the $100 (or whatevery it is in your area) and have the service and inspection preformed. Its a small price to make sure that the system is working properly, instead of comtaminating the entire system and ulitimatly replacing every componant of the A/C system.

Answer 4

Ok, it blows hot air - at least there is power to the blower.
next, with the engine running & the AC switched on have a look under the hood/bonnet (US/Rest of world). Look at the AC compressor - usually near the alternator & looks a bit similar except is has 2 hoses running to it. The whole of the front of the compressor should be spinning (please be careful not to get any lose clothing/hair and anything else caught up in moving parts & try not to touch anything as things get hot here).

(I am presuming the fan belt - or AC belt if you prefer, is present and correctly tensioned so that all items it engages are working correctly. This may include your power steering, alternator and even engine water pump, so this is important (sorry, not clear on your car model. The Dodge car brand is not marketed here, but the principle is the same for all cars). Since you have not said that anything else is not working I have presumed the belt is present & in good order & is correctly tensioned. This becomes clear since with the engine running everything it goes round should be spinning. Also, if it is screeching, then it is slipping. Stop the engine & adjust it, then try again.

If the centre part of the pulley is not spinning then the AC compressor clutch is not engaging.

This means one of two things: 1. You are out of refridgerant gas - take your car to the AC shop/mechanic. or, 2. You have blown a fuse. Check all the fuses & identify the AC fuse. Replace it if it has blown & try the AC again.

If the compressor is engaging but there is still only hot air, look for the drier canister (if you don't know what this is, follow the hose from the compressor until you see a cylinder roughly the size of a tall beer can. On the top of this where the pipe joins, there is usually a very small glass inspection "window" You should be able to see refridgerant flowing in there - like bubbles in fast moving water. If you don't see this then take your car to the AC shop/mechanic. You are either low on refridgerant (but not 100% out or the AC compressor clutch would not engage) due to age or a leak somewhere, or your compressor is worn out.

I hope it is only a fuse as that is the one you can fix yourself without tools and cheaply too.

If it is anything else then it becomes a shop job, but at least you will feel better being able to tell them what you expect the problem is. For example;- "I see the compressor is not engaging but the fuse is good, I suspect the gas is out" sounds better than a "it's not working" & may score you some credibility points with the shop & that can make it a cheaper job.

Good luck & be careful

Answer 5

There are a few things that couldbe wrong with it. First off, does the compressor clutch engage the compressor when you turn on the a/c? IF THE COMPRESSOR IS WORKING, NEXT CHECK FOR THE MOVEMENT OF FREON IN THE LINES. yOU CAN CHECK THIS BY LOCATING THE SIGHT GLASS USUALLY FOUND IN THE LOW PRESSURE SIDE OF THE SYSTEM CLOSE TO THE CONDENSER TOWARDS THE FRONT OF THE CAR IN BEHIND THE RADIATOR, OR CLOSE TO THE GRILL AREA OF THE CAR. If the clutch is turning the compressor, and you don't see a liquid moving through the sight glass, you have lost your charge of refrigerant, and it needs to be checked for leaks, repaired, vacuumed out, and refilled. This is the most common type of a/c service out there, and can cost anywhere from $70-$100. If the compressor is bad, or some other component of the system is bad, or cracked, you will be looking at $100-$300 easily. I hope it is just a loose fitting, or a bad hose, that will be the cheapest fix.....

Good luck.

Stevo.

Answer 6

Take it to a professional for diagnosis. Here are some reasons. Your system is a closed system and it may be as simple as being low on refrigerant 134A. Or it can become very complicated and expensive. The problem can be either electrical or mechanical. electrical, from a fuse, relay or control unit, pressure switches etc. Mechanical, compressor or your thermostatic control valve. If there is a leak in the system it has to be repaired and the part replaced. i.e. hoses, condenser or evaporator core. good luck.

Answer 7

It sounds like it is low on coolant.
You can buy it at an auto parts store and do it yourself.
They sell kits, that come with a gauge that tells you how much to put and everything. It's a very easy do it yourself thing. I've done my own for years now.
Give it a try...you will save alot of money doing it yourself.
And I would say it's a 95% chance it's low on coolant...and a 5% it's something else. That's how sure I am of this.
I've had it happen to me , many , many times.

Answer 8

it needs the freon recharged , take it to a service center , most places have pretty good deals now and then on recharging your air cond.

the freon is the chemical that cools the air as it passes by

i know here in NY it costs about 100.00 but can get it cheaper when places run specials


B.

Answer 9

the problem is that is a 01 dodge neon. :P ac servicing isnt cheap esp during the summer months. 69.99 but thats just for servicing. fixing it cost probably at least twice as much. see if you can get someone to look at it for free so you know what it will cost.

Answer 10

How long has it been since you recharged it? Probably just needs freon - which you can get for $10 a can and do it yourself in 15 minutes