Today as the temperature broke 90, was the first time this year I used my AC in earnest and discovered I have a problem. My work drive home is about 35-40 minutes. At the drive beginning, I would say the blowing air was cool enough but as the ride progressed, it got progressively warmer and warmer so that by 20 minutes into the commute it was basically blowing hot air. Then the car sat for a couple of hour when I just went on a few minute drive to the market and the AC is back to blowing cold air. I've had cars with AC issues before but in those cases, it never blew cool air at all. Does this suggest perhaps some charge left but weak or a compressor issue or something else? I should add that early in the winter, it was discovered a rock had hit the AC condenser and put a pretty good dent in the fins but if it broke thru and caused a leak, wouldn't all the coolant be gone by now and I would have no AC? Thoughts?

 

Had same on my 87 Camry (it took 4 months to leak the Freon out). The cooling ability is getting less as you are driving due to evaporator freezing or oil pooling in it due to reduced pressure

 

I'm a bit confused and perhaps need a primer on AC101. When I looked this morning, the main radiator behind the grill under the bumper has an area of smashed fins where something struck it but antifreeze level is fine and car doesn't overheat so I don't think leaking. However when I had the car looked at late last fall, they specifically mentioned smashed grill and possible AC problem. Does the AC have it's own cooling radiator located somewhere else? When I do turn on the AC I detect a bit of an odd, not pleasant smell which makes me wonder if it's leaked AC coolant.

EDIT: Ah I see from youtube. AC Condenser sits in front of radiator. Here is a picture of the dent. I don't see any wetness or signs of leakage.

 

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/gene...-1700-fix.html

 

That is trashed, definitely leaking. If you smell it inside the vehicle it is your evaporator leaking too unless the heater core is leaking ( they are usually housed together. But if youre not losing coolant then it is definitely the evap for the AC.

 

I am currently having the same problem in my 2008 Fit. When the AC runs, it's not as strong as it once was. If my car has been off for a while, the AC will work; if it had been used more recently, it will not. I got a diagnostic done and they said the clutch and coil on the AC unit were not working properly and when they are hot (have been running lately) they will not work properly. That's why it only works if the car has been resting a while.

 

I had a compressor clutch go out on my Ram... smells like hot brake pads, eventually it wears down to metal on metal. No way to save it, have to replace the whole compressor . Should be fairly easy depending on location of the compressor.

 

The banged up condenser could be a red herring. It seems like it to me, considering that it works at all.

It could be that your evaporator is freezing up. Next time it happens, open the hood and check the low side line up top (i.e. where the 'L' tap is) leading back into the firewall to see if there is frost on it. That would rule out or confirm evaporator freeze up, which would help narrow things down.

 

When pressure is getting a tad below normal range the A/c delivers cycles of really cold air followed by OFF pause when evaporator freezes up (evident at second speed). As it loses more it will run longer but will not cool. next stage the pressure drops below minimum , it will run only once at initial start for less than a minute and never cycle until cooled down for hours. Frost will develop around condenser outlet.