BUT if i persist with pushing repeatedly the AC button or even turning off the car and restarting the car the AC will kick back on. I need to add the AC when it starts blowing hot the AC button is on and lit green but like i said mashing the button on and off or turning off the car will kick in the cool air.
Has anyone had this issue? dealership is claiming ignorance
Thanks!!!
Bill

 

Mine is totally out now but was doing that previously. turned out to be the thermal protector on the compressor. Check that. It is a $50 part and not hard to replace or bypass by connecting the wires.

 

thanks sschoe...that is a start!!! very annoyed with dealer talking about water in the system.... i know intermittent when i see it. BTW consumer reports has the fit climate system sporting a big black dot everything else full red!!!

 

Also, you may just be getting low-ish on freon. Is your compressor kicking on when it's blowing hot? My freon was a hair low, and the compressor would not kick in.

 

I am just not sure how this is going to go. Clutch is kicking in randomly. but when it does kick in the air is stone cold. i am going to try to get under there and use electrical spray on the connector and/or tap on the clutch with a small mallet to see if it engages with a tap. Probably if that does not do the trick i will try to jump the thermal protector switch just to see if that could be bad. I just did not think the dealership listened to me... for instance this morning on first startup the clutch would not engage so their insistence that the compressor was freezing up is bull. because after a bit of a drive it kicked on and cooled for an hour a bit later in the morning. In the end i will probably wind up in a small independent shop and NOT the dealership

 

well today i got under the fit so i was getting serious. after researching more on this forum and the rest of the net i decided it could be the AC compressor clutch relay...(i originally suspected a switch or relay) Found the little 2x3 inch box behind drivers side headlight it was a bad relay WTF dealership insisting on low freon and water in the system I don't know if the mechanic was lazy or dishonest...but from what i understand this would be the first thing you check

 

My 2012 was doing that and the dealer said the thermal protection was shot but wanted to replace the whole compressor.

Crooks

 

luchobucho the only reason I keep posting about this is because it is a simple fix and should be the first thing to be checked with intermittent AC. having said that one would have to get out of the car and see if the compressor clutch is engaged when the AC is blowing cold and not engaged (When it should be) with AC on but blowing hot. especially if indeed a bit later the AC starts working again and the compressor clutch is now engaging. Of course this could signal something more serious BUT it seems to me an unqualified shade tree tinkerer that if you clean or replace the relay and you have no more problems maybe the problem is solved?! I have now had cold AC for 3 weeks so mine was def a bad relay

 

Replace the A/C copmressor relay. There is a known problem with relay failures on these cars. The relay should be $10-20 tops. I got one at an Advance Auto Parts store. The fact that they had this part in stock tells me that they sell a lot of them, so it's a good place to start.

Not sure about location on the 2011, but in my 2009 the relay sits in a small plastic case directly behind the driver's side headlamp. There are three relays inside the box. Two are mounted parallel to each other. The one relay that is positioned perpendicular to the other two is the A/C relay.

You might need a pair of pliers to pull it out.

It's a really cheap and easy swap, so I would definitely try ot before spending real money on diagnostic work! Good luck!