Thread: A/C not working in traffic/extreme heat!

^Facts to back up your assumption? I read up on this stuff for a month before I tackled the project.



^I have a KOYO radiator, did a complete block flush, water wetter, my ASP header is ceramic coated, and 1500cfm slim fans (better than factory stock fans). I covered all the cooling areas on my car pretty well.



^Agreed.

Ok since this has become a bit more heated (like me in my car ). Here's more info:

When I'm driving the a/c chips out, this is obvious as the engine is under less load, I get so hot and the car wasn't even cool before the darn thing chipped out!

I wound down the window and I heard a crackling sound coming from the compressor. When I pull over and pop the bonnet the heat is awesome! The crackling sound is still there loud as ever! Then all of a sudden the sound is gone?!?! When I check the vents, the a/c is cooling again apparently. When I dripped some water on the compressor, instant steam!

Still haven't gotten to the a/c guy yet

Will browse the a/c project thread though

Well that sounds like a compressor problem. =) For what it's worth, you want to pull air from outside the car into the condenser (as opposed to blowing the air in the engine bay out the front). Make sure your fan is working properly. Header wraps might do a bit to help the situation when you're stopped, but probably not enough to make a noticeable difference.

Thor did make some good points in that it can't hurt to check the condenser itself to make sure it's not clogged up at all and that the majority of the fins are in OK shape.

As for those arguing about system types, the facts are simple. R-134a is a less efficient refrigerant than R-12. It is also safer and more environmentally friendly. The reason retrofits aren't as decent for cooling is because the AC system was not designed for it. A new AC system designed for R-134a will be able to put out air just as cold as the old R-12 systems, albeit at a lower efficiency. This is the reason new cars can idle at 7-900 RPM and still work just fine with AC. Of course, I think we've had this discussion in Vadim's thread.

I tend to agree with your mechanic. Look at my A/C thread in the NX2000 section. I had to use header jackets on my header. I noticed even though the temps still climbed, the compressor Sunday (when I installed the jackets) did not cut off.

Exactly. Thats why my 97 Maxima is an icebox where my NX is OK when the pullies are moving. And the Unorthodox crank pulley does not help either..

xtrail GT ....sr20vet [lowest idle and that was 850 rpm]
nissan pulsar ..... sr20ve
nissan primera..... sr20de
nissan gti-R..... sr20det
nissan sunny gts..... sr18de

mr 4dr sr20det with all the niceties of the motor cooling is fine but u need to cool the ref. system. so koyo n water wetter n slim fans r nice but irrelivant really for the cooling of ur a/c... my trick was to install a fan on the condenser itself [third fan] on the bumper side and not the bay side. the distance for a fan to pull air through the radiator n then the condenser is a bit much....especially with the static air build up from traffic when its already 12 noon, hot as hell, exhaust heat from the ppl arround u is still cause there isnt any wind moving it, an all that jazz.

r-134a refridgerant just need to be used in a system it was designed for.... this gas is used in even deep freeze equipment.... its design was to emilate [which it did VERY well] the r-12 refidgerant. it is able to work in the r12 system but it will not work 100% due to it not being designed for that system..... look at it like this.... a de header on a ve will work.... but a ve header on a ve will work better, be cause it was designed for it. in ok situations it will not be noticed.... but get extreme and u will see the bugs of a mixed system.

I'm having a similar situation, I have a 2" dual core rad, ss headers and only 2 slim fans, my a/c guy called it heat soak
.
To fix the problem I'm going to add another fan on the bumper side, but for now I drive all highway and the a/c ineficiency in stop and go traffic is not too much of an inconvience

I don't know that any of those vehicles idle above 850rpm +/- 50rpm. iIRC, they run even lower on 5MT vs autocraptic