Intermittent A/C

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40BelowSummer

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Recently on some trips the A/C blows cold and other days it blows warm on both sides.
I have a new condenser and working fan - the A/C was recently charged when the condenser was replaced.
Any quick troubleshooting tips? Anything I can watch for with Forscan or OBD?
 

n5mj

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My bone-stock 2011 with 62,000 miles did that once. It cleared after selecting max AC and cycling through manual fan speeds. The Auto climate sometimes loses its mind, IMHO.

Troubleshooting - command full cool by turning Auto off, and selecting MAX A/C. Blow cold? If not, check to see if the AC clutch is engaged and turning the compressor, if not, there's your problem. Could be a high/low pressure switch or wiring issue, low charge or bubble/water in the lines.

Ensure the condenser is clear of grass/bugs/buildup. You can peer through the grill and see if there's detritus built up. Clean it with a low-pressure pressure washer - think the electric pressure washers you can buy at Harbor Freight.

If A/C compressor is turning, check the dryer can and vapor line for cold. If you live in a high humidity area, there should be condensation on the vapor line (metal part going into the dryer). So then you're looking at a blend door problem. You can try exercising the blend door(s) by running the temp control (manual AC mode, fan low) up to max and back down to minimum temp. Selecting the dash vents may make it easier to appreciate the change in temp.

If the temp up-down test doesn't cause the air temp to change, it can get expensive to fix.

Other issues could be the cabin temp sensor intermittent, the coolant valve feeding the heater core could be stuck open, or the HVAC control module might have a connection or function issue.

A big-money scan tool can let you look at the function commands, and any servo feedback as applicable, but I haven't needed one of those, yet, to find the most common problems.

Hope it's something easy.
 

jake8687

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I had a similar issue. Make sure your coolant level is proper. The fix for me was replacing the radiator cooling fan module and checking plug connections located next to fan (on my 11 sho non pp).Standard may still make a replacement
 

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