climate control or not.

[banditt]

last year i had my a/c charged and it blew fine with no leaks. After a while when blowing it turns hot and i took it back to the firestone dealer and he says its my climate control. Is there any other way to make sure this is accurate what he is saying because i would hate to spend money on the wrong parts. thanks:frown:

 

[Briank]

Check the sight glass on the receiver/dryer. You should be able to see liquid freon with the compressor running.

 

[hhoang3]

Firestone?

 

[nsxtasy]

Your post is not at all clear. The climate control system is the part of the car that includes the air conditioner. So any problem with the air conditioner is a problem with the climate control system.

Also, I wouldn't take a car to a Firestone franchisee for repairs to the climate control system. I would only take it to a place that does a lot of repairs on climate control systems, such as the Acura dealer or an independent mechanic.

There are a lot of possible reasons why the A/C is not working. However, whatever the reason, you can't just recharge the system and expect it to work. The refrigerant leaked out somewhere, and you have to repair the leak, not just recharge it.

It's also possible that the problem is with the climate control unit, which is an electronic circuit board that's part of the system. If that's what is at fault, username Briank (see above) refurbishes those units for a small fraction of the cost of buying them new. Click here for more information.

 

[Jett]

last year i had my a/c charged and it blew fine with no leaks. After a while when blowing it turns hot and i took it back to the firestone dealer and he says its my climate control. Is there any other way to make sure this is accurate what he is saying because i would hate to spend money on the wrong parts.

While I can't say with any degree of certainty, my gut instinct is that the primary problem isn't in the climate control unit. I think the primary problem is somewhere else. Having recently had repaired or replaced both the AC compressor and the climate control unit in my own car, I can start you on the right path.

The first thing you should do is check the sight glass on top of the receiver/dryer (see picture on page 22-73 of the NSX Service Manual) under the hood to see if your refrigerant is low.

Assuming that it is low, have the refrigerant refilled and dye added to the system. If you are in the United States, your local Jiffy Lube (hold your flames please, Jiffy Lube can handle this task, the machine does all the work, all they have to do is hook up the machine) will test your AC system (to see if it holds a vacuum) for $50, and if it does, they will refill the refrigerant for about $80-$100 more. The machine will add both refrigerant and dye. After this is done, monitor how well the AC cools and how quickly it leaks back down to blowing warm air. If your AC goes, say, a full year or longer without acting up, then you are good to go. You won't need to have anything done to the AC system. If it was blowing warm again next year, but not before that, just have it recharged again.

Assuming the AC does start blowing warm air again soon, you will have fresh dye in the system so that a technican can check for leaks using an ultraviolet light. Be aware that leaks can be difficult to detect if they are associated with the evaporator, but a competent* tech should be able to isolate the leak. One sign of low refrigerant is AC that blows warm on one side and cool on the other.

There are a few possible minor problems that are relatively inexpensive to repair. It is possible to have the compressor replaced, if necessary, for less than $900. The Mac Daddy of AC repairs is the evaporator replacement. But first things first. Check your sight glass and have your refrigerant recharged, and we will go from there...

What year NSX do you have?

Acura Service Bulletin for R-134a, 1993 and up.

*I really can't emphasize enough how important it is to find someone, at the dealer or otherwise, who understands the car. The best mechanic isn't necessarily at the dealer; the best mechanic is the one who is most knowledgeable about the car. There are independent shops with knowledgeable techs around. Search the forums for a competent NSX mechanic in your area. Just any mechanic really won't do. Firestone really isn't the place for anything other than a refrigerant recharge.

P.S. I had a look at your profile and I saw that Briank is "conversing" with you about this. You are in good hands...

 

[nsxtasy]

FWIW, I recently had a leak in the A/C system in my NSX. They discovered the leak, where a grommet was worn/missing where one of the lines goes through the firewall.

They can usually find leaks either using a dye in the system (as Jett mentions) and/or "sniffers", tools which detect the presence of refrigerant around system components and pinpoint the precise location.

 

[banditt]

today's update is.......i went to a lube dealer and had my a/c checked and here is what he did.... he went under the car and touched a valve and air came out of it which he indicted it was gas and fully charged. He said he wouldnt touch it because it was full and i needed to check something electrical.

 

[Briank]

today's update is.......i went to a lube dealer and had my a/c checked and here is what he did.... he went under the car and touched a valve and air came out of it which he indicted it was gas and fully charged. He said he wouldnt touch it because it was full and i needed to check something electrical.

The level of charge is checked by attaching gauges and measuring the pressures with the car running and the ac on. But even this method is not perfect but good enough for most of the time.

What was done on your car was like letting some air out of the tire valve and saying the tire was properly inflated. :wink:

 

[banditt]

wow im confused now:frown: dealer says 105.00 per hour to find out whats the problem. it seems as if im going to have to take that route soon. i dont know what my next step is???? i let the car run for a few minutes (5-7 min) and hot hot hot nothing. not 1 cold moment from the a/c.??????

 

[4AU4LIFE]

First a Firestone(tire shop), the a lube store(oil change, etc.) and you are wondering why they can't fix a a/c problem.
I would HIGHLY suggest taking Ken's advice and take it to the Acura dealer and pay them it diagnose/fix it or any independent tech that has NSX experience and have it repaired.
Quit toying around with these other places and do it right.

 

[Jett]

he went under the car and touched a valve and air came out of it which he indicted it was gas and fully charged.

There is no way that someone can crawl underneath the car and tell if the system is charged.

wow im confused now dealer says 105.00 per hour to find out whats the problem. it seems as if im going to have to take that route soon. i dont know what my next step is???? i let the car run for a few minutes (5-7 min) and hot hot hot nothing. not 1 cold moment from the a/c.??????

I don't mean to be a scold, but we could help you better if you posted specifics instead of hyperventilating without really providing any information. Let's start with a series of questions.

1. Where do you live (not your specific address, just your town will be enough). That way we might be able to point you to a qualified shop.
2. What year NSX do you have?
3. What have you had done so far? (I gather that you recently had the system recharged and have had a look at the sight glass?)
4. Was the AC working okay for a few days after you had the system recharged? (If it was but isn't working now this suggests a leak in the system.)
5. Is the AC exhibiting any other problems? (Examples: AC blows cold on one side and warm on the other, fan only blows on high, fan won't blow at all, screeching noise behind the passenger seat back in the engine compartment, faint smell of burning rubber?)
6. Have you had anyone look for leaks yet?
7. Any other details you would care to add?

If you get specific I am almost certain someone on this board will be able to help you avoid being raped by the dealer, or in the alternative, identifying the problem so that you won't feel so bad when they bend you over.

 

[banditt]

no prob jet ok here is all i can remember and see so far..

last summer had the system checked for leaks. 2nd they (firestone) added dye inside it the car and i drove it and a/c froze me:smile:. then after about a week or so it just blows hot (both sides) the compressor spins and i dont hear any noise as well as smelling any rubber. i took it today to a lube spot and he touched a pin in the front of the hood and air shot out. the guy then tells me its charged and he recommend i get my electrical system charged. Briank has been nice enough to help try and solve my problem as well as the great larry B:smile:. my car is a 91 and im in the west orange area.Everytime i turn the a/c on the compressor turns on fine and inside the site glass i can see the freon moving. thats all i know so far and i wanna thank everyone for their help and advice. the fight will continue.

 

[Jett]

Okay, that is fairly descriptive, thanks.

Definitely listen to Briank or LarryB before me; they both have fixed something on my own car before, so they know more than me.

If the car went a year before it stopped cooling, and since you indicate that there are no other symptoms of a problem, I would add refrigerant again. Here is where posting what year car you have is important: R-134a refrigerant is very inexpensive to add yourself. If your 1991 NSX (which was sold with an R-12 system) has been converted to the later R-134a refrigerant, you could use one of these kits to top it off yourself. But if it is still R-12, you will have to take it somewhere to have this done, since consumers can no longer directly purchase R-12. Again, my suggestion would be to take it to Jiffy Lube (assuming that they stock R-12, both my cars use R-134a so I have never asked them) (hold your flames please, I am not recommending them for fixing the AC, I am only recommending them for charging the system. Think of it as a "Freon Change" instead of an Oil Change.) They are the least expensive place around and they sell the same refrigerant and use the same machine that everybody else does.

On the other hand, if it stopped blowing cold after only one week since the recharge, you should take it somewhere to have them find the leak with a UV light or sniffer. The default location is the dealer, but there are some independent shops around who are skilled. So we need to identify exactly where you are so we can point you to a good place to take it to have it looked it. The problem is, you say you are in West Orange. West Orange where? California? New Jersey? Texas? Somewhere else? This is another example of where being specific will help move things along.

Can you tell if your compressor is engaging when you turn it on? If you open your rear hatch you can look down in the right rear side, low in the engine bay, and see the compressor. When your AC is off, you will see the belt spinning the pulley but the center of the pulley stays still. When you turn your AC on and look again, you should see the center of the pulley turning with the belt. This will show you whether or not your AC clutch is engaging on the AC compressor.

So that's where we are at. Figure out which refrigerant you use and proceed accordingly. If you are past this step, time to identify a qualified repair facility to check for leaks. Post your specific city and state and we can point you in the right direction. Or if you are serious about doing as much as possible yourself, you could obtain a leak detector to check for leaks yourself. I would help you with where to look in the car.

On a side note, just yesterday I was charged $50 a pound for home AC refrigerant (R-22). My heat pump took 8.5 lbs. Plus another $50 service fee just for hooking up to the outside unit. So $475 just to hook up and fill with refrigerant. :frown: This in addition to the other charges for servicing my upper heat pump (There are two HVAC units in my house...twice as many things to break.) I have spent almost $2000 on AC repairs this year so far - one home system and two cars.:frown: And that is with me being involved in the troubleshooting and repairs. If I had just taken the car to the dealer or blindly called in a home repair service, the number would probably be closer to $3000. So I am trying to help you out since I think you are a young guy and don't have a ton of money to throw at repairs, especially since by being informed/involved you can usually save a lot of $$$$ in the process.

 

[prestonmay]

converting the system is not a hard job to do yourself.........

I had similar problems and found out it was a wire running to my compressor under the car---had rippped off. look and see if the freon is circulating as BRIAN K..... Said. Guys also realize this....Some areas do not Have an Acura Dealership and then some who do have dealerships, do not have someone who works on NSX or have not seen them in a WHILE. I am in Atanta and the Acura Dealer 3 miles from me said they hadnt worked on an NSX in 7 years............ thank god, for this board---For with the help from many here I have saved allot of money and time.....

If it was Timing Belt--acura all the way.............

 

[danny49]

If after you charged the system and a week later it is blowing warm, Then there is definetly a leak.Must be a fairly large leak. I had my drier- reciever replaced because it was blocked, After he charged the system it is still blowing cold after three months, Keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[banditt]

I am scheduled tuesday to drop the car off at the dealership in montclair New Jersey. If indeed i need CCU i will get it from brianK and or if there is another problem if no leaks i will take it to Larry B. Reason is...the compressor is spinning and these shops for some reason i dont think want to put the time into it to find whats going on. Thanks again guys.

 

[nsxtasy]

The problem is, you say you are in West Orange. West Orange where? California? New Jersey? Texas? Somewhere else? This is another example of where being specific will help move things along.

Given that there are only two West Oranges in the country, and given that the one in Texas is less than one tenth the size of the one in New Jersey (4,111 people vs 44,943), and given that he has mentioned taking the car to Larry B who is 50 miles from West Orange, New Jersey but 1500 miles from West Orange, Texas, it would be reasonable to assume he is referring to the one in New Jersey. :biggrin:

I am scheduled tuesday to drop the car off at the dealership in montclair New Jersey.

Montclair Acura is actually located in Verona, on the site of the former, famous and widely-missed Claremont Diner. The dealership was originally located in downtown Montclair, but moved up Bloomfield Avenue. FWIW, I stopped in there some years ago and was treated quite rudely by their sales department. When I'm in the area, my first choice for anyone to work on my car - first choice BY FAR - is Larry B. Only about an hour's drive from West Orange. (The one in New Jersey, of course.)

 

[Jett]

Given that there are only two West Oranges in the country, and given that the one in Texas is less than one tenth the size of the one in New Jersey (4,111 people vs 44,943), and given that he has mentioned taking the car to Larry B who is 50 miles from West Orange, New Jersey but 1500 miles from West Orange, Texas, it would be reasonable to assume he is referring to the one in New Jersey.

He didn't mention dropping it off anywhere specific until after I asked which West Orange. Also, when he referred to the "west orange area" it implies that he might be referring to the west side of Orange, CA. Using your own "odds based on relative population" theory, making an LA vs NJ vs TX comparison, then extrapolating from that the relative number of NSXs likely to be present in SoCal vs NJ vs TX, the odds are greater that he is in 1. California 2. New Jersey or 3. Texas, in that order. But just because the odds are against it, doesn't mean he isn't in Texas. Which is why we need to know with certainty which West Orange.

Note that the above example uses your logic. Once it was established that he was in New Jersey, the logical recommendation is to just have him take it to LarryB.

 

[nsxtasy]

First of all, when someone puts a smilie in a post, like this: :biggrin: it indicates a lighthearted, humorous note, which is readily apparent... at least, to anyone with half a sense of humor.

But sure, if you like, we can keep going down this trivial, insignificant tangent you have launched us on. The simple fact is that there is one large municipality in the country with the name West Orange, and it's in New Jersey. That's the fact, pure and simple. :smile:

I suppose someone could come back with an obsessive-compulsive response whenever anyone mentions other towns, like Philadelphia (Hey! Do you mean Philadelphia PA, population 1.4 million, or Philadelphia MS, population 7000?), Los Angeles (...Los Angeles CA, population 3.8 million, or Los Angeles TX, population 100?), etc.

However, most of us have enough common sense to know when someone mentions a town's name, the likelihood is that it's the big one with that actual official name, and don't see any need to...

A sense of humor and common sense. Try it! :wink:

 

[Briank]

Hey lets keep it on topic guys :tongue:

I expect Banditt's CCU to arrive for testing in a couple of days.

 

[Jett]

First of all, when someone puts a smilie in a post, like this: it indicates a lighthearted, humorous note, which is readily apparent... at least, to anyone with half a sense of humor.

I get that - I was being light-hearted. You will notice that I put a big smilie face on the title of the post, where I was hoping you would pick up on it first and see that I was just kidding around.

A sense of humor and common sense. Try it!

Please take your own advice.

 

[enkrypt3d]

first a firestone(tire shop), the a lube store(oil change, etc.) and you are wondering why they can't fix a a/c problem.
I would highly suggest taking ken's advice and take it to the acura dealer and pay them it diagnose/fix it or any independent tech that has nsx experience and have it repaired.
Quit toying around with these other places and do it right.

1+!!

 

[banditt]

TODAYS UPDATE.... i took the car ( 1hr 30min ) to larry and i really wish he had the machine to fix it. I wasnt there for 15 minutes and he touched a nozzle and no freon came out and the compressor wouldnt turn on. I was saying to myself wow because just a week ago when i posted the initial post i took the car to the lube place and thee compressor came right on and thats what made the guy say there was an electrical problem. I was going to let larry install the climate control but he says honestly there was no need to install a climate control and there is no freon in the car to begin with! He told me to call mike lasko and see what they can do as well as seeing if firestone can atleast track the leak down to save $$$. i called mike and im still waiting for a date to bring the car also stopped by firestone and they will (for free) put the light on it to see where leak is comming from. Once i see where the leak is or parts i need i will be going to the dealer because im tired already. thanks larry and briank as well as the others for your help.

 

[baynsac]

I got a very similar problem. My ac/heater unit wouldnt turn on and it wont let me turn the air conditioner or anything else that unit controls. No lights are light behind it as its not working. It keeps blowing hot air out the footwell. I also dont see any freon running when I open my front hood. Can anyone help me to the right direction??
Its a 1991, I am in SF, Ca.

 

[Briank]

I got a very similar problem. My ac/heater unit wouldnt turn on and it wont let me turn the air conditioner or anything else that unit controls. No lights are light behind it as its not working. It keeps blowing hot air out the footwell. I also dont see any freon running when I open my front hood. Can anyone help me to the right direction??
Its a 1991, I am in SF, Ca.

Your climate control unit need to be repaired. :biggrin: