What's up with my air conditioning? 2001 Durango

Hey everyone, I've got a question about my air conditioning in my 2001 Durango SLT, 4.7L RWD. It never seems to be blowing as cold as it should, even though I have a brand new compressor and it's full of R134a (so far s I know). I don't believe it's my receiver-drier or accumulator, I don't have the associated smell. It's not the blower motor either. We checked the blend doors inside the dash, they seem to be working properly. It just never gets very cool during these hot summer days in Florida. It blows semi-cool in the mornings and evenings, and it's certainly cold in the winter, but I'm roasting in there during the daytime. It should be much colder than it is.

Oh, and I'm only getting hot air out of the front passenger side vents no matter what I do with the controls.

What could be the problem here?

it could be a LOT of things.
probably low freon levels.
it could be to much freon in the system also.
could be plugged up orifice tube also.

Like said it could be a lot of things. I have a 2005 durango and the hose from the compressor to the condenser starting leaking last year. I pulled out all the gas with my recycler/AC machine and could see it was low. Recharged it and it worked for another year. Lately it got low again and I ordered a new hose for it. Luckily the hose was only 32 bucks shipped to my door. Should have replaced last year.

But your problem sounds like a door problem if you have hot air out one vent and cool air out of the rest. It sounds like the hot air is blending with the cool air? My

without knowing pressures, anything is a guess

Pressures are all where they're supposed to be, at least they were when we filled up the freon.

We checked the blend doors, they seemed to be working fine

Not familiar with '01 (I have a '00) controls. Does it have his and hers temp controls?
Thinking slow this morning.


Tim

Thinking slow this morning. I agree that it sounds like it's low on freon. I would try to add a little more at the time and see if it starts to cool off more.
Maybe your gauges are off?


Tim

I was using a mechanic's gauges at my uncle's auto shop, so I don't think it's that. We tried adding freon once before, and while it helped temporarily, within a few minutes it went back to warmer air. Which is weird, since the pressures all still read as normal.

I'm all ears, my 01 is the same.

it is either low on 134 or fan clutch is going bad

It's definitely not the fan clutch, it got replaced less than 2 years ago.

I wonder if they used a very similar AC hose on 2005 T&C minivans because my mothers 3.3L has a similar slow freon leak?
A dose of Red Angel 2nd generation stop leak slowed it down from 12 oz every 2 weeks to 12 oz every 12 weeks.

I doubt I have a leak, we did a pressure test and all seemed normal

Hmmm.... might try pinching off the heater hoses to double check blend door.
Driving down the road makes no difference?

Tim

Not on the passenger side, no. If I'm stuck in traffic the driver's side air gets warmer, and it gets a tiny bit cooler after I get going again, but it's still way too warm.

And the elec fan is working right?

Pretty much rules out fan clutch as well as the auxiallary electric, I would think. After about 20 mph airflow cools the radiator and condenser. Probably would have noticed engine temp rising anyway at a stop or in stop-n-go traffic.
Try pinching the heater hoses off.


Tim

You did vacuum the system down when you replaced the compressor? How much oil did you add?


Tim

So far as I can tell, yes

Well, it's Florida in the summer so the engine temp does rise a *little* in stop and go, but it never goes past halfway on the gauge. How do I pinch off the heater hoses? AC systems are something I'm very unfamiliar with.

Dont remember if it was an option then but does it have dual zone temp controls.?


my money is on its either a freon level issue or a blend air door problem in the box

if you have added small amounts of freon to test this, has said amounts been evacuated back out ?
If not, evac it completely and recharge the correct amount . Then start from scratch. Ck where your pressures are .
Disconnect cooling fan ( or place a piece of cardboard over the condenser and see if high side pressures rise( DO NOT let it max out)