Trying to pinpoint the cause of my AC outage...

My AC quit blowing cold near the end of a 2 hour road trip last night (outside temps around 88).

At the end of the trip I popped the hood and found all aluminum/metal AC lines coming from the firewall into the engine bay were all covered in a sheet of ice.......is this normal, or does this hint at a cause of the issue? The rubber hose heading down to the condenser area only had a bit of condensation on it. I didn't see or hear anything leaking other than the usual water dripping down.

A quick glance at the condenser area and I didn't see any obvious damage, may need a closer look though if this is the suspected culprit. I don't believe it's a faulty AC switch because there is a hint of air conditioned air coming out....a bit more at low speeds/low throttle. The overall blower output even seems a bit restricted as well if that helps diagnose the issue.

Anything else I can check to pinpoint the cause, or is this enough info to point me in the right direction for repairs?

~Thanks

 

Well, my first guess before even opening the thread is that your condenser developed a leak.

To be sure, after the ice melted, have you tried the AC again?

 

I did, the AC output improved very little if any. I didn't think ice on the lines would cause the issue, just wanted to include it to aid in diagnosing the root cause. So far it's sounding like condenser...

 

A very common problem with hondas is easily damaged condensers, and it would act just like you described, a sudden loss in cooling. The ice on the lines was probably from the loss of the freon.

 

Go somewhere and have them pull the codes.

 

Makes sense thanks man. I'll start ordering parts now.

Google shopping found the cheapest new aftermarket (brand Silla) condenser (Honda Part #80110-TK6-A01) through a place called Shepherd auto parts in Gardena, CA. Knowone has probably heard of them but the price for a new unit plus shipping is only $90.34. http://www.shepherdautoparts.com/autoparts/w5fDlcOSw5XDlsK7wqDDk8Obw5LDlcKi.htm

Think I should go for it? What other parts will I need for this besides screw drivers and 10mm wrench listed on this DIY: https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...placement.html

As for discharging and re-charging.....my buddy owns a shop and has a fill tank and meters to recharge, is this pretty much all that's needed to complete this portion of the project or is there a lot more involved with that?

~Thanks

 

I thought the check engine light illuminates any time a car throws a code? I could easily take it up to AutoZone and plug into their OBDII scanner for free, but again the light is not on, so not sure if a code is present...?

 

If your buddy owns a shop, that makes it a lot easier. Step 1 is to double check that you have a leak and that it's in the condenser. It probably is, but the condenser is also one of the pricier parts. Your buddy should have to tools to check the pressure to confirm that it's empty.

As for other parts you'll need, you should also replace the desiccant.

 

Today is no day to be without air conditioning in the STL area for sure.

Why don't you have your buddy troubleshoot the problem. At least you'll know what's up before you start the repair. If it's not the condenser, let Honda pay for it.

Drove through Troy, MO about four times in the last month. Didn't see you out driving around.

Cheers.

 

Honda said they'll check it out for $69.99 (almost the cost of just buying a new one aftermarket!). They say it could be an o-ring and they can run dye through the system to check for leaks.

When I get home later I will look more closely at the condenser for physical damage. Not sure where the most vulnerable spots are, or what exactly to look for though...

If I can't find any damage, what are the odds it's an o-ring or small leak? Is this something that could simply be patched for cheap? Where can I find a patch kit, anyone have experience with this?

 

That's true he could easily see the drop in pressure once he hooks that thing up...cool, I'll call him now (he loves to be bothered with car stuff on Saturday's). It's too damn hot out to not have AC.... driving the wife's car today!

 

No kidding, it's HOT! I was out in Cuba, MO floating the Meramec all day yesterday and let me tell you that spring fed water was awesome...ice cold! You'll catch me in Troy sometime man, I have like 50k on my car... we're always out and about in the Fit!

 

Check Engine light is tripped for issues relating to emission systems. A/C issues will trip a code but not the CEL. Diagnose the problem before you start throwing parts at it is my primary point, otherwise you're simply guessing and could confuse the issue. A pressure check would give you good info.

 

Sounds good, will do!

 

Update: First of all I have driven my car 50k miles and I know the AC went out yesterday. But today, it's perfect!

I don't get it.... Guess the frozen lines caused it? But what caused the frozen lines? Ideas?

~Thanks

 

It could be a number of things. Malfunctioning switch, low coolant levels, a one off event that froze the evaporator unit due to high humidity and constant use, etc. Without being hands on, its impossible to pinpoint an exact cause; even hands on it can be un-obvious.

If it reoccurs, then check back in. But a one-off problem is almost impossible to track down.

 

Frost buildup like old time refrigerators without a defrost cycle.

Continuous use during just the right conditions will cause this.

Solution: Turn it off for a while (manual defrost cycle).

 

Excessive moisture in the system will cause it as well.

Just found this:Troubleshoot Automotive Air Conditioning Problems

A trick is to add a bit of 'heat' to the setting. Running MAX cold w/ high heat/humidity conditions aggravates the problem.

K_C_

 

That link is a wealth of information, thanks! Yep, must have been the right conditions to cause this issue. It certainly was hot, humid, and my AC was cranked!

 

Adding heat may help the evaporator coils from freezing. It all depends on if the heater core is before or after the A/C coil. In any case this defeats the purpose of using the A/C.

The A/C evaporator coils should not freeze up. This sounds like what happened, as a result they were not extracting heat, airflow was reduced, and the fittings in the engine bay iced up.

It might be a fluke with high humidity and temps, but this would indicate a design flaw with the A/C. Frosting up is not normal.

It might indicate a mechanical problem or maintenance issue. Given the amount the compressor cycles I don't see freezing happening unless there's some other cause. There are two ways this is normally avoided: a temp sensor (thermistor) that turns off the compressor when the coils are too cold. A temp sensor connected to the expansion valve that controls the flow of refrigerant.

Low refrigerant sometimes results in the A/C working too hard and the evaporator coils freezing up. An A/C technician is the only way to determine if this is the issue, and what the underlying problem (leak?) might be. If you took a rock in the condenser, it would not cool at all; all the refrigerant would have leaked out quickly.

Could be a stuck expansion valve. This meters the flow of refrigerant to the evaporator coils based on temperature. This might be a fluke, but if it happens often requires replacement. Bit pricey. Again, a tech would have to diagnose.

Could be a bad thermistor. Tech again.

If you haven't changed the cabin filter, try getting a new one. It could be the problem, but still shouldn't have caused it to freeze.

If nothing else, run it on recirculate to avoid high humidity. This recycles dryer air from inside the car rather than drawing in hot humid air from outside. Be sure to put it back on the fresh air setting before leaving the car sit as this allows the evaporator coils to dry out and avoids mildew buildup (another possible problem).