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Comments
Once the low-speed fan is eliminated as an issue, you will then need to verify the Freon charge level and also verify correct operation of the LPS (see previous posts). The fan and LPS failure seem to go hand-in-hand. I suspect that the excess pressure caused by the lack of low-speed fan causes the LPS to fail as well. And, the Freon venting causes the charge to fall below normal levels.
John
John
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That fan assembly will work - as will others in the same price range. Just Google "PT Cruiser Radiator Fan" for a selection. I do not recommend going for the ultra-cheap solution of replacing only the fan motor. A complete Radiator Fan Assembly will include a centrifugally balanced fan blade (important for any long-term fix), a new shroud, new relays, new cables, new connector, and, of course, a new two-stage motor. And, replacement of the entire assembly is actually easier and less time-consuming than replacing the motor alone. The difference in price is about $40.00 but the difference in value will exceed this amount. Consider also the fact that a typical dealer will charge between $800 and $1,200 for replacing an assembly that you can acquire in the $100 price range.
But, its your time and money.
then it would work then not work, turn on with acceleration shut down when idling.
now it just stopped
I did try the LPS paperclip trick and the compressor does seem to come on but not cold. Could be low freon. The LP side reads in the normal when the A/C is not on and very low when it is running. IS that normal for low freon?
If it is low freon then I am going to charge it, check the low speed fan to see if it is operating and also change the LPS.
Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated
thanks
My intuition tells me that you should go ahead and risk the $30 for a new LPS (eliminate it from the factor list) and then, if there is no improvement in performance, have your system professionally charged (this will also ensure that you are getting a Freon/lubricant mix). Agian, this is based on the assumption that your low-speed radiator fan is functioning properly.
Good luck! Let us all know your results.
When i turn my A/C on my cars idle goes down. My A/C works fine when i am driving and if i rev my engine while im stopped. if i stop with out reving the engine while my A/C is on my car almost stalls out and the RPMS dip down and then go back up and the air gets warm. I have had so many different diagnoses i just want this problem fixed. WHAT IS IT?
Double-check fan operation, and, if necessary, double-check the paper-clip test. The fact that you measured excessively high freon pressure indicates that the compressor must be running at some point. The pressures you describe can occur when the low-speed radiator fan does not operate, and this usually occurs when the LPS fails (yes, I know, vicious circle).
A good A/C mechanic can check all of this in short order. However, a crappy A/C mechanic will replace the entire radiator fan assembly before replacing the LPS when necessary.
Good luck!
I am also sure that the compressor does not come on at all at any point during my day or during driving or sitting idle. I did measure high pressure on the low end side when the car is completely cool. The pressure measurements were all taken when the ambient outside temp was 70 degrees F and the engine and car were cool, My friend thinks its a Low Pressure Switch or Low Pressure Sensor that engages when the low pressure side gets too high in order to shut off the compressor so it doesnt seize up or blow.
I did have the radiator fan replaced last year and I had the radiator fan relays replaced as well. The radiator fan defect is a known issue with the PT cruisers that causes the A/C compressor to disengage and blow warmer and the car to overheat. After the radiator fan was replaced last year the A/C worked great until a few days ago.
I will say that when the ambient temp was 75 or below and I ran the A/C at night it would blow so cold and the A/C coming from the vents would blow less hard yet extremely cold. When i turned the blower off and let the A/C "thaw" it would blow hard again and cold. It seemed to me like when the A/C was blowing cold at night it began to "freeze up" and the air coming out the vent would decrease in velocity the longer I let the A/C run. This happened at night when the outside temp was about 60-70 degrees. This was happening every so often for a few months. Do you think the "freeze-thaw" issue is the condensor or the blower that is causing the high pressure in my system and the compressor not to engage?
Is there anything else that migh cause higher pressure readings on the low pressure side?
And are there any other sensors that would cause the compressor to not engage?
I do appreciate any feedback or ideas. You have no idea how much it helps. Looking forward to hearing from anyone soon. Thanks
I just called PEP BOYS and am going tomorrow morning to have a diagnostic test run and to have them look at the fan to see. I tried the self test, but could not find a good angle to see the fan properly.
Funny thing, today my AC did not work when I turned the car on. But, I started driving and began to turn on and off the nob for the AC and it turned on.
Funny thing, today my AC did not work when I turned the car on. But, I started driving and began to turn on and off the nob for the AC and it turned on.
He charged me $70 to tell me that I need an $1100 compressor as mine was "weak." I decided not to do it. This spring I took it to another a/c shop. He worked on it for about an hour with his guages and code readers. He said he would have to put it on the rack and pull the fan from the bottom to see if it was the problem as he could find nothing else wrong and that I would have to bring it back later for that. He didn't charge me and seemed embarassed that he couldn't diagnose it.
I took the upper radiator support off (6 bolts), leaned the radiator forward and took out the 4 fan shroud bolts, unplugged the wiring, and removed the fan from the top. I hooked a 12v battery to the ground and positive terminals of the wiring harness (3 wire plug). The fan would not run on low speed and was sluggish on high speed. I took the blade off the fan and oiled the fan motor bearings and put the blade back on. The fan worked from that point on both speeds. Apparently the motor is thermally protected and the dry bearing created enough heat to kick out the thermal switch causing the system to detect overheating and kick off the compressor at idle speed. I ordered a new fan that I will install as I feel that the problem will return due to wear in the fan motor bearing. The best price i found on the fan was partsgeek.com. $89 including shipping. Wish I would have taken this on from the beginning.
Also, people keep posting on here that this A/C issue is a known issue with Chrysler. I called Chrysler yesterday and they knew nothing about it. They said they typed A/C into their database and nothing came up.
Thanks
You had mentioned that this radiator fan issue is a known defect in PTs. I have a PT with this issue and I called Chrysler and they know nothing about it. They said if the part was "defective" that there would be a recall on it, but no recalls have been issued through NHTSA. Is this something that a mechanic told you or were you actually able to get someone at Chrysler to admit that there is really some defective parts on their precious PTs?
Thank you
There is a big difference between a "Service Bulletin" and a "recall". A Service Bulletin for a defective part does not necessarily evolve into a recall unless these is a known safety issue. "No A/C" is not considered a safety issue.
I'm surprised that Chrysler did not find anything in their "database" regarding A/C. Especially since it has been reported hundreds of times on the internet.
As proven in these and other forum posts, problems with the LPS and the low-speed radiator fan (and ultimately the A/C) are common in the PT Cruiser. They are also not uncommon in other Chrysler vehicles.
So, to put it in short form, your leak is in a coil of tubing in the exterior of the vehicle parallel with the radiator.
My husband's best friend knows all about cars so we're sending him the link to this forum page to see how he can help.
I do have a question (and apologies if I don't see the answer here): what the heck is the paperclip test?
Cindy