Jeep Liberty Heating Ventilation and A/C

zoeco

I have an '03 liberty and I need to have the ac recharged. Is it worth and feasible to charge it myself with a kit from the auto parts store or is it better to take it in to have the work done? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, and Jeep on!!

jayrider

If your a/c needs to be recharged then you have a leak somewhere. Just because your a/c isn't working, doesn't mean it's low on refrigerant.

Take it to a qualified shop that does auto a/c and get it diagnosed and fixed. Just a suggestion.

zoeco

So, even if the ac is working, but just isn't as cold as it used to be that can be an indication of a leak? And, I don't mean to sound stupid, but with my other vehicles, when the air stopped blowing as coldy as before, I usually took it in to have the refrigerant refilled. I hope I don't have a leak, but thanks for the info just the same.

jayrider

It might be that simple but it might be something related to the switches that turn the compressor on and off, could be the compressor itself [expensive] -- there are lots of possible problems but if I'm not mistaken, new procedures at licensed shops require the system to be totally evacuated and refilled. Maybe wrong on that but just topping it off may not be an option without a diagnostic check. You might check edmunds.com for technical service bulletins related to a/c in 03 liberty's. Good luck. The a/c in my 03 is awsome---yours should be as well.

mariac54

Help.... my motor is overheating when idle. Have not turned on a/c in 2 weeks, it seems to overheat the motor. Is this a thermostat problem? Anyone out there with this problem? No recall for 2003 on this issue. Only 2006 & 2007 have the overheating due to a/c problem.

tidester

We're consolidating related discussions into this topic for your convenience.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

sadliberty

I am really having a hard time getting an '07 jeep liberty! I purchased a used one with 2k on it only to find the transmission messed up and had been in the shop 4X's. Took it back. Went to dealer and purchased a brand new one. Today 200 miles later I find that my floor board front & back are flooded....can only guess it is an A/c problem..I am so frustrated. love the vehicle but will not make pmts and deal with problems first week. HELP! anyone else got issues?

jayrider

The air coming out of the vents has a musty stink. There is a repair bulletin and I may have to go that route. Tried the stuff you spray in the air intake that is supposed to fix the problem with less than stellar results.
Only problem so far on my 03.

tidester

Some find that it helps to turn the air conditioning off a minute or two before turning off the engine.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

jayrider

But then I'd be hot for a minute or two. But then the air might not stink. Decisions---decisions. What to do?

tidester

But then I'd be hot for a minute or two.

Tough call!

Perhaps rolling your windows down for that dreadful interim would help?

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

orlgriff

I have an '03 Liberty Sport 3.7L. My A/C blows cool for several minutes then blows warm. The time between cool and hot varies. Sometimes the air will blow warm for awhile then return to cooling with no action. Other times it never recovers...that is until I turn the A/C off for several minutes. Then it will blow cool and hot again. I've taken it to the dealer twice. 1st time was low on refrigerent. They said leak couldn't be found. Took it in a second time a month or so later. This time ref charge ok and still no leak. Replaced a "relay" and hose clamp...still no luck. Any experience out there?

xtec

I've had the expansion valve go on differant cars with the same symptom.Have that checked out,and I used to replace them when I worked on A/C.Good Luck.

orlgriff

Thanks...that sounds in line with some other info I've found regarding potentially clogged evaporator drain line. Would you agree?

xtec

You can check you drain hose, but if that plugged you would get mold smell,and water on the floor.You should see a little puddle under you Jeep when the air is on,thats what comes out out the drain.

orlgriff

Okay. Thanks again. I was confusing the air side vs the refrigerent side. I was thinking there was an orifice on the refrigerent side that could plug.

mbum

My 2002 Liberty heater blows hot as long as I am moving. As soon as I stop the heater blows cold. If I place the transmission in neutral and rev the engine to about 1500 rpm the air blows hot. It blows cold at about 1000 rpm and lower. Any thoughts?
Thank you.

caribou1

Assuming your water pump is OK, when the thermostat doesn't open or when the radiator is partially clogged, you push all the heat dissipated by the engine through the cabin heater because the cabin heating system is always 'first served'; at idle speed there may not be enough heat for you to feel the transition.

If you've blown your engine head gasket and have a (exhaust) gas pocket trapped in there, you may face the same symptom.

Check your antifreeze level first, and when the engine is cold try to move the cooling liquid by doing a 'massage' on your hoses. On a normal cold system you can feel and hear the liquid move back and forth once you open the filling cap. If by doing this the coolant pours out from the top reservoir, you have excessive restriction to flow through the main radiator. The pump can overcome this restriction, you can't.

Next, start the engine with the top reservoir open and wait for the thermostat to open. You should see coolant flowing into the top reservoir. This is a good way to check for air trapped in the circuit: just let the air out and refill to normal level.

On a normal cooling circuit you can open this little reservoir when it's hot and while the engine runs. It should not out gas much; the cap is made with a ramp to allow progressive release of overpressure and the tiny hose located under the cap collects the overflowing coolant.

Always keep in mind this can be hot liquid and should be disposed of as a chemical waste

barsnake

Did you get it fixed? What was the problem? Mine only blows heat when I'm hitting the gas. The AC went in a similar fashion in September or October. Appreciate any help.

orlgriff

No luck yet. My problem is a/c blows cold then hot. Hot air isn't a problem, but tough to test that for any length of time down here in Florida. a/c problem is intermittent. Acts like low refrigerent but charge is okay. I'm wondering if there isn't some kind of electrical issue getting the compressor clutch to work. Gave up on the Jeep Dealer. I'm asking around for a reliable a/c repair shop which is probably what I should have done to start with. I know this was no help, but wanted to reply. Good luck.

barsnake

Thanks for giving it a shot! No one seems to be able to figure ac/heat issues very easily on Jepps. Oh well. Otherwise it's been a workhorse so I can't complain too much.

2jeeps

Did you ever figure out the problem. My Jeep Liberty is doing the exact same thing. Heater is hot as long as I am moving. Cold otherwise. Had it to the dealership and they can't figure it out. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

xtec

First of all make sure you have enough coolant.Next thing is to check the radiator cap.If everything checks out OK,then check for air in the system.Sometimes there is a bleeder near the thermostat to bleed out the air.If you had air,recheck your coolant.I hope this helps.Good Luck

goslow

I have had my 2008 Jeep Liberty since October, and have been freezing. There is no heater duct on the driver side. The heat just spills out from a hole up under the center console, behind the gas pedal.

Is this normal?

The dealer says yes, but the heater duct seems to have a little latch on it like it is missing an extension piece that would bring it down to the driver's feet, similar to that of the passenger side.

I also have cold air blowing on me from right up under the console by my right leg.

Can somebody else with a 2008 Liberty verify that their heater duct on the driver side is the same as mine, or is it more like that of the passenger side?

Thanks.

--gary

almaf

I purchased a used 03 Jeep Liberty Sport Limited (fully factory equiped and I truly love it) which runs beautifully, but when it rains, it not only rains outside but inside too, bad enough that water reached back passenger seat. We checked out everything we thought might be causing this problem, even removing front hood, wipers and taking a hose and to it, but as you can see, we still have no idea what is causing this. Has anyone else had this problem? If yes, can you please give us a clue as to what it might be.
:confuse:

goslow

I've got a 1992 Jeep Cherokee in excellent condition that also rains inside -- but does so on both sides. I've always thought it was the windshield leaking, but can't find a leak up that high. It might actually be coming through the ducting system.

I know these vehicles aren't really the same, but they do share a similar history, and one sort of replaced the other.

Good luck!

carmen5

I've had my Jeep Liberty 2008 since December and the floor heater on the driver's side blows cold air. The passenger side blows very warm air. My feet freeze in the cold weather. I've had it in to the dealer, but it still blows cold air.

jayrider

Go back to the incompetent dealer and ask to test drive a couple of comparable new libertys and see if they all have the same problem. If they don't, ask him to fix yours or give you one that works.

debsteele

Does anybody know what the PCM is? Seems that I need one for my a/c to work on my Liberty.

kmmk1

Not sure if you got it fixed but maybe this will help. Had the same problem with a company car (Dodge Stratus). Had it to the dealer four times then took it to a local garage. The tech at the service station found that the drain holes on the firewall and the a/c drain under the dash weren't aligned. He pulled the dash apart, aligned it and the problem was gone. Think it cost us about $200.00 in labor. Good luck.

carmen5

Has your floor heater problem been resolved? Mine still blows cold air around my ankle on the driver's side.

zubi305

After reviewing some of the post on this site regarding the liberty I feel pretty lucky. I have now had my liberty for 8 years took it with 18 miles and now going on 96,000 miles. I have not had major issues with the car.

The major problem i have right now is that I am getting a large amount of water puddling on the front passenger seat. It is not from Rain or outside intrusion. I believe it is my A/C draining inside the car. Any advise. My front carpet is soaked.

I agree with many of the symptoms describes with this model. For my these problems started after the warranty period on the car. My liberty has this false contact that i could be cruising down the road specially when i break and the cabin lights flickers. Also i have experience both my rear window have fallen and do not operate anymore. I just fixed a U-bolt on the guide track an permenatly fixed them in the closed position.

cessnakat

I had the same problem with my liberty.The problem is the a/c drain as you said,the short 1/2" drain on the passenger side firewall is too short and the engine fan blows the water back and it drains down the inside of the firewall onto the passenger floor.Just get a 4" to 6" piece of heater hose and it should fit tight on the the drain and problem solved.

waNugget

I have just discovered a puddle of water on the driver side floor board of our '06 Jeep liberty. We have had this car for two years with no problems up to this point. Car has a sunroof, but seats are bone dry. Any thoughts? Any feedback will be appreciated.

jrivera51

I love my Jeep Liberty but it has now about 93,000 miles and starting to give all kinds of problems. The A/C works fine for a while then it stops and starts blowing hot air. It would go away if you turn it off for a while and then back on.
Also, the engine light is on and the mechanic (a good one) could not figure out why.

dasbooboo

2005 Jeep Liberty... I have water dripping out but not running A/C. Any idea what this is? I am novice of auto repair but believe the is the AC over flow/runoff. Again, not running AC though... any ideas will help before I head for repair shop. Thanks!

lj1sb

Hi. Here is a quick rundown before I get into my issue. This is a 2003 Jeep Liberty, A/C compressor went (the clutch froze up) broke the belt, etc. had it replaced by a local service place. A/C, however, is not working. The compressor clutch does not seem to be engaging. If I throw 12v directly to the compressor, it will engage the clutch. If I throw 12v to the relay at the fuse/relay box under the hood, it will engage the clutch. I tried pulling the low-pressure sensor plug at the can by the passenger firewall, jumping wires together, nothing. Also just replaced the high-pressure sensor (on the a/c line by the compressor), still nothing. Fuses are good, relay in underhood fuse box is good. What i did notice it the blower resistor (behind the glovebox) is probably bad (position 1 & 2, blower does not come on, position 3&4 blower does come on). If the blower motor resistor is bad, will that cause the a/c compressor clutch to not not engage properly? Shouldnt the a/c still work in Positioin 3&4, since the blower is kicking on?

Also like to add, I had a guy I know hook it up to DRB-3 at a Jeep dealer and there are no codes to troubleshoot with.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks

caribou1

Hi,
When the engine is warm, running and belt is in place:
-If you set the blower to position '3', does the A/C come on?

With a 'warm' engine stopped and serpentine belt removed:
-Can you turn the compressor by hand if you activate the clutch with jumpers?

To 'break the belt' or 'freeze the clutch' could mean there was excessive effort coming from the compressor:
-Is the cabin evaporator/heat_exchanger clean? (it could be clogged). If the compressor sees liquid instead of gas it will block and the pulley will immediately throw the belt off it's normal path because the clutch won't let go until the temperature setpoint has not been achieved.

There should not be any engine malfunction code in case an accessory fails and the clutch is part of the compressor, it is not related to the engine.
Good luck

-

lj1sb

A/C Compressor will not come on in ANY position. Blower only comes on in Position 3&4. Does not matter if the engine is warm or not...won't come on. As mentioned, I can maniulpulate the compresor clutch to engage and a/c to come on if I throw 12v straight to the compressor or compressor relay. As mentioned, the A/C compressor was just replaced.

What is the cabin evaporator/heat exchanger? Where is it located? And can I do a visual inspection or test on it to determine if it is the culprit?

What about my other question...the blower resistor appears to be faulty as the blower only comes on in Position 3&4....will this also prevent tthe A/C from coming on, even in Position 3&4?

caribou1

Can you manually turn the rotor of the compressor while you force the clutch?

The evaporator is the heat exchanger that cools air in the cabin. On mine it's above the passenger's feet, just behind our miniature glove box

If you have pollen or leaves accumulated against the evaporator, there might not be enough air flowing through to evaporate all of the A/C liquid. This could be enough to block the compressor because you can compress gas but not liquid.

Our A/C compressor pumps gas, then gas becomes liquid while flowing through the condenser/chiller located in front of the radiator. This liquefied gas will later evaporate when confronted to the warmer cabin temperature; at this stage ONLY gas must return to the compressor for another cycle...

I don't think of any relation between the resistor positions and the A/C?

fishinsteve

I have a 2002 liberty and had a similar problem. No sunroof. Turns out my water leak came from the drain holes at bottom of vehicle which are hidden from view were clogged. There are drain holes at bottom which allow the water coming down window track and door seals to drain out and they sometimes will clog and the water will then find its way into car thru any hole it can, usually down by foot where hood latch release is. If you pull the plastic molding by hood release off and you will see a small 1/2 inch long slit by some bolts. My mechanic stuck a clothes hanger wire in there and poked around until he found the hole at bottom and lots of water came rushing out underneath car. Problem solved. He was not sure how else to clear the clogged drain holes, just did what he could to figure it out. Hope this helps.

caribou1

Hi fishinsteve,
I don't understand where the clogged drain is located.

I found lots of dirt accumulated between the decorative plastic liners and the body, right underneath the doors. This is where bottom panels join the chassis. To remove the residue where perforation can occur, we need to replace the 'one-shot' plastic fasteners or to paint this 'vertical' area in black.

05jeep92102

This is the weirdest thing I was at a car wash & when I dropped off my car all the fan speeds worked with or without the AC on. I get in my car and #2 does not work at all, but 1, 3 & 4 are okay with or without the AC.. Has anyone had this same problem? Its still under the factory warranty until 100,000 miles and I only have 55K, Im wondering if this will be covered? II guess I could live without #2, but #3 is so loud, is this a big deal?

rciminelli

2006 liberty diesel. some mornings the a/c gets cold within seconds. later in the day it stops working cold and blows warm air. other mornings it blows warm when started and will not get cold. it's iratic, cold, not cold.i'm headed to fl withing weeks and need help.

fideau

Had same problem with 02 Liberty. The AC drain is too short and gets easily clogged. Even wind will drive water back into the cab as you drive. Its on the firewall, passenger side.After several "clean outs" a mechanic at my dealership took a piece of hose and lengthend the drain, turned it down a little. Only about 5 inches of hose. Problem solved. It's just one more of those bad engineering problems on the Liberty.

rciminelli

Problem solved. It turns out that the sensor on the receiver/dryer went bad. when the plug was disconnected and the plug terminals jumped, the compressor started immediately. they do go bad.

motheringis4me

My heater blower stopped working on the fourth setting and now it does not blow at all. any suggestions, I would love to be able to fix this myself if it is no too involved.

04jeeplib

i'm not sure if they will cover it but you could try, and yes it is a problem i had the same kind of problem 1 went then 2 a while later and then 3 and then 4 worked for a while and then 3 went i talked to chrysler and they said 4 would never burn out well thats a lie i have no heat or a/c 1,2,3,4 dont work if you can get it fixed as soon as posible do it. (not sure if its covered though)

04jeeplib

I heard that all you need to do is take off the panel right by the hood realse button and there will be a hole or something just get something to pook around with in there it's probly just a plugged drain to drain the water out hope this helps

libertynotfree

i have an '05 with 76000 + miles. only recently had any issues. my a/c and heat only work on setting 4. sort of annoying! then just the other day i reached behind my passenger seat for something and it was soaked. i have the all weather heavy duty floor mats so i never noticed anything being wet. i was not sure if it was the intensity of my hvac these past few months or what. but now that i have read some posts it seems i am not alone. i am not terribly mechanical but i would like to try and fix it without taking it to a shop. can someone explain a little more in detail how i would add hose to the drain. would be much appreciated!

cbeal22

My jeep warms up in the morning but will not blow warm air into the cabin unless I am moving. The fan is working and I can still change the flow of air. Are there two blowers for this vehicle ro even two different fuses? Looking for a reasonable plan of action.