phb10186 wrote:so I just fixed the AC unit as it was graunching becasue it had amlost come completely free from the mounting parts and was making a pretty bad racket. Now that's fixed it's all fine.
There are several parts to check:
1. The pollen filter as suggested by Don.
1a. Check all the relevant fuses.
2. Jack the car up at the front, remove the plastic undertray, and directly above it is the AC condenser - check it runs as it should as you turn the AC on and off. Check all the pipes and plugs are connected
3. The fan behind the radiator on normal (rather than MAX) AC has a delay start of 3-5 seconds, check thats working as it should.
4. The internal blower - check that that works with AC off and on, and that the fuse is OK.
5. If 1-4 all turn out good, then I would suggest it could be a problem with the 3-dial climate control unit, lack of refrigerant in the system, or a disconnected or stuck air vent somewhere behind the dash. Of those 3, because you say there is no condensate dripping, would point closer to the gas in the system than anything else. Id say a faulty dial control unit is unlikely (as ive never had a problem like that), and that a stuck air direction flap woull also be unlikely - but where the old cars used cable controls that could break, new cars use a motor to change the direction the air blows... so again unlikely, but it's a possibility further down the list.
If everything there checks out OK, you may have to go to a dealer to diagnose, unless you can access the IMIEV workshop manual software - which I attempted to do and failed at installing.
I am yet to change a bulb or fuse on any Japanese vehicle, so I would assume the fuses would be fine... but you never know.
Thanks for the tips.
1. Regarding the fuses, I'm not sure what to look for. I'm not exactly keen on relying on the dealer. My experience with them has been less than satisfactory. Last year, when my fan broke down, they had the car for 3 days to identify the problem, charged €100. Something that in a third-party repairshop (which I took afterwards to get a 2nd opinion) took less than 10 minutes and didn't charge me anything.
2. Not sure how to check the AC condenser. The compressor and the fan make noise but what can we observe in the condenser?
3. First thing I checked. But I replaced it last year, so didn't expect anything wrong with that.
4. When the issue came up during the trip, after the QC it seemed to me that there was less airflow into the cabin, but I'm not sure if just felt that way because of the higher temperature. The problem is that right now, in day-to-day use, everything seems to be working correctly, so it's kinda hard to diagnose anything. In a couple of days I'll be making an even longer trip so I'll see what happens.
5. When I talked to an A/C technician, he told me that if it was working now, it couldn't be a lack of gas problem, since that would show up in city driving as well. I tested the direction flaps and they're working well.