OK, just a very general question, nothing technical. The AC on my 2000 Sport blows air on all settings, but as best it could be described as somewhat cool (and that's being generous). My question is are these known for blowing ice cold, or are they typically so-so as far cooling goes. Just want to know how far I should pursue this. Soft top if that matters.
Is my air conditioning blowing cold enough?
- Thread starter bobbyo
- Start date
Air conditioning isn't supposed to cool more than ~20 degrees from the ambient outside air temp.
That being said, you can take the temperature out of the vents and see what you're getting from it.
The TJ has a fairly weak A/C system IMHO.
That being said, you can take the temperature out of the vents and see what you're getting from it.
The TJ has a fairly weak A/C system IMHO.
KennethS
TJ Addict
As noted above, the AC vent temperature is dependent upon the outside ambient temperature. My AC blows 40-44 degrees until the outside temp is well above 100.
Your system is likely a bit low on refrigerant. Many times it takes adding just a small amount to make it blow cold again.
I’d start by sticking a thermometer in the center vent to get an actual temperature measurement. A BBQ thermometer would work if that’s all you have.
Your system is likely a bit low on refrigerant. Many times it takes adding just a small amount to make it blow cold again.
I’d start by sticking a thermometer in the center vent to get an actual temperature measurement. A BBQ thermometer would work if that’s all you have.
If the a/c compressor cycles on and off, it probably just needs a little refrigerant. You can get a can with a hose and gauge at walmart or any autoparts store. Get the needle in the in the green zone. Overfilling will make it less efficient.
You should get cold induced swimmers peter from the A/C if it works right.
DirtDawg
TJ Enthusiast
Although I had good results with my former 2000 TJ using the DIY "recharge in a can" method, I decided to have my current 2005 TJ professionally checked after I bought it prox 5 wks ago. At that time, very little cooling was felt inside driving home from 100+ ambient temps. Good thing I did, since that included a system pressure check, which revealed a leaky Schrader valve. Had I proceeded with DIY, unlikely that fault would have been discovered with $$ wasted. It's now blowing quite cold, to the point I need to deflect dash vents to avoid cold knuckles! 
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The best thing to do is put actual A/C gauges on the system while running and check pressures against the chart above. Find another troubleshooting chart that explains causes to anything you see on the gauges that are not in line with the OEM chart above.
yes these quick fill bottles do add more Freon to the system and could improve the air if the system is low but the system will operate best with the proper amount of oil and Freon. its easy to overfill a system with the quick fill bottles which will reduce the performance of the system.
IF it were me. I would find a shop that was solely an A/C shop and ask them to put the gauges on then suck out your system. Put a vacuum on the system for 10 minutes to check to see if it will hold vacuum. If the system holds vacuum it obviously has no leaks. I would then change out the orifice tube and receiver dryer. run vaccum on the system again, this dries out the moisture you let into the system when replacing parts, then check that your new seals are sealed. then service with oil and Freon. I could not tell you a price but this is the best way to start.
yes these quick fill bottles do add more Freon to the system and could improve the air if the system is low but the system will operate best with the proper amount of oil and Freon. its easy to overfill a system with the quick fill bottles which will reduce the performance of the system.
IF it were me. I would find a shop that was solely an A/C shop and ask them to put the gauges on then suck out your system. Put a vacuum on the system for 10 minutes to check to see if it will hold vacuum. If the system holds vacuum it obviously has no leaks. I would then change out the orifice tube and receiver dryer. run vaccum on the system again, this dries out the moisture you let into the system when replacing parts, then check that your new seals are sealed. then service with oil and Freon. I could not tell you a price but this is the best way to start.
Keep in mind, you can buy a recharge canister and it will tell you the charge load when you hook it up. If it looks low, you can decide to charge it to full, but keep in mind the AC is a closed system, so typically the only way they get low is when there's a leak that has to be tracked down and sealed.
If it gets full of shit, it probably needs a overhaul. The only debris would come from wear in the compressor. I don't even get my gauges out if the compressor is cycling. I just add as needed with a can.
Yes unfortunately people put a lot of crappy additives in the system ,I’ve seen some really bad ones,I’ll look for a pic of the one from my ranger.
KennethS
TJ Addict
Or the desiccant bag rupturing. Either would require an overhaul as you said.
the orifice tube can get clogged if debris are in the system. if the system is empty it is a cheap and easy replacement.
Although I had good results with my former 2000 TJ using the DIY "recharge in a can" method, I decided to have my current 2005 TJ professionally checked after I bought it prox 5 wks ago. At that time, very little cooling was felt inside driving home from 100+ ambient temps. Good thing I did, since that included a system pressure check, which revealed a leaky Schrader valve. Had I proceeded with DIY, unlikely that fault would have been discovered with $$ wasted. It's now blowing quite cold, to the point I need to deflect dash vents to avoid cold knuckles!
Just charged my trucks A/C yesterday, and apparently over the winter what was left of that low pressure fitting is now gone. Put some oil and refrigerant in it and ran it all day, worked fine. I put $80 worth of R-134a and the compressor is already back to cycling rapidly. $$ wasted. Pulled the cap off and found it full of the dye. Oops.
Moral of the story OP, put a can with the UV dye in it and look for the leaks and fix them. I usually only had to put a can in a year until this year, now that the quick connect fitting has officially failed. I should've just evacuated the system, repaired the leak, and then vacuum purged the system before finally filling it. Live and learn.
My 2.4 TJ's A/C was okay. I never used it because I needed the full load of the engine going to the wheels on 33's lol. I can remember that the A/C was significantly better than nothing when sitting in a parking lot on lunch breaks though.
ChasUGC
TJ Enthusiast
Yes, if the air conditioning system is functioning properly, it should blow ice cold. I've had my 1997, straight from the factory, so I know. I originally ran it in the San Fernando Valley where temperatures would regularly get over 100 degrees F. I would get out of my ice cold Jeep, and the heat would crush my face. After 25 years though, it is hard to get it to that level. I can get mine to work properly for about 6 months. After that it basically starts to leaks out. I paid about $1000.00 dollars to get my AC back to the original level, at a AC specialty shop, after 13 years. Now, it is about $200 dollars every summer season. With all that cold in the AC system, over time, hoses start to crack and leak. Evaporator, clutch and compressor start to fail. I don't even waste my money with the dealership. Trying to get the dealership to service a 25 year old vehicle, is an exercise in futility and extremely costly. Find yourself a good reliable mechanic or learn to do it yourself.
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