sleepyx637

okay, here's the diagnosis. went to the mechanics, he pumped my car full of freon, then found that a tube had a major leak. the freon was leaking outta the tube faster then he could even pump it in. So, result is he has to order the tube for me and replace it. Cost for tube and labor: $140. sound right?

Bl@ck

hmm.. the AC was strong in my 5th gen until it stopped working last summer.. haven't gotten around to getting it fixed yet though

mohamed_ibrah

Refrigerant... ,not freon...hehe

Do you mean line or tube, the only "tube" item in an a/c system is the orifice tube, but those are usually in GM and Ford vehicles, you should have something else that reduces restriction before entering the evaporator called a thermal expansion valve. Anyway, not to get into too much complications...if it is indeed a line, that's not bad for a quote to replace a line, hopefully it includes at least a 30 minute minimum vaccum, along with recharge. I still would replace the reciever-dryer in the process, unless the tech has good capping proceedures and is able to cap off the exposed line to the air, while replacing it.

mohamed_ibrah

What year was your 5th Gen, maybe they have different components and updated them in the latter years of the 5th Gen, but myself, a few people at the dealership, and even Edmunds' website reviews all complain of inefficient a/c. On top of everything, mine's black so there's more heat load on the evaporator, end result one hell of a wimpy a/c!

There might be a TSB for it, I check and the number is 97-031 dated Aug '97, "A/C does not blow cold air" I'll look it up tonight to see if anything is suggested, but according to the dealership there are no TSB that deal with inefficiency for my year Honda.

Bl@ck

it's a black 96, but then again, like i said, it has since stopped working and i need to get it fixed. that's the least of my worries right now though. i think i've got a CV that's about to fly apart

AccordDreamer

I had no problems with my ac, it was blowing ice cold air on 2... But I never really used it that much just kept my windows down, and I live in FL. But I havent had ac for like 1 1/2 years... The motor disinigrated, lol All that works is the clutch, I can see it engage but theres no motor. Anyway just my 2 cents, I noticed some ppl were complaining about 5th gen ac's just wanted to say I liked mine

mohamed_ibrah

Well I looked up that TSB and it talks about an evaporator that has lines that leak, just for the hell of it, i did a halogen leak check around the evaporator, but no leak was detected. I even did the drain tube, but still no leak detected. So my conclusion...wimpy a/c

Maybe I'm just so used to the Jeep, and Chevy systems (GOVs that I drive on a daily basis at work) that by comparison, Honda is just too freakin underpowered. Hell, even the one in my Tundra is wimpy too, but that's because the truck I traded it in before was an R-12 system, and by comparison there, the Tundra's is still too anemic.

hondatech

hey mohamed, I couple of things I have learned you can do to make those 95 accords cooler is when replacing the evaporator/expansion valve for a leak is to leave the expansion valve sensor out of the evap. fin a little bit more than factory. It tricks the expansion valve into thinking the evap isn't cool enough and it stays open a little longer. Also the more the evap box is sealed to the outside world the more effient the system will be. I use that black tar like tape that most honda parts dept.'s have and seal up anywhere I think it could be exposed to outside air. Also the condensor fins should be clean ( I clean out condensor fins after doing any A/C repair). The last trick I've seen is on R134a systems only, the system will cool better if you overcharge a little 2-4 oz. I have gotten my Si to blow 36f on a 100f day. From the factory it was around 41-43f on a 100f day. I know that's sounds bad and I'm sure it will stress out the system a little but it works good. I work at the dealer so I don't care if it lasts until 60k or 100k I just want it to work. I know what you mean on those 95's. the newer MDX with black int. is the same way. It takes 15 mins to get it to cool around 45 f on a hot day with those models.

Macster33

i know this thread is a month or two old but I gotta the same probelm. AC doesnt blow hot air but it seems like it blows air maybe a few degrees lower the the outside tempeture, like if its 103 degrees outside, I get 100 degrees in my face. Last summer I had the same probelm but it wasnt this bad..... I got my A/C charged and it made a little bit of a difference. Then I was talking to this one guy on HS.... he told me to take apart the dash trim that surround the AC control and on the back theres a cord that is held by a screw that controls the temperature nob. You unscrew that cord and pull on it as tight as you can then screw it back in. I did that and it worked, it fixed my probelm but now that trick hasnt worked for me this summer, any ideas?

mohamed_ibrah

All you did was adjust the air mixture cable for temperature controls. Now apply the same principle to the heater valve (although I don't quite understand what you mean by "unscrew" as it's clip on in both instances). Make sure you temperature control is set all the way to cool. Unclip the cable off the heater valve by taking off the clip that holds the black catch sleeve and then take off the loop looking thing, off the valve. Turn the heater valve all the way shut, which in a 5th Gen Accords is counterclockwise, you should feel it click shut. Then slip the loop back on the valve, and clip the catch sleeve back on, taking care to make sure it is tight (no slack on the wire).

For 5th Gen Accords, the valve is located just below the intake plenum (near the firewall), so take off the plenum and access it that way. PS...this would also be a good opportunity to clean out your TB while you are at it.

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Hey Hondatech, I sent you a PM, did you get it? I think I might have a dirty IAC valve just thinking about it. I want to say it happens under load (i.e., clutch depressed, brake depressed) but that wasn't the case at the stop light this morning as it still dipped down in RPMs. No clutch, no brake depressed.