AC Is not cooling properly

[Krish]

I got into my car at 5:00 today and the air conditioner was blowing hot air. It was fine last night when I was coming home. What could be the problem?

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[Mike]

Start by checking all the fuses in all the fuse boxes–both under hood and any that are in the passenger compartment.
If those are all OK, your best bet is to have a shop that specializes in auto AC have a look at it.

[Keith Kachelhofer]

This could be a number of things. I suggest you keep it simple. If this is a Honda then, I would check the cabin air filter located behind the glove box. My personal experience has been, many people loose that ‘cooling effect’ because there is no airflow across the cooling coil (evaporator coil). This is common with a dirty air filter. Second, see if you can hear the A/C clutch engage. It should be a noticeable click and there will be a short, temporary, drop in idle RPM. It is best to see if you can visually see the clutch engage by looking that the A/C compressor under the hood. If the A/C compressor is not engaging when the A/C is turned on inside the car then, there could be a low charge on the system. The low pressure switch will keep the compressor from turning on. This is to prevent damage to the compressor. You may need to find a technician you can trust to check the charge on the system. It will require R-134A connectors.

Start simple before you assume the worst. Typically it is something simple.

[Krish]

I have ckeabed aur filter and now feeling little bit more colder compare to earlier. Thank you very much for your suggestion. Still should I go to service station for better results?

[Keith Kachelhofer]

I would hold off on going to a service technician for now. Pick up a digital meat thermometer from the local grocery store. Place it in the center air vent of the car. With the A/C on, and set for recirculating, the air temperature on a 95F day should be around 50F while the car is idle in traffic. While moving the air temperature should drop to 42F-45F. If the car A/C cannot reach those temperatures then you may want a technician to check the charge. It could be low.

I live in a region of 95F-100F days during the summer and very humid. I can achieve 43F on a hot day traveling at 45 mph.

[Author]

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