AC Problem Kia Sportage

greenfury wrote: ↑ I am having trouble with my 2012 kia sportage AC..I went to a local mechanic last summer and he changed bunch of tubing and refilled the refrigerant (500$). It worked for 1-2 days and then again started giving problem. The summer was already over last year so I didn't get it fixed...but now I have to. The main problem is that when I turn on the AC..it blows cold air for 2-3 minutes...after that it blows the normal temperature air... Any idea what the problem might be?

vkizzle wrote: ↑ Blend door actuator?

tebore wrote: ↑ There's no point in guessing here.

Take it to a shop that can pressure check the system and that can use dye to trace for leaks.

Id mention jumping the pressure switches to check to see if the compressor works but that might be over the OPs head.

tmkf_patryk wrote: ↑ Wow bunch of replies and no solution.

And blend door? Haha definitely not. He isn't changing the modes or anything.

So what you do is you get a set of gauges, I recommend yellow jacket, top in the industry.

Take a look at how much pressure your starting off with at high and low, then start the car with the a/c and take a look at the readings.
Then you can Google a chart which says what your low and hi is supposed to be at the desired atmospheric temperature.

Then depends which one is in range and which is above or below the readings, it tells you the problem. My guess is because it's been off for a while, pressures even out then when you start it, you have enough low pressure to get the compressor to run, and after 2-3 minutes your too low and the compressor stops running.

If your too low, evacuate the system, put in nitrogen to like 150-175 psi. Close the system and leave for half hour, see if it drops. If it doesn't, then put a vacuum on the system, close it, see if it drops. Most common is when it doesn't hold the vacuum and it's usually the compressor shaft seal that gives.

Dye works if the system leaks under pressure, under vacuum it's much harder to see.

greenfury wrote: ↑ I got it checked for the leaks... but there were no leaks found.

greenfury wrote: ↑ Thanks for the reply... I am not sure how to do it but can yiu recommend any mechanic who can do this?

tmkf_patryk wrote: ↑Wow bunch of replies and no solution.

And blend door? Haha definitely not. He isn't changing the modes or anything.

So what you do is you get a set of gauges, I recommend yellow jacket, top in the industry.

Take a look at how much pressure your starting off with at high and low, then start the car with the a/c and take a look at the readings.
Then you can Google a chart which says what your low and hi is supposed to be at the desired atmospheric temperature.

Then depends which one is in range and which is above or below the readings, it tells you the problem. My guess is because it's been off for a while, pressures even out then when you start it, you have enough low pressure to get the compressor to run, and after 2-3 minutes your too low and the compressor stops running.

If your too low, evacuate the system, put in nitrogen to like 150-175 psi. Close the system and leave for half hour, see if it drops. If it doesn't, then put a vacuum on the system, close it, see if it drops. Most common is when it doesn't hold the vacuum and it's usually the compressor shaft seal that gives.

Dye works if the system leaks under pressure, under vacuum it's much harder to see.

greenfury wrote: ↑ I got it checked for the leaks... but there were no leaks found.

greenfury wrote: ↑ Thanks for the reply... I am not sure how to do it but can yiu recommend any mechanic who can do this?

tmkf_patryk wrote: ↑ Ya so they put pressure, no leak, put dye in, won't show.

But did they pull a vacuum?

greenfury wrote: ↑ No, they did not. They just pressurized it.