A/C cycling alot - and a tiny drip in pass floorboard

twogts4us · Jun 1, 2009

Hey folks - I'm not sure if I have a problem or how much of a problem it might be...at this moment, it's merely a curiosity, not really a full blown issue, but I'm concerned and A/C is something you just cannot live without in FL, especially in these warmer months (ya know, March - November...)

OK, here's what's going on. I've noticed that the A/C clutch seems to be excessively cycling...certainly more than I thought it did before. And then there is this tiny couple of drops of water that have dripped on the pass side floorboard (on the left toes of a passenger). It doesn't drip all the time. When it does, I've felt the "box" (for lack of a better term) under the dash and it has water condensing on it. Not a lot, but there is some. Now here in FL, with 70%+ humidity nearly year round, some condensation is not unheard of. But I've just never had this issue with this car, along with the increased cycling, ever before. Otherwise, the A/C works great. Blows very hard and very cold. I also do NOT have condensation at the vents. Any thoughts / ideas / things I could check? It's not under warranty and I'm currently not working, so I'm hesitant to take it into have service without some idea of the issue, if there really is an issue at all...

THANKS!

AdRock · Jun 2, 2009

Doublecheck the A/C drain tube on the firewall to make sure it isn't clogged.

If the A/C case itself is getting cold enough and the humidity is high enough that condensation forms on the outside of the case and drips then there's a somewhat simple suedo fix. I had it happen one summer and used some double sided tape to tape a small towel to the case where the condensation would be. After that, no more problems.

twogts4us · Jun 2, 2009

The drip has happened twice in the past month, and it's almost a daily driver, driven nearly every day - so it's certainly not something happening every day.
Driving it today, the cycling didn't seem to be quite the issue I've observed previously. I dunno, maybe it just depends on the weather conditions...?
When I got home today, after about an hour of running here and there, stop and go, parked and running, driving 50 MPH, a mix of it all, the "box" under the dash was cool, but dry.
Let me see how it behaves over the next week or so...(of course, as soon as I bring this issue to my friends here on StangNet, the issue disappears...! (With that in mind, my next problem is a lack of blower whine...I really think it needs some whine...! - Whatta think folks?)

Gearbanger 101 · Jun 2, 2009

Sounds like you may have a bit of a slow leak in the system and there isn't enough pressure being built up at lower temperatures to keep the compressor running. By chance does it cycle on and off on cooler days and stay on continuously during warmer ones?

twogts4us · Jun 4, 2009

Gearbanger 101 said:
Sounds like you may have a bit of a slow leak in the system and there isn't enough pressure being built up at lower temperatures to keep the compressor running. By chance does it cycle on and off on cooler days and stay on continuously during warmer ones?

This is the most plausible possibility Brian...if my memory bank serves me right, yes, it's on the cooler days (or in the evening when it's more of a battle with humidity than heat) when it cycles on and off more. I'll definitely have to keep track of when it cycles often and when it seems ok...in relation to the outside temps.

How would I go about finding a slow leak?

Thanks!
Chris

Gearbanger 101 · Jun 4, 2009

twogts4us said:
This is the most plausible possibility Brian...if my memory bank serves me right, yes, it's on the cooler days (or in the evening when it's more of a battle with humidity than heat) when it cycles on and off more. I'll definitely have to keep track of when it cycles often and when it seems ok...in relation to the outside temps.

How would I go about finding a slow leak?

Thanks!
Chris

Most auto parts stores will sell a dye/stop leak solution that is usually effective with small leaks. Once the dye is exposed to air, it becomes visible, so if you've got any leaks over time, they should make themselves apparent.

There's another way to do it by evacuating your existing coolant and having it overcharged with nitrogen and doing it that way, but I'm not sure what all it entails.

For my past problem, I had a buddy who worked in refrigeration that just overcharged the system for me and he has some sort of special wand that picked up the presence of the gas in the air. He worked it around all of the fittings and connections until the wand starting wailing at which point we knew where it was leaking. Don't ask me what then name of said device was though?

I'd try the dye to start.

The problem with older vehicles is, that they’re fine until you start bending the hoses around and moving things out of place. Once you start messing around with them, dry older hoses and seals start leaking all over the place.

A/C cycling alot - and a tiny drip in pass floorboard

twogts4us

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A/C cycling alot - and a tiny drip in pass floorboard

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