Unusual AC Question

I can't answer specifically, but for reference, I just did this to my wife's 2000 Honda accord EX. It has a pair of cabin air filters accessible with a bit of effort by removing the passenger lower dash cover, and the glove box. Once you pull the filters, you can actually see the evap core. I sprayed it with coil cleaner, and then used a small stream of water to wash/rinse it out, it will run out the condensate drain perfectly. I would be hesitant to spray cleaner on and leave it, as evap cores are already way too prone to developing leaks. No need to add to it.

How does that help you? If your A/C has a cabin air filter, you can probably pull this off easily. Otherwise it will be a matter of getting access, which might not be easy. My old 95 dodge dakota, may it RIP, would require removal of the dash, to get the heater/AC air box out before you could get to the evap core.

BTW 42 degrees is quite cold. I doubt that cleaning will help any, unless you have a musty smell you are trying to eliminate. That's why I did my wife's. That dampness creates a perfect environment for mould to develop.

Steve491 said:

Thanks Bob, The only reason I have for wanting to clean the coil is that it doesn't seem to quite have the volume of air that I think it should have. Possibly that's why it puts out so cold, restricted air flow. I would like more flow from the vents even if it meant a couple degrees warmer air.

Click to expand...

OK.. to make sure we are apples-to-apples, the normal way to measure the outlet temp is to do the following:

1. Park the car in a shaded area out of direct sun.

2. crank it up and run A/C on max until interior is cool.

3. set A/C on Max, but fan on lowest setting, and measure air temp in center outlet. 42 degrees is good. On high blower speeds, above 50 is normal. If you are getting 42 on high, then I would agree. And the first thing to check is to see if your particular A/C has a cabin air filter. If so, that is certainly a likely culprit. Otherwise getting to the evap core can be a problem. Some can be accessed by removing a control or whatever to give just enough room to spray coil cleaner on it. Some are very difficult to get to without major disassembly...