General aircon question

[Alex86]

Posting a question for someone else (with a 98 GLS):


Up around Canberra and Dubbo in 40 degree plus heat and the aircon in the NL LWB seems to be struggling a bit so, out of interest, I sourced a thermometer to stick in one of the dash outlets to take some readings.
With ECON selected, the air out of the vents is 15 degrees Celsius. When A/C is selected the temperature drops to 10 degrees.
How does this compare generally and is it a bit too high in either case?

[Keithyv]

Too high. Should be 4 or 5 degrees C at the dash outlets if all is well. This is just going on what a car A/C guy told me once.

[Meth'd_up_Mitsi]

That's working pretty well then. 10°C is really good, probably too cold.. the lowest most home A/C and current car climate control aircon is only 16deg.. sure you might be able to get it a tad lower on recirc.. but they won't go much lower than that unless you're in Alpine climates. It's also a health risk to have air that cold blowing on you as it can and will cause hypothermic conditions..

Sent from my SM-N975F using Tapatalk

[pharb]

Too high. Should be 4 or 5 degrees C at the dash outlets if all is well. This is just going on what a car A/C guy told me once.

Many many years ago when I was an apprentice we would consider 5 degrees at vent perfect, but depends on air speed and ambient temperature whether you can get down that low.

Temperature at outlet has to be significantly lower than actual cabin temperature to maintain suitable cabin temperature, otherwise the system will not be able to overcome the ambient heat infitrating trom outside.

On a modern system where you set a temperature instead of just a hot/cold dial, the number is desired cabin temperature, not vent temperature.

[nj swb]

It's also a health risk to have air that cold blowing on you as it can and will cause hypothermic conditions.

Really? How did anybody ever survive all those years of aircon vents blowing single digit temperatures?

[Meth'd_up_Mitsi]

Well that was the old days. This day and age you can get sued for anything & everything.

Sent from my SM-N975F using Tapatalk

[nj swb]

In the driveway this afternoon, as I was about to go out. Dash display said ambient of 25 degrees.



2010 Pajero.

[Alex86]

Good info thanks. They’ve been looking at the thread.

I’ll pick myself up a little stick thermometer one day and put it in my own vent, just because I can. Kind of interested.

[DWC]

Really? How did anybody ever survive all those years of aircon vents blowing single digit temperatures?

I remember my father's TE cortina blowing ice from the aircon and freezing the t-bar

[gemster]

Perhaps it just needs a service... Re-gas as it can loose its use over time...

Gemster...

[arrow]

Thanks, it was for me that the original post was made as I didn't have internet access at the time.
The intent was to determine what was a realistic reading towards deciding if the system needed topping up which, from the replies, needs doing. Now that I'm back in civilisation I will get the car to an auto air-cond place (when it eventually arrives in Melbourne **) armed with the knowledge of what is a reasonable air-conditioning expectation. Thanks for all the replies.

** On the trip home the crankshaft bolt snapped and the harmonic balancer fell off. We managed to limp into a nearby town where they were able to extract what remained of the bolt from the crankshaft end and fit a new harmonic balancer. Picked the car up and drove it to the motel to load the bags. Then, when starting for the drive home it wouldn't fire up. They towed it back to the workshop and got it going, they suspected some water ingress after giving it a pretty strong pressure wash. After they took it for around a 12km test drive I went back to collect it again but with the same result - I couldn't start it.
After lots of effort they reckon the CAS was possibly damaged when the harmonic balancer came adrift but they hadn't picked it.
End result was a hire car home and the car (with trailer) to follow on a flat bed in a few days for rectification at my usual mechanics.

[WHID]

. . . On the trip home the crankshaft bolt snapped and the harmonic balancer fell off. . . . (after a repair) when starting for the drive home it wouldn't fire up. . . . back to the workshop . . . they suspected some water ingress. . . . (after another 'repair') I went back to collect it again but . . . couldn't start it.
. . . hire car home and the car (with trailer) to follow on a flat bed . . .

Oh, the joy, what unmitigated joy.

Good luck with all that . . .

[Mulcher]

Aircon thermostat setting

Just confirming that 4 deg C was a good setting and what we used to aim for when setting A/C thermostats in vehicles. Old Auto Elec

[disco stu]

I thought you were in the US mulcher? Just noticed your local says Melbourne now

[Alex86]

There’s a Melbourne in Florida....


Anyways, mine only gets down to about 9 deg. It’s definitely nice and cold.
Using a cheapo kitchen thermometer that’s by no means confirmed accurate!