Hey again.

Yes, I read the sticky. Still hoping someone else can point me in the right direction.

2001 Cavalier w/ 176K. Replaced the original AC compressor with everything that goes along with that back in 2009 for $700. Not eager to do it again for the second time, so I am hoping this isn't the same problem (but it does have the same symptoms, unfortunately).

AC was blowing ice-cold air as recently as a few weeks ago, but then again the car was not dealing with nearly as hot temps as it has this week with 95 yesterday and a heat index of 106. Just got back from a long trip in the mountains where temps were much cooler and didn't notice any issues while I was there and on the interstate at high speeds the AC was so cold I had to turn it down cuz my hands were freezing so didn't expect any problems so soon after that. Anyway, a couple of days ago, noticed that the AC was not cold while sitting and not moving, but it got much colder when moving forward - so I checked to make sure the fan was working (it was and still is), so that wasn't the problem. And over the last 48-72 hours, the problem has become MUCH worse with things unbearably hot and humid. Can still get it to blow cool air if I go for a drive around and move at 45mph+ for 15 mins but that doesn't really cut it. Checked and the compressor doesn't sound any different than usual and all the lines going to and coming from the drier are freezing cold ad dripping gobs of water everywhere - but yet I am not getting any cold air through the vents.

The last time any refrigerant was added to this car was back in 2009 when the big compressor job was done. And I sure don't want to start throwing away cash on messing around with the $40 cans of refrigerant, only to find the pressure is either just fine - or that it stays in the system for 24 hours and then is all gone from a leak somewhere. (which is what happened last time).

The only other odd thing that happened just a day or two before this problem started - and I hadn't thought it was related at the time - was that one morning when I went out to start the car, there was an INSANE amount of condensation inside on all the window and a bunch of water got dumped on my foot at the gas pedal from ????

So my questions for anyone who has had similar experiences or knows about such things are:

What is your normal life expectancy for an AC system (compressor) in years and/or mileage and should I really need to be buying the third one for this car after already replacing the original one? Is there any hope of a leak on these Cavaliers any place other than the main seal on the compressor? (and is there any hope of an AC place actually telling you it is a $2 O-ring when they could charge a fortune for saying it is the compressor?) Given my symptoms- what are the most likely places to suspect and is there an order of operations that I should attack things with - in other words - try adding refrigerant first for sure, etc....

thanks for any insight or advice. I got an estimate yesterday for $914 to replace the compressor. The car is probably only worth a thousand so I am worried I might have reached the end of the line and my options are not good.

thanks again.

I sounds like a condensor issue to me. I would take a hose and spray it out 1st.

Ok, so after cancelling my whole 4th of July weekend plans because of this AC issue, I spent all day yesterday either crawling all around under the hood, under the car or inside the car and I decided that based on: a working condenser fan, a working compressor clutch, a clean condenser, ice-cold accumulator and associated tubing in that area both pre and post evaporator, that neither the compressor nor the refrigerant level could possibly be the issue. I started to think that the system was in fact producing the same cold air it always had, but for some reason it just wasn't making it into the passenger compartment where it matters. So I am now thinking it might be associated with the "blend door". You know the three dial/knob things on the climate control panel? The left one is blower speed, the middle is temperature from cold (blue) to the left to hot (red) on the right, and the right one is vent combo selector and AC/outside air mix. I guess - based on some internet searching, that any one of these things can and do fail, and in my case it would be that middle one. Anybody have any experience or knowledge about how to address such an issue. It sure would be frustrating to have an AC that is making ice cold air and to be unwillingly selecting to keep it all from doing any good by suffering with a temperature dial that chooses hot (or at least not COLD) air to blow out of the vents.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again.

DJ, Raleigh

Update. Thanks for the overwhelming response. I thought I had identified the problem - the second of the three knobs which is the temperature control (blue to red) not properly going all the way to the cold side, but after temporarily (one week) having that problem fixed - by, I *thought* just turning the knob all the way back and forth a few times - the problem is back now.

The problem has happened twice and both times following exactly the same actions/conditions: Upon returning from a 2-4 hour long interstate highway trip with (at various points in the trip) having both just the vents open for fresh air w/ no AC, and then the AC running. Also, I washed the car thoroughly right after each trip and the problem appeared the very first time I turned the AC on after that. I don't see how either highway driving nor washing the car would possibly have anything to do with the blend doors, climate control dials or anything else inside the cabin, but that is what seems to have happened. I spent another couple of hours in the middle of the night this morning working on it - and now I think it is not the middle knob, but the right-side knob which as you know controls both where the air comes out, and also whether or not to use outside air or recirculated (cold AC) air. Well my problem appears NOW (and for all I know I have more than one problem at the same time) to be that it won't switch from ---> outside/open vent air to the closed-loop recirculated air for those two left-most positions on the knob. All of the other ones (feet, defog, mix, in-your-face, etc....) all seem to work and as you know you can't really get much of a cool-down if you aren't able to use the COLD inside recirculated setting no matter how great everything in your AC system is working.

So given this new information, I am hoping someone recognizes the problem I'm talking about and has some advice on how to deal with this vacuum system thing. The problem doesn't seem to be with the switch itself, but rather the thing that changes the vent from open outside air to closed inside air.

Any help, advice, ideas, etc....would be most appreciated.

thanks again

Okay bro, you wrote a lot and I'm trying to read and focus but my ghetto neighbors downstairs keep playing this loud music and the sad part is that it has been the same song ALL DAMN DAY.

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Cavy Vac.gif (148k)

That's a Vac diagram for your car from GM Global Connect.... Remember your AC system is designed to remove humidity from the cabin to help with the temperature. Its not all about cold air out the vents. I hope this helps bro, I can't even focus.... even as I type this same damn song is killing my concentration. If you need another diagram or have a particular question let me know