Car air conditioners that blow warm on one side and cold on the other usually have one of two problems. In this short article on auto repairs, a master mechanic shares his experiences working on air conditioning systems in Florida over the past few decades. This free information can be just as helpful to the do-it-yourselfer as it is to the consumer who knows the value of being informed when dealing with auto repair shops. Read on for free car air conditioner help when air is blowing warm on ONE side.
Typically, cars that blow cold on one side of the dashboard and warm on the other are typically equipped with a dual-zone climate control system. Two-zone systems allow the driver and front passenger to adjust the respective temperature to their comfort level. There are two common causes of a temperature difference when both sides are set to their coldest settings. Let’s cover the first one.
Low Refrigerant
Car air conditioners that use 134A typically contain a small amount of refrigerant compared to older cars that use R12. Car and truck air conditioning systems today are much more efficient than their older counterparts. The fact that 134A systems use less Freon means that a leak can affect the performance of an HVAC (Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning) system more quickly. Due to the design of dual AC systems, low refrigerant levels are the primary cause of drastic temperature differences from one side of the dash to the other. Even experienced auto mechanics will be surprised to learn that as little as 4 to 8 ounces of 134A can make such a big difference. The temperature from the left vent to the right vent can vary by 10 to 20 degrees. The easiest way is to top up the system, or even better, remove all freon and charge the device with the factory specified amount. In most cases, after the right load of freon is in the car, the temp will be equally cold on BOTH sides, as it should!
What if that didn’t help? Read on to learn about another possible cause of the problem.
HVAC door problem
The use of small doors within the HVAC enclosure achieves two zones that deliver different temperatures from vents on either side of the dashboard. By controlling the doors, the temperature of the air on the left and right can be adjusted to the desired level of comfort. Often the motor (or actuator) that controls the door for both sides can fail, or the door itself can break and prevent the temperature. from being adjusted. Diagnosing this problem is more complex and may be a topic for another article. Thank you for reading. Hopefully the free information provided here will help solve the problem of “air conditioner gets hot or warm from one side of dashboard”.