Cheap Air Conditioning fix

Post by **yarney** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 7:16 pm

If your car air con isn't running that well or you don't seem to get too much air from your fan.
I took my glove box out of my SF Forester there's a little long skinny plastic piece with two screws at one end it's to the right of the fan.

If you take that out it might be full of leaves once you clean up the leaves have a look with a torch up inside you will see the a/c evaporator (looks like a radiator) it could be blocked, mine was full of dog hair from previous owner.
I could pick some out with my fingers the rest i used an air gun and blasted it out
What a difference it made the air con is cold now:D

PS If your really keen and you drive on a lot of dirt roads you could take out the fan there's three screws and a plug give that a clean and a blast of air.

Jan

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 8:34 pm

Yep those vents can get pretty clogged up; on 2 cars now I've taken the fan out to find the vents and passages full of dirt and leaves. And looking from the outside the hole in the firewall where air goes in sometimes has a piece of foam covering it - completely clogged. Give it all a clean and the fan blows like new again

taza · Post by **taza** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 11:44 pm

I've done the same in my foz too... I fixed my a/c myself since I'm now an apprentice auto sparky

It now goes down to 4 degrees

sven '2' · Post by **sven '2'** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 6:36 am

There is also a drain tube on the fan motor itself - everyone I have seen is full of sand and dirt.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 7:41 am

not only Subes too, BA Fords at least and on have a cabin filter found behind the glovebox that when missed by unknowing service dudes can turn the AC into a heater almost, feeling like it needs a regas, just replace that filter and cold air once again

NachaLuva · Post by **NachaLuva** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 10:49 am

My '97 Foz doesnt have a cabin air filter but I think about 2000 on does. They get dirty & block up & are expensive to replace. Somewhere (I think on ORS) theres a thread about making your own washable one...pretty handy

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 10:55 am

I replaced the filter in MY07 liberty and it was all clogged up as I was complaining it wasnt cold - jobs done! (Almost got regassed)
Cheers
AP

NachaLuva · Post by **NachaLuva** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:07 am

AlpineRaven wrote:I replaced the filter in MY07 liberty and it was all clogged up as I was complaining it wasnt cold - jobs done! (Almost got regassed)

I reckon simple fixes like this that most people dont know about keep the air con guys in business. Another one Taza told us about was cleaning the condensor as it gets dirt, mud & grass seeds built up in the fins.

4 deg Taza...brrrr, thats cold