In this heat wave in So Cal, I found my AC has not been working well. Last Sunday around noon, with the car registered a 116F outside, I was stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on the freeway. The AC was on full blast but it blowing nothing except hot air!!! Once the traffic is better, the AC cools again. Is it just my Z or the AC stinks in this car? Just wondering if anyone else has a similar experience? Thanks!

 

I think it's just your Z man. We have worst temps here in Yuma and I keep my AC on the first notch above auto. I'll let it run half speed for about 10 minutes to cool the car then I turn it down. And that's cool enough. It's always hot here...even at night!

 

While it shouldn't be hot air coming out, reduced A/C performance when stopped is fairly typical of today's R-134a systems. The problem is lack of airflow over the condenser. Try leaving more space between your car and the car in front of you in these situations.

 

its blowing hot air cuz u have it on sucking the air from the outside..put it on circle aroudn the air already in the car....(well thats maybe why) mine seems to work great.

 

Follow the above tips and keep an eye on it. Last week or 2 it has been near 100 here and I found that once I'm cool enough with full fan speed and coldest temp. setting if I back the fan off to 1/2 to 3/4 speed the car starts to get warmer. Not the air coming out necessarily but the cabin temp. and I will crank it back up. Very humid. Probably having a hard time removing the humidity. I would guess that it might be bad for yours to be blowing HOT air though If you can't duplicate the situation and try the tips above definately have someone check your A/C for needing a recharge and leak check very soon. Probably will cost a few bucks but you don't want to be without A/C!

 

Had the same problem a couple weeks ago in 100+ degree weather. What I found was my sytem was overcharged. The pressure in the system builds up when it is hot outside. Since mine was overcharged it was shutting off the compressor thus I was getting warm air. Once I started moving the pressure would drop due to the cooler airflow and it would work again. Exactly what you are describing.

Get a gauge from pep boy (they are cheap) put it on the low pressure port and take a reading. I bet you are out of range on the high side.

 

116 degrees is extreme. If you are comfortable at, say, 74 degrees, then the air conditioning must maintain a temperature differential of 42 degrees. Thats too much to ask of any vehicle system.

 

I still should not blow hot air. After I fixed mine in 100 degree heat the air still came out cold. Granted the blower never leveled off, it continued to come out out stong trying to bring the temps down but the air cooming from the vents was cold.

 

The only way the A/C can blow cool air is if the fluid in the heat exchanger is hotter than the air outside the heat exchanger. Since the heat exchanger is located close to your engine bay, and it was hot outside, you need fresh air blowing on the heat exchanger or else it will not transfer heat. The fans help, but only to a degree.

I agree 116 is too extreme, and a 42 degree difference is huge for a small A/C unit.

 

Add on that he was in bumper to bumper traffic and maybe this is normal then.

 

Hardly ever use A/C really. But today with the windows down, I deceided to turn it on just to keep it working condition. It nicely blows COLD air. Happy to say its in good condition.

 

Thanks everyone for your input...I will try to get the car's AC system looked at the next time I am at the dealer. The hot humid weather doesn't seem too be letting up in So Cal anytime soon

 

did u try replacing the in cabin air filter?

 

Mine kicks no matter what.

 

Do you have an aftermarket intake? Because I have the knn short ram and the heat shield started rubbing on one of those steel or aluminum AC hoses. I stopped it before it broke through. But I have read about others that developed a pinhole in it which the AC fluid leaked out.

 

I hardly ever use my ac but the other day, I turned it on and got nothing but hot air. I took it in and they said that the condensor was bad. They had to order one and it should be here by Friday. This is the first time I had something wrong with my '04.5 ZR.

 

I have a similar problem.
https://my350z.com/forum/maintenance-and-repair/247962-air-conditioner-blowing-warm-air.html

 

I hope your kidding^ Moving right along.........

116 is plenty hot and the system only holds less than 24 oz.

134 does run hotter and less efficient than the old R12

If your stopped, pressure and temperature will skyrocket. As said^ an over fill will kill you

Might add to the comment from Yuma .......Humidity, you have none, He in LA has lots

The fans will pull just so much-There isnt much you can do there without Mods, But higher flow fans would help.

Last case ..... If someone has been in the system that is questionable,or its old. evacuate, Flush,reseal, replace accumulator, vacuum (at least an hour) and recharge

There are NO shortcuts in AC work

 

I thought Z doesn't come with in-cabin air filter from OEM

 

Well...You thought right