What year?

 

2014 + just replaced the condenser and now much colder.

 

Then you replace the condenser, you should also check the accumulator and orifice tube. They are cheap and you don't want to have to drain the refrigerant again for another $30 in parts. I have seen a number of orifice tubes plugged (although usually on older vehicles) but it makes sense to change it anyways. You may as well also change the valves in the hoses to prevent leaks. They are also dirt cheap and it helps prevent leaks out of the ports.

As for OP, bring it to a shop and have them do a check on the condenser and evaporator temps and pressure test the high and low pressure hoses. That will tell you the exact status of the whole AC system. I will say that there is a fine line when it comes to refrigerant. Too much can prevent it from cooling as it should. If you have the bare minimum in the system, it can cool much better, but you run the risk of icing up the evaporator if its too low.

On my 2005, I can tell that when I have front and rear fans on high, it doesn't cool as well. When I leave the rear on low and front on medium, it gets ice cold much faster due to the refrigerant compared to ambient temperatures outside. It really helps on those +100F days.

 

Year is important, teh refrigerant changed around 2014

also check that your cooling fan is working correctly.

 

O hey sorry it's a 2014 r/t I got it blowing 50 degrees down the road and fluctuates to 60 at a stop

 

My 16 blows noticeably warmer at a stop than moving. Have to put it on recirculate when stopped to keep it cool.

 

Low freon or poor airflow across the condenser, Centex?

 

1 thing Mopar excvels at is A/C and Heating. If your A/C is not pushing really cold air at the vents and it warms up when at idle, that means there is an issue.
Like @Tin Foil Hat wrote, low freon or airflow issues would be the cause.

 

i don’t want to hijack this post but want to also ask about my related AC concern.

I have a 2018 DD RT. About two weeks ago I noticed my AC did not feel very cold when idling. I put an instant read temp probe in the vent and temp of air would be 65-68 ( with a noticeable humid feel to it) with outside temps 80-85. When I would start to drive the car, I would see the air temp come down slowly and gradually settle near 48-52 if I continued driving. If however, I got stuck at stop lights, the AC temp would begin to climb until the car started to move again. Obviously at constant highway speeds the air maintained a comfortable cold and not humid feel. Also, when seated in the drivers seat, I hear a sporadic gargle and/or hiss noise coming near the dash. That same sound seems to travel above my head into the rear cabin. This sound occurs after the car is shut off as well for approximately 5-8 seconds. I don’t recall these noises prior to me experiencing the AC problem.

Compressor turns on and off correctly and radiator fan turns on ( I think this is the only fan IFO radiator and condenser/trans cooler, correct?). I did buy a AC pro gauge and hose to test pressure (I understand this is probably not a very reliable way to test)and the gauge read well in the green, FILLED range. From reading on this forum, a possible cause may be a expansion valve? Does that sound right?

I have a appointment to take it next Tuesday. They plan on of course testing pressures and injecting a die in the system to check for leaks. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated!
Thanks.

 

i don’t want to hijack this post but want to also ask about my related AC concern.

I have a 2018 DD RT. About two weeks ago I noticed my AC did not feel very cold when idling. I put an instant read temp probe in the vent and temp of air would be 65-68 ( with a noticeable humid feel to it) with outside temps 80-85. When I would start to drive the car, I would see the air temp come down slowly and gradually settle near 48-52 if I continued driving. If however, I got stuck at stop lights, the AC temp would begin to climb until the car started to move again. Obviously at constant highway speeds the air maintained a comfortable cold and not humid feel. Also, when seated in the drivers seat, I hear a sporadic gargle and/or hiss noise coming near the dash. That same sound seems to travel above my head into the rear cabin. This sound occurs after the car is shut off as well for approximately 5-8 seconds. I don’t recall these noises prior to me experiencing the AC problem.

Compressor turns on and off correctly and radiator fan turns on ( I think this is the only fan IFO radiator and condenser/trans cooler, correct?). I did buy a AC pro gauge and hose to test pressure (I understand this is probably not a very reliable way to test)and the gauge read well in the green, FILLED range. From reading on this forum, a possible cause may be a expansion valve? Does that sound right?

I have a appointment to take it next Tuesday. They plan on of course testing pressures and injecting a die in the system to check for leaks. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated!
Thanks.

That is a classic "airflow through the condenser" problem. Either there is a ton of debris stuck to the front of the condenser, or built up between the condenser and radiator (I've seen EXTREME cases of this!), or, you've got an electric fan that's not kicking on when it's supposed to. Or in the rare case, something is blocking the grille or condenser, like a plastic shopping bag.

On a '18 I'd expect the fans to be pulse-width modulated - in other words, there's no "low" and "high" as with older stuff. The fan will gradually increase or reduce speed as conditions dictate. I'd first check for adequate airflow through the condenser, and if that checks out, move on to the fan.

A quick way to test this theory is to run cold water from a hose over the condenser, and monitor your vent temps. If they start to drop like a rock, this is the problem. Other possible causes are a low refrigerant charge, or a weak compressor, or a weak electromagnet for the clutch causing slippage or intermittent engagement.

 

If the system has never been opened, it has dye in it from the factory.

 

@tomk I may have misunderstood what the tech told me or conflated a few scenarios in my head. Lol.

 

Your additional symptoms lead me to believe it's just low on freon. But, of course, they need to look for a leak.

 

@Tin Foil Hat Thank you for the reply. I will report back after I take the car in.

 

Y'all are light years beyond what the service guy said at the dealership when I took mine in last year for the same reason (blows noticeably warmer/more humid at low speeds than at highway speeds, occasional hiss).

He first tried to tell me it's because the of engine auto shutoff when stopped. I obviously know the difference running and not running... then he told me that's just how the system is designed... more airflow at higher speed's = better cooling. I got the impression they didn't really want to mess with it because it would be warranty work.

I notice my rear AC doesn't really seen to blow cold at all now... I'll try running the rear fan at low instead of keeping it synced and see if that helps...

But, from what's been said in this thread, sounds like I need to try a different dealership.

 

That's a dealership specialty regardless of brand. They're always creating ways to weasel their way out of a warranty job.

 

First off let me just say, I'm an experienced auto tech, but have never laid hands on any Chrysler performance vehicles, or Durangos. I get very few Chrysler products in here aside from Rams, so I'm not 100% up on exactly how things work on that particular model. I can only tell you what I've seen based on experience. I do a TON of GM products. On the GM Silverado trucks, the fan comes on at a very low speed when the A/C is turned on ... USUALLY. On a cooler morning where you're trying to lower the humidity levels, it might not come on until a few minutes later. It comes on very low at first - sometimes you can barely hear it.

That said, on the Durango models I'm not sure what needs to be removed to access the condenser. It could range from just removing the top plate so you can look down inside, to having to remove most of the front clip / grille / bumper assembly.

The charts are normally accurate - just look at a few to be sure you're getting a good one (Not something someone made up on their desktop). I normally don't charge by looking at pressures solely. I charge by weight with a scale, and feel lines by hand, and have a thermometer in one of the center vents. A combination of this and experience tells me when it's charged good, with a little extra to be stored in the accumulator in case of a small leak. But, your static pressure vs. temperature can tell you if you've got air contamination, wrong refrigerant, etc..

Usually leaves, grass, pine needles, and that kind of debris are what I find the most between the condenser and radiator. Plastic bags are rare, but are always a possibility. Gauges will tell you exactly what is going on, sometimes. If your high side is climbing too high, that's also a dead ringer for a condenser airflow issue. If you hose the condenser down and the high side drops like a rock, bingo.

From what you describe I'd wager that system is not an orifice tube system, where the clutch cycles constantly based on pressures / demand. You more than likely have a TXV system (Thermal expansion valve) where the valve regulates refrigerant flow, while the compressor runs continuously. In this case, clutch issues are more rare than on an orifice tube system, but that's still always a possibility. You could also have a variable displacement compressor where the compressor itself changes output based on demands. Things can get a bit complicated for a DIY'er in that case. On many newer models like this, there's an evaporator sensor that can fail and cause issues, too, like low output of a variable displacement compressor.

Another thing to throw a wrench in the mix is the fact that most '18-up Chrysler products have a secure gateway, where you can't just plug a normal scan tool in. In some cases you have to disassemble the radio / display / HVAC assembly and plug into a module there with a special jumper in order to bypass the gateway. Otherwise you'll have extremely limited access to scan data. Sometimes that module is right under the dash, so it's easy. Other times you'll have to do some labor to reach it. You really need scan data on something this new to aid in troubleshooting. You need to watch pressures on the tool to see if they jive with what you're seeing on the gauges. Sometimes just a faulty pressure sensor can cause all these issues. If you watch a sensor jumping all around pressure wise, or occasionally hitting 0 PSI, then that sensor is more than likely dying. You'll also see a parameter in live data that says, "A/C inhibit" or something to that effect. If it says, "True" next to that, there's a problem electronically that's keeping the A/C off either permanently or intermittently. Sometimes a quick scan of the data will reveal what is inhibiting A/C operation. If a high pressure sensor is reading 600 PSI, that will kick it off for safety reasons, even if that data is false due to a failed sensor or a wiring, or connection issue.

There are many other variables when it comes to refrigerant, but if you're the 1st owner and you're sure nobody has been in that system, then those are less likely (Like contamination with the wrong refrigerant, air or moisture in the system, etc.).

I've never worked with the new YF refrigerant, but with most refrigerants, normally the low side will be around 20-40 psi depending on your ambient temperature, and the high can be anywhere from 120 psi (On the very low end) to 275 psi or higher. I like to see the high side around 150 psi most of the time, but this is with 134a or R12. With R12 it can be much lower.

 

First off let me just say, I'm an experienced auto tech, but have never laid hands on any Chrysler performance vehicles, or Durangos. I get very few Chrysler products in here aside from Rams, so I'm not 100% up on exactly how things work on that particular model. I can only tell you what I've seen based on experience. I do a TON of GM products. On the GM Silverado trucks, the fan comes on at a very low speed when the A/C is turned on ... USUALLY. On a cooler morning where you're trying to lower the humidity levels, it might not come on until a few minutes later. It comes on very low at first - sometimes you can barely hear it.

That said, on the Durango models I'm not sure what needs to be removed to access the condenser. It could range from just removing the top plate so you can look down inside, to having to remove most of the front clip / grille / bumper assembly.

The charts are normally accurate - just look at a few to be sure you're getting a good one (Not something someone made up on their desktop). I normally don't charge by looking at pressures solely. I charge by weight with a scale, and feel lines by hand, and have a thermometer in one of the center vents. A combination of this and experience tells me when it's charged good, with a little extra to be stored in the accumulator in case of a small leak. But, your static pressure vs. temperature can tell you if you've got air contamination, wrong refrigerant, etc..

Usually leaves, grass, pine needles, and that kind of debris are what I find the most between the condenser and radiator. Plastic bags are rare, but are always a possibility. Gauges will tell you exactly what is going on, sometimes. If your high side is climbing too high, that's also a dead ringer for a condenser airflow issue. If you hose the condenser down and the high side drops like a rock, bingo.

From what you describe I'd wager that system is not an orifice tube system, where the clutch cycles constantly based on pressures / demand. You more than likely have a TXV system (Thermal expansion valve) where the valve regulates refrigerant flow, while the compressor runs continuously. In this case, clutch issues are more rare than on an orifice tube system, but that's still always a possibility. You could also have a variable displacement compressor where the compressor itself changes output based on demands. Things can get a bit complicated for a DIY'er in that case. On many newer models like this, there's an evaporator sensor that can fail and cause issues, too, like low output of a variable displacement compressor.

Another thing to throw a wrench in the mix is the fact that most '18-up Chrysler products have a secure gateway, where you can't just plug a normal scan tool in. In some cases you have to disassemble the radio / display / HVAC assembly and plug into a module there with a special jumper in order to bypass the gateway. Otherwise you'll have extremely limited access to scan data. Sometimes that module is right under the dash, so it's easy. Other times you'll have to do some labor to reach it. You really need scan data on something this new to aid in troubleshooting. You need to watch pressures on the tool to see if they jive with what you're seeing on the gauges. Sometimes just a faulty pressure sensor can cause all these issues. If you watch a sensor jumping all around pressure wise, or occasionally hitting 0 PSI, then that sensor is more than likely dying. You'll also see a parameter in live data that says, "A/C inhibit" or something to that effect. If it says, "True" next to that, there's a problem electronically that's keeping the A/C off either permanently or intermittently. Sometimes a quick scan of the data will reveal what is inhibiting A/C operation. If a high pressure sensor is reading 600 PSI, that will kick it off for safety reasons, even if that data is false due to a failed sensor or a wiring, or connection issue.

There are many other variables when it comes to refrigerant, but if you're the 1st owner and you're sure nobody has been in that system, then those are less likely (Like contamination with the wrong refrigerant, air or moisture in the system, etc.).

I've never worked with the new YF refrigerant, but with most refrigerants, normally the low side will be around 20-40 psi depending on your ambient temperature, and the high can be anywhere from 120 psi (On the very low end) to 275 psi or higher. I like to see the high side around 150 psi most of the time, but this is with 134a or R12. With R12 it can be much lower.

WOW.. That was an education for me. I love the explanation. Thank you. With that said:

You are correct, I have a TXV expansion valve which I can see near the firewall. In terms of the compressor, not sure what type I have (you made mention to a variable displacement compressor) but can say the clutch engages each and every time I turn the AC on and spins continuously and remains until I turned the AC off. As far as the "gateway" and scan tool, obviously this is out of my DIY zone so I cannot comment on that. I am the first owner of this DD and bought it brand new and have never had problems with the AC until now and to my knowledge, no one at the dealer service dept has messed with the system.

I think I will rent some gauges and see what that data tells me and report here. Also, I will inspect the condenser more thoroughly as best I can and spray down the condenser/radiator area with a hose and see what happens. I do have a temp probe in the center vent.

Thanks again!

 

It is either the expansion valve is bad, low on freon or blend doors behind dash are not working correctly.
You should be able to idle on a 95 degree day and that AC will freeze your ass off.
Mother Mopar makes the best performing AC systems bar none. (They always have since the 60s)

With my 2013 Ford F150 from brand new, the AC could not keep the cabin cool when the truck stopped at a red light or was idling. Known problem with that generation F150. That was a system poorly designed.

Find an Automitive AC/Heating specialist (thats all they do) in your area and take it to them for an esitmate.
Be prepared to pay for the estimate since it takes time to diagnose.

 

Thanks for the reply. I have heard from many that MOPAR AC systems are really good. Prior to my problems now, I never had a complaint and my wife always told me I was freezing her out! HA .

From others comments as well as the research I have done on my end, your suspicions seem logical to me. As I mentioned in my original comment on this post, I did place a AC Pro Gauge (https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Pro-CERTYF102-4-Recharge-Gauge/dp/B07RMSK967?th=1) on the low side and as long as I did it correctly, it read more than halfway (40+) in the green FILLED area. I do not have experience with this type of gauge and do not not how accurate they are. With that, I thought I could get more of a complete reading by going and renting some gauges and see how the high and low pressure react. That should at least confirm I have enough refrigerate in the system. If I do, and my condenser inspection does not reveal any issues, then maybe the expansion valve???? I do not know any way for this DIY'er to check the blend doors. Does this sound like a good plan to you?

Thanks again. I really appreciate it.

 

Good afternoon,

Reporting back. Unfortunately none of the auto stores around me carry manifold gauge sets for R-1234yf to rent so I won't be able to do any more DIY testing. However, I saw on YT to take temp readings of the high pressure lines entering the condenser and then temp reading of the line exiting the condenser and the one exiting should be fairly cooler than the one entering. Make sense? Unfortunately, mine were fairly close in temps. Dont know how scientific that is but I guess its suppose to tell you generally if the condenser is going its job. Anyways, guess I will have to wait for the shop to look at it Tues. I will report back. Thanks again!

 

UPDATE

So I have a little OCD and kept poking around to see if I could troubleshoot a little more. I have attached pics of what I found on the condenser. I know the pics are not the greatest but my iPhone had trouble focusing through the grill and bumper.

I see green on the bottom right area of the condenser, close to where the lines come in I think. In addition it appears about a 2x2 section in that same area is a "darker" shade of the silver color of the condenser fins, which I believe is indicative of a leak in that area.

1.) Is the green the dye added to the refrigerate from the factory?
2.) Is my assumption about the small 2x2 area correct?
3.) Is there anything else in this area that can account for that green color?
4.) If this leak is confirmed, would this account for the symptoms I am experiencing with my AC?
5.) Providing nothing else is found when they do the diagnosis, what am I looking at for parts/repairs....evac and vacuum the system, new condenser with trans condenser and dryer (is the part # 55038003AG?), re-charge system?

Thought and thanks!

 

That's a coolant leak + almost guaranteed to be the reason your AC isnt working

 

"Refrigerant leak" before someone corrects me that you don't put coolant in the AC system.

What I'm saying is whatever refrigerant was put into your AC is leaking + yes refrigerant looks green like what you're showing.

 

It appears you might have the infamous cracked condenser. If you're lucky it's just a bad seal.

 

@Tin Foil Hat LOL. Once I found that leak, I started searching on here for that particular problem and BAM! Its a common issue for sure. Appt is Tues so we shall see.

 

Took to the shop today. They confirmed leak at bottom right corner of condenser. See photo.

Job cost $1100-$1300 depending how much refrigerate they will need. Stated 4 hrs labor. They warranty there work for 5yrs/50000 parts and labor.

Reasonable?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

An independent shop will probably do it for 1/2 to 2/3s the price but will only give a 12 mo, 12K mi warranty. Your choice. The dealer should know exactly how much freon it will take unless they are recycling what you have left and adding what's missing.

 

I would lean toward having the dealer do it since they are prone to failure, ask for a loaner for the day, and see if you can get the old condenser back and have it touched up by a radiator shop for a replacement when it leaks again.

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate all the help here.

 

I would lean toward having the dealer do it since they are prone to failure, ask for a loaner for the day, and see if you can get the old condenser back and have it touched up by a radiator shop for a replacement when it leaks again.

 

Happy 4th of July
Can you tell us how did you fix the problem

 

Poke around with a UV light. I'm sure you have a leak.
The system comes with UV dye from the factory.
(Side story: on my '14 when I finally forced the dealer to get in there with a UV light by sending them a picture of the glowing leak, the service manager said "Well, who put that dye in the system???!?" ... damn idiots... )