The air conditioning in my 1988 XJ6 Van Den Plas isn't very cold. On hot days when the temperature is above 90 degrees and the car is moving the air is at best comfortable. When the car stops moving and the engine is idling the air gets warmer and is unbearable. What could be the problem?

 

Big E, first, get the freon level checked. This will be about a $40 service. If the freon charge is good, then you most likely have a bad thermostatic control valve or the evaporator in the dash is plugged. Either one of these will cause a reduction in the freon flow rate, therefore resulting in reduced cooling. If your freon charge is low, then you have a leak in the system. Fix the system before you recharge it or you will simply be dumping your money out that hole. Odds are, because you still have some cooling and based on the age of the car, you are looking at a bad compressor. While not a cheap fix, it is an easy fix. Unfortunately, this will need to be done at a freon shop as you are running R-12 in your car and it is illegal to simply dump it to the environment. Not to mention that when you refill the system, you will need to draw a vacuum on the system to get rid of all the non-condensible gases.

Chris "Thermo" Coleman

 

Thermo..quit giving Dupont free publicity..It's Refrigerant

Couldalso be the outside recirulate air damper is stuck open to outside air..this will also make your system seem weak on hot humid days.

 

Dennis, who says I work for Dupont. I am with the government, i am here to help. He he he hehe. Granted, you are correct in the damper door being the issue. But, as a general rule, the freon is the more likely cause.

Chris "Thermo" Coleman