I am looking at a 2010 XKR Coupe & when getting ready to test drive I noticed the air conditioner did not start cooling until I started driving. Is that normal?

 

1st do we assume that you had the AUTO button for the AC turned on. Also was the temp set to lower then the outside temp. The temp sensor determines the outside temp vs the inside temp and starts the system. I also believe there is a delay until the engine gets some heat in it. Did the AC system work during your drive and was it cold and was it set for lower then the outside temp.

 

 

 

The system reads the interior temp through an aspirator fan drawn past sensor through the little grill behind the wiper control stalk and has an outside sensor in the nose grill. It also reads how strong the sunlight is though the windshield. Sometimes it takes a bit for the HVAC system to figure out what to do and how to do it because of the latent temps around the sensors. Usually I forget about it because it works really well and you don't have to mess with the temp.

Per the condition you describe I usually open the windows for a couple minutes.

 

 

Google this
TECHNICAL BULLETIN
JTB00380NAS1

 

Suggest you invest a lot of time on the forum looking at multiple threads dealing with the 2010+ XKs almost everything you need to know is already on the forum. In addition at the top of the page you can download the Owner's manual and a shop manual at no charge. Welcome aboard and know that you will have as many smiles as miles you put on your XKR.

 

I have the same issue with the direct pressure sensing valve,
however I did get the AC system evacuated and recharged
and that helped minimize the problem. (this should be done periodically
on newer AC systems.)

so the valve doesn't open properly to activate full compression cycles
which results in poor AC cooling, however evacuating and recharging
your system helped improve cooling significantly.

Not sure on the cost of actually replacing the valve, anyone done this?

 

Valve is $160 on Ebay for genuine part. Labor is Approx. 1 hour to install plus evacuate and re-fill time

 

I read the technical bulletin linked above by MUFC but would like some guidance as to whether it applies to the situation in my car.

If I'm driving the XK, it usually means the weather is nice enough that I've got the top down, so I really haven't had to deal with the AC all that much. The couple times I've had to use it, though, performance seems to be inconsistent at best. When on "Auto," the the temperature setting doesn't seem to do much unless it's all the way down to "Lo". On any setting above Lo, the fan will come on but the air coming out is not always cold. It can be 98 degrees outside and setting the inside temp to 65 won't always trigger cold air to blow, but setting it to Lo will always cause cold air to blow, and it is ice cold. So it's often an all-or-nothing situation where its either freezing cold or hot and muggy with no in between. I've also had a couple of episodes where I couldn't get the windows to defog when it was cold or rainy out.

Is this the situation addressed in the service bulletin, or does this sound like something else?

 

I had the valve changed in mine and it blows cold air after 10 seconds of starting it now instead of having to drive a mile or two. AC performance is night and day compared to how it was

 

My A/C starts blowing cold well within a minute of merely idling from dead. It blows a LOT of cold after awhile, even to an uncomfortable degree.

 

Mine showed the exact same symptoms. Car would mist up horribly on a wet day. Once the AC was cold (Valve Opened) the air would blow really cold.
The easiest way to tell if the valve is at fault is to connect AC gauges to the high and low pressure sides and if the pressure is higher than it should be on the low side and lower than it should be on the high side, the valve is sticking. Once the valve opens, on mine it was a combination of miles and RPMS that would make it open, the pressures would go to normal.

 

If the valve is sticking, wouldn't it stick whether the temp setting is at "Lo" or at 65 degrees?

 

My 2010 is having this very A/C issue. XK-R is due for an oil change soon. I'll bite the bullet on this while it's at the dealer.

Feff

 

Since the day I got my car with 4,500 miles, the A/C has performed the same way here in Florida. When initially putting it on when warming the car up, it comes out warm and within less than a minute it get's quite cold. If I bury the temp settings to the lowest number, there is very little delay, however I don't keep it that way. I questioned this at the dealership, and was told it was characteristic to the XK's A/C system. Regardless, I have never had a problem with the A/C and it cools the car off quite well regardless how brutally hot it gets outside. In addition, I'd like to comment on the ventilated seats as being just about the best I've ever owned....The seat does cool down quite well which does come in handy here in Florida. Nice!!!

 

All AC units need checking and refreshing every 2-4yrs, I never ask my dealer or Indy to do it and get it regasses and lubed for around £39 usually with a groupon offer.

At that price whenever I buy a used car I will always get the air-con checked/gassed/lubed