I bought my 97 XK8 back in October. Now that it is warming up I'm using the a/c. It is pretty anemic. Just mildly cool. Is this normal for this car? I ask because cars can vary. I had a 75 Chevy Malibu that blew so cold frost would come out of the vent. On the other hand I had a 4Runner that was always anemic from day one.
So what is the norm for our XK8?
Thanks

 

If it's chilling but not very efficiently then it's likely only to need a refrigerant recharge. If it's not chilling below ambient temperature at all, there could be a leak.

According to Jaguar, loss of up to 10% refrigerant charge weight per year is normal!

Graham

 

With a car 18 years old an AC tune up is only reasonable. The air out of the vents should be at least 20 degrees lower than ambient. If not, there is a problem. While I am not a fan of the auto parts stores' DIY AC charge products try a can and see what happens.

Three notes;

It is possible to put too much freon in the system. The static pressure, engine off for half hour, should be 30-40 psi.

Select a product with dye included which will make any subsequent leak detection easier.

DO NOT use a product with a leak sealer. It can gum up the system fatally and no professional will work on it knowing that a sealer has been used.

 

Off hand, anyone know the type refrigerant we use? Or do all cars use the same now?

 

The current spec is R-134a refrigerant, but I don't remember the exact timeframe when it replaced R-12. Be sure to check your specific car's documentation....

 

On the sealer point. I have used that type of stuff in cars for a long time as they would bleed off after time or were to low to work when i got a car and used the sealer type and never had issues and the ac in the cars always worked fine for me and were working when I sold them. No discounting what you say but just saying...