Auto Aircon Not Blowing Cool Air as You Would Expect

whatswrongwithya on 02/02/2025 - 22:50
Last edited 03/02/2025 - 15:01 by 1 other user

I got a 2008 Accord that has this aircon problem. it works slow and blows cold air but it's not cold enough and cabin takes longer to become cool.

Have had this issue for years but never bothered to get it fixed. Now, have kids and it sucks to be in the car on a hot sunny day. Due to tough finance, I never approached local Auto AC shops for quotes.

Has anyone had a similar issue fixed? was it a DIY fix or repair shop?

I want to know how much did it cost you?

PS. The car takes R134A Ferron.

There is a refrigerant available at Super Cheap with guage but its $200.

Automotive Air Conditioner Car Honda

Comments

  • boomramada on 02/02/2025 - 22:53
    +5

    08 Accord that has this aircon problem

    Would be cheaper to buy a car that has a working AC.

    Have had this issue for years but never bothered to get it fixed.

    Maybe re gassing can fix it maybe not (dead compressor or leak else where), no one knows till try it.

  • MS Paint on 02/02/2025 - 22:57
    +2

    Could just be right on the minimum refrigerant amount.

    I suggest you book into your nearest natrad for a free assessment and go from there.

  • nubzy on 02/02/2025 - 22:57
    +3

    You can't use the refrigerant from SCA because it is R1234YF.

    You probably have a leak somewhere and it will be expensive to fix. Diagnosis shouldn't cost that much but if they find a leak a reputable place will not regas it without fixing the leak.

    It's a different story for the R1234YF because it is much less harmful to the environment, but it costs a fortune around $400+ for a professional diagnosis + regas or you can DIY with those SCA cans.

    But there will be a leak somewhere. Or maybe it has lost some gas through the seals since it is a 2008 car and a top up will get it working nicely again. With a regas and a small leak you might get a few years out of it. First thing first though, go to a AC repair place and get them to put the gauge on and pressure test it.

  • SmiTTy on 02/02/2025 - 22:58

    I'm Sydney based but there's a mechanic near me that advertises $150 regas. Ive never used them and there might be hidden fees and caveats no doubt …

    But why don't you just go get it checked out and get a quote? Numbers quoted here likely won't be indicative of anything that relates to your situation so there's little value asking a forum

  • 7ekn00 on 02/02/2025 - 23:01
    +1

    Will be at least a regas and seals/gaskets changes, with labour ~ $5-600.

    If it is a component fault or line leaks, at least triple it :/

  • pegaxs on 02/02/2025 - 23:32
    +4

    There is no “cheap DIY” fix for aircon issues, it has issues because it has issues and you need to fix the issues before you can put gas back in it. If you try and regas it yourself, you could be in for a world of pain. You could be filling a system with a hole in it, you would be filling a system with no oil in it, you could be filling a system with the wrong gas.

    While I will say for people to have a crack at fixing most things in their cars, AC systems are not one of them.

    Sad news is, that messing around with the AC on a 2008 Accord is probably going to cost more than the car is worth.

  • AustriaBargain on 02/02/2025 - 23:54
    +1

    Forecast in Melbourne for today was 39 degrees according to BOM website. If your old AC is like my old AC then it'll work perfectly fine all the time, except when it's above like 30s it'll struggle a bit, and at 39 you wonder if it's working at all. I bet cars that were or are more expensive sometimes have more powerful ACs, that can still chill your car down in a heatwave.

  • JIMB0 on 03/02/2025 - 00:58
    +2

    Have you tried parking in the shade or using a sunshade? Honda air con is not that great even when new. It's ok when you're moving and the engine is running at a higher rpm. Sitting in traffic idling the air is hardly cold at all.

    It's not broken, it's just the way they are, undersized for Australian conditions. You'll probably end up spending a heap of money for little improvement. Trade it in on a Toyota if you want to freeze your ass off on a 40c day.

  • Euphemistic on 03/02/2025 - 05:52
    +2

    If it needs regassing, theres no point regassing until you work out why it leaked out.

    If there is still some cooling left in the AC, but not as effective its possible there is somethign other than gas leakage.

    Couple of issues ive had with AC over the years:
    On a forester, the climate control system was imermitently faulty. Wouldnt blow cold until i changed the temp to warm then back to cool. Then it worked fine until the next time. Never fixed it.
    On a navara, the fan load resister failed meaning the system wouldnt recognise the fan blowing, and therefore the AC wouldnt work on low speed settings. Was a $30 part and 5min job.

    • whatswrongwithya on 03/02/2025 - 09:03

      Regassing means filling a refrigerant into low pressure tube, correct?

      Sorry, at this stage i am total noob.

      • MS Paint on 03/02/2025 - 09:44
        +1

        You don't need to concern yourself with such matters as you don't hold the license required to handle the refrigerant.

  • cohiba30 on 03/02/2025 - 07:22

    If it's not a leak it could just be a problem with the a/c clutch engaging, which on my Impreza was a simple 30 minute diy fix to remove a spacing washer thanks to several helpful youtube videos.

    • whatswrongwithya on 03/02/2025 - 09:01

      AC clutch, I think, is engaging thats why the aircon works but its weak. I can hear the clutch engaging on and off at intervals.

  • aussieprepper on 03/02/2025 - 09:05
    +1

    Have you changed the AC filter lately? Does the blower motor make any weird sounds?

  • doctordv8 on 03/02/2025 - 10:47
    +3

    How long is a piece of string? There will never be a "how much was your to fix" same same scenario…ever.

    There are multiple components and systems in an Air Conditioner.

    There are is wear n tear, failed, and damaged from atmosphere contamination issues to deal with.

    Go to a workshop and have it diagnosed, and then quoted.

    There are no quick fixes or short cuts although there is a minor chance of a minor electrical fail, a fuse if you have karma.

    The only guarantee is it will be at least twice the cost today as when it first failed

  • nubzy on 03/02/2025 - 10:56

    I feel like car AC systems are not made to last anymore. Once a car is past ten years old something is going to go wrong, and if it is the evaporator you are up for a huge repair cost that will be half if not more than the value of the car as it is a dash out job. A lot of people just recharge the system every year or two to get by. If your car has the R1234YF refrigerant then the supercheap cans are the way to go as they can be had for $150 on sale. It beats paying $350+ at the AC places. And you get a gauge with it so you can monitor how fast it is leaking. But those professional shops will evacuate all the old gas, vacuum the system and recharge both high and low pressure lines so it is a more thorough job.

    • JimB on 03/02/2025 - 15:55

      "I feel like car AC systems are not made to last anymore."

      Cars are generally more reliable than in the pasts.

      It's just they are more complex and labour costs are high, therefore it's sometimes more economical to just to replace the car.

      I remember growing up people would repair cars that costs $2,000. These days people won't bother fixing things.

  • djesr on 03/02/2025 - 11:50

    I've got the exact same issue with my 08 Accord. Got the AC serviced with refill of the refrigerator, the mechanic said that there could be leak because I had 1/5 of what it should have. I don't think I've noticed this in the past 6 yrs I've had the car but I also don't think I've regassed it for that long.
    Unfortunately fixing the AC is not something I would want to do for a 08 Accord that would be worth about $6k at most

  • Jake D on 03/02/2025 - 11:52

    Check your cabin air filter. That's about the only part you can DIY. If that doesn't fix it, this is the most helpful answer:

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/16224938/redir

  • mooseca on 03/02/2025 - 12:08

    It could be a chewed through cable as well. I had mine fixed a month ago which hadn't been working for 3 years. I assumed it was a leak. Took him an hour and was $135

  • Oofy Doofy on 03/02/2025 - 12:09

    at that age it'll be $1000+ repair unless you're very lucky.

    I had the condenser fans stop working, and the pressure switch stop working (first place misdiagnosed everything, so I hooked up a scan tool and recorded some AC system data and looked over it). $1300 all up to repair.

  • pscac001 on 03/02/2025 - 12:34

    There are a lot of people telling you how it will cost a fortune and it's not worth fixing on such an old car, so I'll throw my experiences out there for comparison.

    I had a 20 year old subaru with absolutely no AC. I called a local mobile AC guy to check it out, he came to my house and the first thing he said before even touching the car was "There is an O-ring that always fails on these, so that will definitely need to be replaced". Sure enough, he pulled out the O-ring and it had a crack in it. He replaced it, regassed the system, charged me $150 and it was still working perfectly 6 years later when the engine died.

    More recently I bought a 15 year old Mazda, AC worked but it was only OK. I called the same guy, he came to my house, regassed the system and charged me $150 again. That was only a few weeks ago so I don't know how it will go long term, but it's working well at the moment and if it took 15 years to leak enough refrigerant to go from "good" to "OK", then I'm willing to take a gamble that it will be good for a few years now.

    Obviously there will be a lot of variation in old cars and maybe yours will cost thousands to fix, or maybe they will sort it out with an O-ring and a bit of gas. For a forum that so frequently pushes the "Buy an old Toyota or Honda" line, there seems to be a lot of reluctance to try fixing an old Honda.

    • JimB on 03/02/2025 - 15:59

      I also found a mechanic why did air conds on weekends at his house.

      My dad's car would leak refrigerant every year or so, so I got this guy I found on facebook or gumtree (can't remember) who also fixed it by replacing an o-ring (after running a dye test).

  • bigticket on 03/02/2025 - 13:08
    +1

    OP, your description of the problem does not generally match with the advice given here.
    Having a working system, with the clutch engaging for years and the symptom being works slow and blows cold air but its not cold enough and cabin takes longer to become cool indicates there is no leak per se. All cars leak to some extent and it takes many many years for the freon to reach low levels.

    In my opinion, the car requires a regas or a top up.

  • c64 on 03/02/2025 - 15:17

    don't worry, summer is almost over. it'll be fine in winter

  • ultracheapweeabookun on 03/02/2025 - 15:25

    It's not worth messing with your a/c system doing DIY. Diagnosis would be max 1 hour worth of labour which is about 180 give or take. Honestly, I thought slow cold ac was a honda thing.

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