Ok, I've searched a ton and just can't seem to find out whats wrong with my ac. I have a 2002 LS V8 with around 110000 miles. About a year and a half ago I noticed my air conditioning starting getting warm. As long as I am driving down the highway, or even 40+ mph, the air is pretty cool if the outside temp is 90 or lower. If I stop then the air starts blowing warmer. I took to a shop last summer and they told me it needed a new compressor. I didn't really feel like they really even tested it (thats a long story). Anyways, I couldn't afford the $2000 they wanted, so I suffered through a Vegas summer with my black on black LS!
In October i was back home with the car and was able to take it to my dad's mechanic. He replaced the drier and some hoses and stuff. I was never really able to tell if it made a difference because as long as the outside temp is cool, the ac blows cold air.
Fast forward to this summer. There were a few days with the temp back up in the high 90s and sure enough my ac was warm again. Dreading the upcoming summer I decided to have it diagnosed again. I took it to a local shop and they ran an a/c service on it. The guy told me that after running all their tests, he thought it was the expansion valve. the low side pressure were in the 70s and the high was in the 190s. He said he thought it was the expansion valve instead of the compressor because the pressures never flucuated. (I dont know enough about a/c to know if thats true). However, he told me that the expansion valve took 6 hours to replace and it wasn't worth replacing without replacing the compressor.
So I have been doing research to find out if it could be the expansion valve or if it was something else. I found out how to do the self diagnosis and came up empty (no codes). I have read alot about the DCCV but didn't that was it because I didn't notice different temps. However the other day my bro-in-law was riding in the passenger and he said his was warm and my side was actually cool.
So here is my question. Could it be the DCCV even with no codes, no blown fuses and the auto shop didn't see that? (not that i put much faith in the auto shop) Is it worth changing to see if that makes a difference? Or with those pressures is it definitely the expansion valve or compressor? Thanks for any help and sorry I dont know much about the a/c system!
In October i was back home with the car and was able to take it to my dad's mechanic. He replaced the drier and some hoses and stuff. I was never really able to tell if it made a difference because as long as the outside temp is cool, the ac blows cold air.
Fast forward to this summer. There were a few days with the temp back up in the high 90s and sure enough my ac was warm again. Dreading the upcoming summer I decided to have it diagnosed again. I took it to a local shop and they ran an a/c service on it. The guy told me that after running all their tests, he thought it was the expansion valve. the low side pressure were in the 70s and the high was in the 190s. He said he thought it was the expansion valve instead of the compressor because the pressures never flucuated. (I dont know enough about a/c to know if thats true). However, he told me that the expansion valve took 6 hours to replace and it wasn't worth replacing without replacing the compressor.
So I have been doing research to find out if it could be the expansion valve or if it was something else. I found out how to do the self diagnosis and came up empty (no codes). I have read alot about the DCCV but didn't that was it because I didn't notice different temps. However the other day my bro-in-law was riding in the passenger and he said his was warm and my side was actually cool.
So here is my question. Could it be the DCCV even with no codes, no blown fuses and the auto shop didn't see that? (not that i put much faith in the auto shop) Is it worth changing to see if that makes a difference? Or with those pressures is it definitely the expansion valve or compressor? Thanks for any help and sorry I dont know much about the a/c system!
