My 01 PT Cruiser has been very reliable. But now the air conditioner is not as cool as it should be. I have checked the pressure and it reads to specification, about 20lb. What else should I look for?
Richard.
Well, for one thing, you need to quantify how cool it really is. Get one of those inexpensive air vent thermometers and monitor how cold the air blows with the fan on high and on the "recirc" setting. It should be around 40 degrees F. after everything has a chance to stabilize. If it doesn't get that low, then maybe the blend doors are letting some air from the heater core mix into the cold air stream (maybe a PT owner can give you the procedure to check this onthat system). if that's OK, then you need to check the high-side pressure and condenser temperature and compare the results with a pressure/temperature table as found in the Factory Service Manual. Verify that the electric fans are running, verify that the compressor isn't short-cycling (indicating a possible clogged expansion valve). And so on. There's a lot more to it than just the low-side pressure.
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