I recently acquired a '95 945T with ~200k miles that's in excellent condition. This is my second '95 940 (the other being a ~300k-mile sedan that I've had for about four years). I have no complaints aside from (1) miserable gas mileage (13 MPG vs. ~22 MPG in the sedan) and (2) relatively weak A/C. I'm tracking down the MPG issue separately (ECT, O2 sensor, etc.), but I mention it in case it's possibly related.

Firstly, things that do work:

1) Climate control fan works perfectly; all speeds 1-5 flow air as they should
2) A/C button works as it should
3) A/C compressor engages and disengages as is should (~10 seconds after start-up and when the A/C button is pressed)
4) Refrigerant has been topped up recently and was about 0.5 lbs low, per the repair shop

That's the good news. While it's been extremely hot here in Central Texas (~105 F ambient), the 945 is the only car I have in which the A/C is perpetually on full and it doesn't get anywhere near "too cold".

Measuring this as scientifically as I can, with a 105 F ambient temp, the coldest I can get the air at the center dash vent is 72-73F. The 30 F drop is better than nothing in this heat, but is there anything else I should be looking at? I'm not sure what the expected temperature drop of this system is, but it seems inadequate in this heat (the 940 sedan, while not at the level of our new cars, works fine).

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

Your 1995 940 - The 30 degree drop is about the best you can expect.

Volvo had just switched over to r134 a few years earlier (1993) and those 1995 systems were "adequate" at best. The compressors in those cars really don't turn fast enough at slow speeds. And who knows how well the condensers work as they were about the same ones from the earlier r12 cars and I don't remember if the condenser fans ran whenever the ac was on or the ac pressure was too high.

You have a wagon with the additional glass - so you should always park in the shade for best results.

Your comment on "1/2 pound low". Freon is put in by weight - full is some where around 1kg.

The ONLY way to determine how much freon (by weight) is in the system - is to weigh it after you take it out. Most modern recharging stations can do that. (or weigh the car before and after freon removal - yeah that's possible!)

Any other method is just an educated guess. (your 1/2 pound low) If you want to make sure your system is working the best it can - you have to remove what's in there, pull as best a vacuum as you can (to remove any possible moisture) then fill with the specified amount (somewhere around 1.0 kilo)

 

Thanks, @hoonk . That's what I was afraid of. I'm not sure how the person who did the work determined how low the system was. I'm, frankly, not sure if they simply added half a pound, or took out 1.5 and then added back two. They did say the system took "about two pounds," which aligns with the kilo. The next step is heat reflective tint on all glass incl. high-light transmission film on the windshield. There's something on the side and back windows now, but I'm not sure of the quality.

Appreciate the input. Thanks again.