My A/c barely puts out air. It's actually enough to cool the car now but won't be enough when summer comes. The fan speed doesn't increase when I put it on high so I'm guessing it's not the resistor. Anything I can check before I go to the a/c mechanic? Thanks

 

Try getting one of the AC rechagre kits at Wal-mart, Napa, etc.....preferably one with a gauge, and see if it is simply low on refrigerant and needs a re charge.

 

I just filled the freon so no. The air comes out cold just no volume. Very little comes out

 

what does the blower fan do? there's blend doors that control the airflow so if your blower comes on but no air pushes out of the vents, then its likely that door is not actuating properly. Any ECC fault codes or blinking REC/AC lights?

 

Sorry don't know much about a/c, blend doors? The blower fan under the hood? No codes but I have not connected the scan tool yet.

Thanks

 

internal to the HVAC system are doors that open/close to direct the airflow (say to the dashboard vents, the foot vent, the defroster vents). There are motors that actuate these doors based on your dial setting. you didn't mention your S70 year - but I'm assuming you have the automated electronic climate control ("ECC" with "Auto" and other settings) that controls the door positions, controls the blower motor speed etc. Depending on the model year, the Electronic Climate Control computer may blink lights on the AC and REC switches to tell you a fault was detected - from there a scan tool would tell you more. Note, not all scan tools will read the ECC codes so you may need a shop to do the diagnostics). The blower fan is actually under the dash so you should hear it change speeds as you turn the dial.

 

Thanks for that layperson explanation supermod.

The blend doors seem to be working as when I switch positions the low volume of air goes to the new position.

I have a 2000 with a dimmer style fan switch. When I slide it to the right, I hear the motor getting louder but no increase in air. Perhaps the blower is bad

 

If it's getting "louder" and you don't get air, it's possible the fan, or some of the other stuff in there, are full of dirt, leaves, a rat's nest, that sort of thing.

Look to see if you have a cabin filter under the hood. It may not have ever been changed. I think you do have one on a 2000 but I don't know for sure if they were actually standard equipment.

The fans on these cars are mercifully easy to get to.

 

Agree, I would check and change the cabin air filter, It is accessed by removing the plastic trim under the passenger side windshield under the hood. If you hear the fan motor getting louder as you slide the fan speed switch, it sounds like the motor itself is turning ok. Possibly something blocking the air flow like was earlier mentioned (leaves, a mouse nest, etc....) A possible but not exactly a probable cause could be the squirrel cage fan itself came loose on the motor shaft and is not turning faster when the fan speed increases.

 

+1 - sounds like something is restricting the airflow into the blower. My vote is for the mouse house :-)

I had that happen on my wife's Highlander. Shop vac, new filter some Fridgifresh (or mist with Lysol to get any contamination out) and you should be good to go. Google or check youtube for vids on how to access the cabin air filter in your model.

 

This car challenges me more than my job. Not this time though.

Oddly enough it fixed itself.

Or the mouse vamoosed.

 

Got to love the problems that fix themselves