Help, we have a problem. We live in Alabama and its hot. Our 04 XC90 air started only blowing hot air today. It starts hot and doesnt ever cool off. Well, it sounds like it kicks in and attempts to cool, it goes from really hot to really warm, then back to really hot.

Will just adding coolant help, it seems like it stopped cooling all of a sudden. What are some things to self diagnose? Hopefully it is not the compressor or something else rather expensive.

 

I have seen leaks before.. have to take it in shop to check it out.... may be leaks system...

 

okay, new deal.
The air is magically working now. I took it to a local air cond. repair guy, they worked on it, didnt really do anything and it worked again.

now, we have realized that the drivers side is blowing cold, the passenger side is not. They checked it out and the motor under the dash, it was working correctly.

now we are stuck

 

probably codes stored in climate control system for damper motors that control the blend door for heat and cold... This need to be checked out at a dealer or volvo specialist shops in which it have the diagnostic computer... Also 1 thing does your a/c compressor cycles on and off often when a/c switch is pressed?? (clicking noise)

 

I called our nearest volvo dealer, explained the drivers side cold, passenger side not. they said that the passenger side always goes out first for whatever reason. said the first thing they would do is turn the temp gauge to hot, leave for 30 secs then back to cold. I did this and magically it blows cold out of the passenger side now. Hopefully forever and not only temporarily.

Why is this? does turning the temp gauge reset the computer or reseat the blower door?

 

The damper motor that control your blend door (Heat and cold) they can go out of calibrations.. if u do that turning dial full hot to full cold it will try to recalibrate end stop position.. It will temporarily fix it until then it's best to have it calibrate at the dealer with their computer.. since there is a function that build in to the computer that calibrate it and see if it is within specification. if not it will set a code in the climate control. But if u can live with it nowthe way it isu will save some labour in diagnosing and calibrations. By the way does your car have up to date recall done. I remember when XC90 first come out in 03 and 04 model year they have a list of A-G recall in which atotal CAN network software upgrade isneeded. If u visit dealer for most service it should have been done already. The reason I ask is that it may upgrade the climate control also.

 

mncx,
thanks for the help, the dealer did the last service on the car a couple months ago. I would assume that if there were any recalls they would have fixed the recalls then, right?

anyway, thanks for the help

 

yup the recall should have been done

 

mine has the same issue. dealer is saying it is the front expansion valve. but i thought that valve only controlled front/back and not left/right