Finally got my AC fixed. Seems to have been a rather unusual problem, curious if anyone else has had similar experience. Turns out my condenser fan wasn't running. Garage replaced the fan, added dye, oil and refrigerant, an hour labour, cost $513. I've read lots of issues about fan relays in the caravan but can't find much info on issues with the actual fan itself. The fan cost $292. They said there were no leaks, not sure how the refrigerant got out of the system and required a recharge.

 

The Relay should be sitting right behind the front grill, toward the driver's side. It is bolted on top of the steel bar right behind the bumper. I believe you can access it once you remove the black plastic cover the screws onto the top of the grill.


and it look like this

 

AC quit working again, had a feeling this would happen. Took it back to the same garage, this time they are saying the expansion valve is bad. It's only been 3 weeks since they replaced the fan for $513, now they want another $500 to replace the expansion valve. Is anyone familiar with these expansion valves? Perhaps theres a simple fix, I've read that overcharging the system can cause this, and just needs to be vacuumed and refilled to spec. I don't believe it has anything to do with the relay steak59 mentioned. I understand that relay is for a common problem with the radiator fan.

I would like to just get by without AC and trade the van in before next summer, but this summer has been very humid and were planning to use the van for a roadtrip coming up in a couple weeks.

 

At that price I would just buy an A/C Manifold/Gauge set, learn the fundamentals of how an A/C works, and fix it your self. The expansion valve isn't hard to replace but time consuming. Expansion valves cost $30 aftermarket and should take an experienced shop 2 hours so no need for the ridiculous cost - especially after they just burned you for $513.

You need to find out if the fans turn on when the engine warms up. They should cycle on and off to cool the radiator. If they do, then your fan relay is fine. If they never turn on, then the relay could be no good or your PCM may also be faulty. If they do turn on when the engine is warm but not when the A/C is on, then it could be the pressure switch located near the receiver/dryer and expansion valve. When this switch reads high pressure from the A/C, it will trigger the PCM to turn the fans on.

You need a gauge set (http://www.ackits.com/refrigerant-gu...tercool--31652) to see the pressures in the system. After you turn on the A/C, you should see the high side pressure build to +230psi and that's about when the fans should engage. If they don't engage and the pressure keeps building, then you should start with this - http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/200...ff_switch.html. If that doesn't fix it and you know the fans are working when the engine is hot, then you should replace the PCM with a used one from the junk yard or ebay.

Also - don't forget to check your fuses and relays under the hood because they may be the cause for the fans not engaging either - in fact, start here first . You can switch relays of similar sizes around if you don't know how to test each one individually.

 

I hardly seen expansion valve fails personally. But anything made by man would break at some point.


My question is, is there any Refrigerants in your A/C system? These Minivan has a problem with Rear Evaporator if you have rear air. But your can't see them, they are inside the HVAC box.

 

This van doesn't have AC in the rear. The garage said they recharged the system when they diagnosed the bad expansion valve. Seems to be blowing cold air for now, will see how long it lasts.

Every vehicle I've owned has either needed AC repair or I've just done without. I'm considering investing in the necessary tools to do just do my own repairs. I would need a gauge set as mattd860 reccomended. What about a vacuum? and a recovery tank, and recharge gas? The DIY kits, recharge in a can, seem expensive compared to what the garage can recharge it for.

 

Buying the right tools and learning about ac systems may cost a bit up front but will save you a ton of money in the future. For a vacuum pump, this is all you should need - http://www.ackits.com/vacuum-pumps-a...uum-pump-33434. Don't be fooled by other DIY kits, all you need is a manifold gauge set with hoses and a vacuum pump.

As far as a recovery system, I've always ever fixed an ac system that was already empty so I never needed one. If I did need one, I would just bring it to a shop and have them collect it and just let them have it and forget about it. Then, just go to Walmart and buy straight R134a refrigerant there. DONT buy the stuff with oil or stop leak or anything else - just pure vanilla R134a. Walmart sells for about $10 per can.

You can also get little bottles of dye to put in the system before recharging and I highly recommend that.

You should watch this video and the many others on youtube to learn more - . Also check out this forum -http://www.autoacforum.com/