First of all I want to Thank all the Magnum guys for posting problems with the A/C in the
Magnum. I am considering buy one of the puppy also, but this A/C problem about not
cooling enough has me thinking. I now drive a 2002 Silverado truck and the A/C in it
will get you very cold. I live in the Dallas area and it get pretty hot around here in the
summer so A/C must work very good, at least for me.

Hey Tigerbangs, Thanks for that information on the amount of feon in the system that
is a very good point if just a little leaks out.

Would like to see more owners talking about the A/C problems with Magnum that live in Texas.
Thanks!

 

I've had my RT for about three weeks now and I have to tell you I have had ZERO problems with the A/C. I am in Southern Calilfornia and work "inland" and live at the beach. Last week we had 95 degree plus temps every day and the Magnum A/C worked just fine--easily the equal of the 2001 Chevy Suburban it replaced. When I got in my car at the end of the day the interior temp had to be 110 or more and the A/C on MAX cooled the inside very quickly . . .

Just my 2 cents

 

I don't think that the cooling problem with the Magnum is a design flaw, as the system had plenty of capacity when we first got the car, but the system might have been slightly under-charged, or there might be a slight leak in the system. In either case, the dealer seems eager to please, and the car is going back in on Wednesday to have the system checked. I'll report the results: there may be a lesson in this for a bunch of us with A/C complaints.

 

Zepol, like you I live in the Dallas area but I wouldn't let this A/C issue stop you from buying a Magnum. (Biased? Maybe) I just open the sunroof so the back of it is proped up (center button on the control) and you'd be amazed how fast that warm air flushes from inside. Plus, I am always in the habit of opening all the windows when I get in the car regardless how hot it is outside. The temp drops a quick 10-15 degrees by doing this which helps the A/C do it's job alot quicker.

Besides, there are WAY too many good qualities in the car to let a small and probably fixable problem stop you. Plus, armed with this info before you buy helps you head off an potential problem at the time of purchase.

Nick

 

I took my Magnum SXT to the dealer yesterday, concerned about A/C performance. I was told that normal temprature from the center A/C ducts is 46 degrees when on recirc: mine was 38 degrees, so I guess I shouldn't complain. The Service manager told me that to cool the car ASAP to cool the car down in the recirc mode, then switch off to the fresh air mode once the car has reached a comfortable temp. That information is consistant with the instructions I got from my VW dealer about our old Passat and Jetta, so there must be something to it! When I try using that proceedure, the car DOES get very cold quickly, so it sounds as if that's the answer.

 

I live in Houston, have had no problems with A/C cooling. Like Dallas, the temps have been lower than norm the past few weeks. If anything, mine is so cold I have to put the temp control at about 9-10 o'clock to avoid frostbite! IT normally takes between 2-3 minutes from the time the a/c is kicked on to reach a comfortable temp when outside is above 95 degrees. Run it in recirc 'till it cools down, then go to fresh air intake, as recommended. Works great, no complaints.

 

If the car has been sitting, and is very hot, here is what you should do. Run the a/c in regular mode with the windows open for a little bit. Then close the windows and run it on recirc. When it's cool enough, turn off recirc.

The reason you don't want to start it on recirc is that the air inside the car is hotter than outside the car. Once the air inside the car is about the same temperature as the air outside, then you put it on recirc.

 

My salesman mentioned he didn't think the a/c was getting very cold, but I have not had a problem with it. There have been several 100+ days here lately, and it's done a fine job keeping the interior cool. Works better with the sunroof closed obviously
I came from a 99 Silverado, and have to say the A/C in the magnum works just as good as the truck did.

 

Mine worked great. Then I let the wife take it out. The next time I drove it, it seemed like it would not get cold enough. She must have been playing with the controls. I noticed that the fan control on the far right was not in the Auto mode, it was on the top and bottom vent position. Put it on auto vent position and cooled like a fridge.