Why does the ac in my car take so long to get cold

July 26, 2022

If your car or truck air conditioning takes a long time to get cold,  Here’s what cold cause the problem:


  • A/C compressor is weak, It may build up pressure slowly, or require high rpm to produce normal pressures.
  • The Recirculation door is not working. When the system is in Max A/C, the flap should be closed. Unless the flap is closed, hot outside air dilutes the effect of A/C, causing the ac to take a long to get cold.
  • Temperature door not operating correctly, If the temperature door isn’t in the Max Cool position, a temperature door even just partly in the wrong position can slow down the cooling by redirecting some of the airflow through the heater.
  • Failing a heater control coolant valve to close completely, if at all. The temperature door may be in the right position, but on some systems hot coolant in the core still contributes enough heat to the HVAC case to slow cool down.
  • Radiator fan problem with, If it’s a clutch fan, it may be engaging late. If it’s an electric fan, it may be coming on late. In either case, the effect is to reduce airflow (thus affecting cooling), particularly in low speed driving and idle operation. When the fan finally engages or comes on, the condensing improves and the A/C cooling improves.
  • HVAC case air leaks, seals between the case and the cowl are deteriorated, hot engine compartment air gets blown into the case and the passenger compartment. It can take a really long time for the A/C to overcome that.
  • Slightly low on refrigerant. With some of today’s lower capacity systems, this can account for a huge difference in performance and cause the ac system to take a long time to get cold.
  • If you’re still having trouble trying to fix these issues yourself though, then feel free to give us a call or stop by our auto repair shop. We’d be happy to have our experienced mechanic  diagnose and repair your a/c problem.
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