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Old July 22nd 05, 06:31 PM
Ad absurdum per aspera
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Here are a few checks you can perform without getting out your gauge
set.* My experience has been that a/c is something GM did well in this
class of vehicle, and when functioning properly it should make things
good and cold.


1. Under circumstances when you think it should be cooling but isn't,
is the compressor clutch engaged? If you can't tell from behind the
wheel, find a parking spot where you can safely leave the engine
running and pop the hood and take a look. Some cars (dunno about this
one) have demand cutoffs that temporarily disengage the a/c compressor
when you accelerate, which you do a lot more often around town.

2. Does it give more satisfactory results on the MAX a/c setting? MAX
closes the air-circulation intakes, so you are recirculating the cabin
air and making it cooler and cooler rather than admitting hot outside
air.

3. What does your engine temperature gauge look like when this is
going on -- nominal, or getting pretty hot?

4. Is the temperature changer knob or slider all the way over to
"Cool"... and is the heater core aware of that fact? Unless they
changed it (along with several other things) between my '95 and your
'96, make sure the cable linkage between the two hasn't gotten slack
enough to be giving you heat...


Best of luck,
--Joe

* Though presumably you have a gauge set if you've been recharging
your own a/c... most cars have an overpressure cutoff switch in the
circuit, which presumably could be tripping under some circumstances if
you put too much in.

One of the widely available consumer-grade brands of gauge,
Interdynamics if memory serves, comes with a handy guide for
interpreting the high-and low-side reading and needle behavior and
other easily observed data.

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