Why does the car air conditioner not cool at idle but cools when accelerating?
3 Answers
There are several reasons why a car air conditioner may not cool at idle but cools when accelerating, including a damaged expansion valve, internal wear of the air conditioning compressor, and excessively low idle speed. Below are detailed explanations for each cause: Damaged expansion valve: This prevents the formation of high pressure in the system before the expansion valve, causing the high-pressure refrigerant to fail to reach the required 150Kpa pressure. As a result, the evaporator after the expansion valve cannot cool down, leading to inadequate cooling from the air conditioner. Internal wear of the air conditioning compressor: This results in the pressure between the air conditioning compressor and the expansion valve not reaching the required 150Kpa to 200Kpa, preventing the refrigerant in the system from circulating normally and causing the air conditioner to not cool properly. Excessively low idle speed: The car's onboard computer determines that turning on the air conditioner at this time could cause the engine to stall.
When my car's AC is not cool at idle but cools when accelerating, I've encountered this several times. This is mostly caused by the AC compressor not having enough speed at idle. When the engine is idling, the power output is low, the compressor turns slowly, and the cooling effect is poor; when the throttle is pressed to accelerate, the compressor belt drives more strongly, and cooling becomes effective. Another common reason is the cooling fan. At idle, the fan turns slowly, the condenser doesn't dissipate heat sufficiently, and the AC refrigerant can't cool effectively; when accelerating, the fan speed increases, heat dissipation improves, and cooling becomes better. If the refrigerant is insufficient, the pressure at idle may be too low for the AC pump to start, but it works when the pressure increases with acceleration. Lastly, check if the belt is slipping or loose—slipping at idle makes it ineffective. Overall, the system operates inefficiently at idle, so it's advisable to check the compressor and refrigerant promptly and not wait until the hot weather becomes unbearable.
My old car had the same AC issue—not cold at idle, only cooling when I stepped on the gas. I asked mechanics, and they said it might be insufficient engine power at idle, causing weak compressor drive, or poor heat dissipation at low fan speeds. Low refrigerant pressure making idle startup difficult is another reason. Electrical issues, like faulty sensors, can also lead to ineffective cooling at idle. I’ve also experienced loose belts slipping at idle, reducing cooling, but tightening up when accelerating. Dirty or stuck fan blades can hinder idle cooling too. Solutions include refilling refrigerant or tightening belts—I’ve fixed it that way before. Ignoring it wastes fuel and strains the engine, so act fast.
