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Subaru Forester Air Conditioning Problems

55 messages,  Last post on May 10, 2013 at 3:29 PM

You are in the Subaru Forester Maintenance & Repair Forum.

What is this discussion about? Subaru Forester

Messages Page 4 of 6

#30 of 55 Re: 2009 Subaru Forester AC stopped working [quark613] by baires60

Jun 14, 2011 (12:31 pm)

Replying to: quark613 (Sep 28, 2010 10:21 pm)
Hi, I bought a 2010 subaru forester in January 2010 and I went to start my AC on those hot muggy days last week and nothing. I had used it a couple of weeks ago or maybe a month now and it seemed to work fine but may have been that I was going over 60 and the air was coming in colder. But is anyone else experiencing this on the 2010 AT Premium X? I bearly have 9K on the car. Thought it could be the freon but isn't it too early to be replenishing that? I don't drive anywhere that I would have punctured something - I do city and highway driving - though some potholes can be like craters in NY.
 
TIA, Silvia

#31 of 55 Re: 2009 Subaru Forester AC stopped working [samsuby] by mgoltra

Jun 29, 2011 (10:49 pm)

Replying to: samsuby (Sep 21, 2010 9:09 am)
my 09 forester's a/c broke around 28K. Sprayed Freon all over my face and my wife's. Dealer said it was the condenser. It was replaced eventually but A/C is not the same, it doesn't get that cold.

#32 of 55 2006 Subaru Forester air conditioner problem by nbg2

Jul 05, 2011 (6:39 am)

My air conditioner works well for a while, blowing very cold air. The, suddenly the compressor seems to shut off and only warm air is emitted. This seems to happen especially on hot days, and especially if I am headed downhill (i.e. when my engine is revving down). If I accelerate, raising RPMs, the compressor seems to kick back in. I can do this 5 or 6 times. Eventually, even that fails. Then I have to turn off the system and let it rest. About 10 minutes later I can restart the air conditioner, and it cools perfectly. I have 100,000 plus miles. I recently started using a phone charger in my cigarette lighter and recently had the head gasket changed. Could either of these two changes be responsible? A post I saw on this site mentioned something about an air conditioner clutch and another post mentioned a coolant temperature sensor. Does anyone have an opinion about my problem?

#33 of 55 Re: 2006 Subaru Forester air conditioner problem [nbg2] by dahs10

Jul 05, 2011 (7:29 am)

Replying to: nbg2 (Jul 05, 2011 6:39 am)
When my air conditioner started acting like that, I had to have the computer module for the a/c replaced. Not cheap but after that the a/c worked fine.
 
I'm still having problems with the car overheating when I run the a/c. I can turn it on but if I travel on the interstate when I get off, it starts to overheat. I've replaced the head gasket so I didn't expect this to happen again. Any ideas?

#34 of 55 2009 Forester AC problem by mjb59

Jul 25, 2011 (7:34 am)

The AC on my 2009 Forester (58,000 miles) quit working. The compressor makes a lot of noise (rattles) when the AC is turned on. I took it to the dealer and was told I had a clog in the system. They said the rattle was due to the compressor pulling vacuum on the low side and that pressure on the high side was over 200 lbs. I was told there was no way to find the clog and the only sure way to fix it was to replace all components in the system. Total cost around $3,000.
 
I would like to know if there are any other options.

#35 of 55 98 Subaru Forester AC problem by dahs10

Jul 25, 2011 (8:42 am)

I had another problem with my a/c this summer. When I would drive on the interstate with the a/c on and then get off, the car would overheat. I just had the head gasket replaced 18 months ago so I didn't think it was that again. I took it to an awesome mechanic and discovered the connection to the second fan was not working properly. He fixed that at minimal cost and now it works perfectly.

#36 of 55 Re: 2009 Forester AC problem [mjb59] by aatherton

Jul 26, 2011 (12:50 pm)

Replying to: mjb59 (Jul 25, 2011 7:34 am)
"The AC on my 2009 Forester (58,000 miles) quit working. The compressor makes a lot of noise (rattles) when the AC is turned on. I took it to the dealer and was told I had a clog in the system. They said the rattle was due to the compressor pulling vacuum on the low side and that pressure on the high side was over 200 lbs. I was told there was no way to find the clog and the only sure way to fix it was to replace all components in the system. Total cost around $3,000."
This does not sound right. In 5 decades of car ownership I have not heard of a "clog" in the AC system. Also, being unable to find the problem, and needing to replace the whole system, and the cost of $3,000, all sound wrong. It is well worth seeking a second opinion from another dealer or a good independent shop.

#37 of 55 Re: 2009 Forester AC problem [aatherton] by ateixeira

Jul 26, 2011 (1:06 pm)

Replying to: aatherton (Jul 26, 2011 12:50 pm)
I can imagine debris causing a clog, but the price sure does sound high.
 
Funny thing is they usually leak...

#38 of 55 Re: 2009 Forester AC problem [ateixeira] by aatherton

Jul 27, 2011 (4:47 am)

Replying to: ateixeira (Jul 26, 2011 1:06 pm)
Over the years on various cars we have had such problems as a plugged evaporator drain, intermittent cooling, minor refrigerant leaks, an untended leak where loss of refrigerant and its lubricating properties ruined the compressor, and a couple of failed compressor clutches. But no clogs.

#39 of 55 Re: 2009 Forester AC problem [aatherton] by ateixeira

Jul 27, 2011 (8:16 am)

Replying to: aatherton (Jul 27, 2011 4:47 am)
I had a leaky compressor on a '91 Ford Escort GT.
 
I was mad because the A/C was a $460 option, but fixing it cost $700 at the time. And I had just serviced the A/C the year before.
 
The shop gave me a break and didn't charge me for the freon the 2nd time.

Messages Page 4 of 6

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