Noticed that sometimes my AC does not cool well at all on hot days. Checked AC High/Low pressures and they appear fine. Problem is most pronounced at low speeds and was able to confirm that my radiator fans are working at both high and low speeds. However, when I notice that the AC is not blowing cold, the high fan mode is not engaged, only the low fan mode. If the car is sitting in a drive through for a while the high fan mode does eventually kick on and the AC seems to work much better. Anyone know what triggers the high fans to begin operating?
2013 XTS weak A/C
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I don't know if this is vehicle you have owned for a while or is new to you but I purchased my 13 XTS new and air conditioning isn't as great as other GM vehicles I have owned and I believe there are other post on the 13 air conditioning problems.To get mine to work as I expect I have temp set as same on both pass and driver side and in summer have auto temp set at 69 degrees and workes as I expect which in earler post is what other owners have done. In cue settings there is quit fan and normal fan which you can play with. But if you have had vehicle for a while, you could have something else going on.
I noticed a new type of refrigerant used when I got my 2014 XTS. R1234yf. I wonder if it is less efficient than the R134a it replaced...I live in the Pacific NW so it is rarely gets super hot and my AC performance has been acceptable for me.
I've owned since new and both the zones are set to 60F.
At the times when the AC is barely cooling, the engine bay low side hose is also not cold so its not an issues with the interior AC zone control. The cooling fans are running on low only and I believe they should be running on high which is the issue. So on a technical level, does anyone know what triggers the high fans to begin operating?
I wouldn't think the cooling fans have anything to do with it since they come on based on engine temperature so I would suspect that it needs freon. These systems are very sensitive and the slightest change in freon level would definitely affect performance. You could try adding a little bit to see if that helps but the best thing to do would be to evacuate the system & recharge with the correct amount of freon.
Max
Max
Yea you probably have low freon or some other problem good luck getting it sorted
As I previously states, high/low side pressures are normal, I checked with a AC gauge, i even added a little R1234yf but there was no difference. Sometime the AC works great, other times its weak. Are there any experienced XTS techs here?
Cooling fans run in SLOW any time some HVAC compressor function is set - not for cooling - but to insure airflow through the condenser. Dirt, dust, bugs in condenser?
Fans switch to SLOW - with no HVAC compressor function set - at around 218 - 225 degreesF. Fans go to FAST at some elevated coolant temp, usually about 228 - 236 degreesF. Specifics in the real GM/Cadillac/Helm service manuals for that vehicle/engine.
Fans switch to SLOW - with no HVAC compressor function set - at around 218 - 225 degreesF. Fans go to FAST at some elevated coolant temp, usually about 228 - 236 degreesF. Specifics in the real GM/Cadillac/Helm service manuals for that vehicle/engine.
I will try to blow out the radiator...However, the AC output is highly variable, sometimes it works well and sometimes it barely feels cooler than ambient air. Most of the time its in between working well and working poorly so I believe its some sort of technical issue. Maybe a weak compressor? Even though when I hook it up to my AC gauges, the pressures appear fine. Maybe there is some trash in the AC lines that is preventing proper flow of the R1234yf? The vehicle is a 2013 with 108K miles.
More than likely your System is working ok, first thing, what is your outside temperature? I am sure you have a sunroof and leave the sunshade open so you can look out!!! This is a lot of solar gain. I don’t think you put in any 1234yf refrigerant because it takes special dealerships equipment to install the refrigerant, next take a external thermometer install it in the center dash outlet, set the temperature to 60f, and blowdown medium speed drive the car at 45 mph and monitor your output temperature-if the outside temperature is above 85f your discharge temperature should be 45f or below.
"I don’t think you put in any 1234yf refrigerant because it takes special dealerships equipment to install the refrigerant" - Not True! you can purchase 1234yf refrigerant on Ebay which is what I did and use legacy ac gauges/hookups to add refrigerant.
r1234yf Refrigerant Honeywell, 8 oz Solstice® yf Refrigerant (R-1234yf) | eBay
Shipping is by GROUND only! Lower 48 States Only! R-1234YF R1234yf Refrigerant Honeywell 8 oz Can NOTE: Solstice® yf Refrigerant (R-1234yf) Honeywell HFO-1234yf is a replacement for R-134a as a refrigerant in automotive air conditioners. HFO-1234yf is the first in a new class of refrigerants...
www.ebay.com
You just can’t jam that stuff in the system without knowing how much is in there , an overcharged system will not cool properly also, you need to take it to a dealership to have it inspected and repaired properly!!"I don’t think you put in any 1234yf refrigerant because it takes special dealerships equipment to install the refrigerant" - Not True! you can purchase 1234yf refrigerant on Ebay which is what I did and use legacy ac gauges/hookups to add refrigerant.
r1234yf Refrigerant Honeywell, 8 oz Solstice® yf Refrigerant (R-1234yf) | eBay
Shipping is by GROUND only! Lower 48 States Only! R-1234YF R1234yf Refrigerant Honeywell 8 oz Can NOTE: Solstice® yf Refrigerant (R-1234yf) Honeywell HFO-1234yf is a replacement for R-134a as a refrigerant in automotive air conditioners. HFO-1234yf is the first in a new class of refrigerants...www.ebay.com
I agree, the AC system isn't very great on the XTS. I'll be honest, living in AZ, I'm contemplating trading the car just because of this. My 03 Saab 9-5 was much better, even my 2000 Tahoe seems to cool better. Only time it works well is when cruising at 50mph+ for long durations.
Attached is the chart from alldata for the XTS. I am always near the maximum discharge temp except on the aforementioned long cruises. Once we hit monsoon season I'll be screwed. Honestly, I think it's a big miss on GMs part for a top of the line luxury car. Maybe I'll be going back to an old Saab.
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Attached is the chart from alldata for the XTS. I am always near the maximum discharge temp except on the aforementioned long cruises. Once we hit monsoon season I'll be screwed. Honestly, I think it's a big miss on GMs part for a top of the line luxury car. Maybe I'll be going back to an old Saab.
Silver Coast Metallic 2014 XTS Premium AWD with Shale/Cocoa interior
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I noticed issue with the a/c being inconsistent when I bought my 14 XTS last summer. I had the system flushed and recharged and it made a noticeable difference. Based on the vehicle service history I got when I bought the car the a/c compressor had been replaced back in 2017 so I assume a small bit of something got into the system then and the mechanic didn't flush the system after they replaced the compressor.
I haven't hat a bit of trouble after the flush last August.
I haven't hat a bit of trouble after the flush last August.
I will respectfully disagree. I think it works great when it is 85-95 degrees out here in AZ, or what we refer to as spring. Once we start pushing the 105+ it is marginal at best. To output 60+ degree air is not a good system, in my opinion. Comparatively to my old Saab and my wifes Buick Enclave could maintain 45 all day in this heat, the XTS is a disappointment. I had a complete discharge and recharge last summer, which didn't change anything.
I love most everything else about the car, except the AC. Lesson learned, never buy a car in AZ in the winter when you can't see how well the AC works.
I too love my 2013 XTS Platinum that I have had since new. The AC worked just fine up until last month but now fades in and out as far as temperature is concerned. The car has been mostly trouble free and I would buy it again. I am not here to disparage the vehicle, I just want to fix the issue if I can myself cause I hate going to a stealership, this is why I posted my issue here to begin with. Maybe someone had this issue before and could help me solve it??
You do know that when you are sitting at idle, the compressor is not spinning as fast as it would when you are driving and therefore the cooling output is not going to be very good when you first start the vehicle. How do you drive your vehicle? Does it sit in a garage or is it out in the sun during the day so when you 1st get in your car, the interior is basically on fire? On your trips, are they stop and go in town? Obviously, the system works the best at highway speeds. Mine will freeze me out after a few minutes but if its 110 degrees outside and you are only doing stop & go driving in town, the interior is never going to get very cool inside. Try this. When you are at a stop light, put the car in neutral and the rev the engine to around 3000 rpms and hold it there. The system will definitely cool down much faster. That's what I do when it's 100+ and my car has been sitting out in the sun all day and I 1st get in and my 1st red light is a few hundred few feet from where it is parked. lol
Max
Max
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