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KobaltTX
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| Posted: Jul 21 2012 at 3:59am | IP Logged
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I have a 2001 Frontier 3.3L (Non-SC) and the air never gets cooler than about 75-78 degrees... even on a cool day in the summer here in Texas and when I stop at a light after about 10 sec the air goes hot. I have been living with this issue for about 3 years and im DYING to have cold air again. I top off coolant as needed at the beginning of each summer and check the pressure on the high and low lines and all seems ok. The clutch kicks on when I turn on the system and stays on when I pull up to a light or stop in traffic. The system itself seems to function ok except for the temperature of the air. I saw a previous post regarding the Thermo Control Amp and was not sure if that would apply in this case. Most people said their system was working fine except when they stop but my situation is that its never working at 100%. Can anyone elaborate on if the TCA could be my issue? I was thinking of replacing the expansion valve and/or receiver dryer due to possibly having a clog or faulty expansion valve but unsure of actual problem. I have had a dealership drain and refill the system too and detected no issues other than air still never got cold.
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frontierguy
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| Posted: Jul 21 2012 at 7:37pm | IP Logged
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Your guage readings will tell if there is a problem in the
system. It sounds like a TCA concern.
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Traded 08 Frontier for 16 Frontier SV CC Long box, quite an upgrade. I do miss the 6 speed and Dynomax ex.
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KobaltTX
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| Posted: Jul 21 2012 at 10:20pm | IP Logged
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Yeah the pressures seem ok and the coolant seems to circulate but I
just cant get the air to blow cold. The high pressure line gets hot
and the low pressure line gets cold, the fan blows like normal, the
clutch kicks on when I turn the system on... All seems to operate
like it should but I just dont seem to get cold air. I went and bought
a new TCA unit($46) from my local dealership and going to install it
tonight. Ill snap a few pics and repost when finished to show if it
worked.
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2001 Frontier Crew Cab
3.3L V6 (non-SC) 2WD
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KobaltTX
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| Posted: Jul 22 2012 at 12:02am | IP Logged
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OK... took me about 25-30 min.
In this picture i removed 5 screws to remove the glove box and another 5 screws from the lower half of the box the pry the front open... i could feel at least 2 more big screws on the back but i'm almost positive id never get them back on if I took them out.
This is what I pulled out and replaced. Only thing I did different is that I remounted the new piece closed to the front of the box for easier access next time if I have to get to it again... all it does is just wedge into the grill.
After putting it back together and restarting the truck... the air did seem a bit cooler but not cold. Now its still 93 degrees outside but it got up to 107 today so i'll give it a try during the day and report back.
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frontierguy
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| Posted: Jul 22 2012 at 10:04am | IP Logged
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Have you cleaned the radiator and condenser fins with a
garden hose or carefully with air to remove accummulated
bugs and dirt?
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'10 Altima SL
Traded 08 Frontier for 16 Frontier SV CC Long box, quite an upgrade. I do miss the 6 speed and Dynomax ex.
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2011 John Deere X720SE
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KobaltTX
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| Posted: Jul 22 2012 at 3:26pm | IP Logged
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After letting the temps outside go up and try out the system... its cool when idling but not cold... I drove around and it got slightly cooler... stopped at a light... didn't get warmer which is a first. I stopped at a gas station and let it run while I went inside and the air was warm when I came out. I checked my pressures again... low is at 37lbs and high is at 240lbs. The system overall seems to work except but still no COLD air. I'm at a loss.
@Frontierguy... I double checked the condenser and it was clean... no build up or anything. The radiator I recently cleaned off due to my timing belt failing and had to replace all the belts and had to remove the radiator anyways... so that is fine. Do you think maybe there could be a partial clog somewhere not letting the coolant circulate as fast as it should??
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frontierguy
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| Posted: Jul 23 2012 at 7:47pm | IP Logged
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Your pressures indicate a normal system. When you say
"coolant", are you referring to the R134A? If there was a
concern it would show in the pressures being irregular.
Have you checked the cabin air filter? That would restrict
the flow as opposed to affecting the temp. Has the system
ever had a leak or been open for any length of time,
possible moisture in the system?
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'10 Altima SL
Traded 08 Frontier for 16 Frontier SV CC Long box, quite an upgrade. I do miss the 6 speed and Dynomax ex.
Nissan Technician 25 + years
2011 John Deere X720SE
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KobaltTX
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| Posted: Jul 23 2012 at 8:15pm | IP Logged
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Yes I run R134A.
I did check the filter last night actually. It was pretty dirty so I got out a brush and my air compressor and cleaned it off, put it back in and turned the system on to see what it would do. No difference in performance.
The system has had a leak before where the low pressure line ran into the compressor but I had a mechanic replace the lines that were leaking and refill the system. It did work for about another year after that then I started having this problem. I have had the system vacuumed and refilled 2x since then too.
I talked with a couple family members about my situation and they stated after all i've done and still not much change... it could be the receiver dryer. They said on their previous vehicles this particular part does fail because it collects moisture and sometimes dirt/particles that flow in the system and can clog causing a performance loss or complete stop of the system itself in major cases. The truck is 12 years old and I know parts wear out so I don't put it past them for thinking that so i'm willing to replace the part but I don't have regular access to someone who can vacuum the system for me when replacing a part without spending a fortune at a garage.
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2001 Frontier Crew Cab
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KobaltTX
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| Posted: Jul 24 2012 at 12:58am | IP Logged
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Ok I noticed something when I hooked up my low pressure line gauge... the pressure drops about 15-20lbs when I rev the engine... correct me if i'm wrong but shouldn't the pressure in the low line stay the same or increase due to the compressor running faster when the engine is at a higher RPM??
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2001 Frontier Crew Cab
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KobaltTX
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| Posted: Jul 26 2012 at 1:33am | IP Logged
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I read on another website to check in order to see if there is blockage or a malfunction of the condenser is when the system is running...
"visually inspect the condenser for
obstructions. Then scan the surface
of the condenser to check for abrupt temperature changes that would
indicate an internal blockage. Parallel flow condensers should show an
even drop in temperature from one side to the other. Serpentine
condensers should show a drop in temperature from top to bottom. If
blocked, the condenser should be reverse flushed or replaced."
I think this is definitely worth looking into...
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2001 Frontier Crew Cab
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Nissan Frontier Forums : Problems / Technical
Topic: A/C Problems
