I wish you were cold, not lukewarm [AC in old cheap cars. The scourge]

Last Post

07/08/2021 7:50 pm

Topic starter

Recently, I've been exposed to three different cars:

Lexus GS300 1995
Honda CR-V 2005
Toyota Yaris 2007

Lexus, being a luxury vehicle, up to this day blows freezing cold air (even on power mode 2 out of 4) so that I have to reduce the mode to 1 or turn off the AC altogether. The car becomes a fridge with the working AC.

CR-V and Yaris, being economic vehicles, on the other hand, blow somewhat tepid air so that sweat continues to drip from the face.

Is that some tendency/normalcy that cheaper cars do not provide sufficiently cold air to feel comfortable? Are there any fixes for such cars to blow icy air?

Do Corollas/Camries blow tepid air too?

JohnnyRemlik

(@johnnyremlik)

Reputable Member

| 143Posts
40 25 78

Topic Tags

2 Answers

07/08/2021 8:43 pm

It can be a challenge to keep AC working in an old car but some seem to hold up better than others. One of my cars is a 1986 Saab 900 that on the hottest days practically blows ice cubes out of the vents. I did repair the AC system about 18 years ago and wound up replacing hoses, expansion valve, and drier. Have not had to touch it since. After 35 years it still has the original compressor, condenser, and evaporator.

Oldest AC equipped car I have is a '71 Ambassador. (AC was standard on those.) It still works with all the original parts after 50 years. I did have to top up the refrigerant about 20 years ago.