Automotive Air Conditioning Information Forum (Archives)

excivic on Tue September 23, 2014 6:42 PM

Year: 2002
Make: civic
Model: ex

Honda Civic EX 2002
A/C works for about 5-8 minutes from cold start
(or from 1-1.5 hr "rest"). Then cold air fades away
and it blows warm, sometimes steamy, air.
(The fans are working. It's the temperature of the
air that's coming out the vents that's the problem.)

Had this problem a long time , with crazy diagnoses from
different mechanics.

You can see the compressor clutch spinning during this initail
period, & then quit. The warmer air starts at the
same time.

On warm/hot days, the a/c won't produce cold air at all.
Sometimes it doesn't work on cooler days either, but usually
will.

Replaced the compressor clutch relay (because it was a freebie)
but that made no difference - exactly the same behavior.
I did the voltage testing in the shop manual, noticed nothing.
I'm not replacing the ECM for the heck of it , which is one
of the instructions, unless there's some clear idea why
(if you know the shop manual, you would know what I mean.)

It seems like a temperature related problem.

Any ideas or recommendations?