Hi Everyone, A few weeks ago noticed the air conditioning in my 360 blowing warm. So questions: 1. Any quick diagnosis i can do on my own/easy repair? 2. Is this problem common? 3. Is there a good independent or service center you know of close to Youngstown, Oh or Pittsburgh, Pa? Thanks PS: I know how we all like pictures, so here is one of mine Image Unavailable, Please Login
Very nice red. Looks like it has a clear bra? For the AC you would need this kit to connect to the high and low sides to diagnose and recharge (if needed). http://www.amazon.com/FJC-R134a-Aluminum-Manifold-Gauge/dp/B001D003AS/ref=pd_sim_sbs_auto_11 Was it working before and not now? If that is the case - might just be the fuse?
Probably just needs a recharge with freon. With low freon pressure the ECU may shut down the system to save the AC compressor. Other issues could be a themistor that is telling the system it's warm enough.. AC recharge at your mechanic can tell you if it's low on freon and will be the cheapest first diagnosis.
My 2000 model 360 had a leaking aircon pipe connector on condensor located in front RHS. Pipe needed replacing as connector was not crimped onto pipe correctly. Front bumper had to be removed to replace the pipe. Put your hand inside the air vent just in front of the RHS front wheel - my pipe was leaking here and you could feel the compressor oil on the connector. Good luck
Hey everyone, Thanks for all the quick replies. I'll give those all a shot when I get back to my shop. This being a Euro 360, I wonder if the fitting for the Freon is different from US spec cars? Either way I'll check the hoses as well for leaking. I wasn't sure if the a/c compressor is prone to going bad on these cars. I have another 360 in silver (a US car) with similar miles and the a/c still runs strong, interested if I would have other impending problems. Thanks and best regards
Mine is a 99' euro and I have yet to find a fundamental difference between it and the US cars. With so many cars with so few miles and use.. I think the compressor seals go.. other than that same as any other car IMHO. I'd try a freon refill.. I bet that cures it.
Hi I was disappointed with how the AC in my 2004 360 worked. Of course, this is Vegas and it does get a bit hot so blowing cold is more of a challenge here than say Portland or San Francisco. Still, the AC in my Hyundai Sonata worked better. So, I took it to the dealer and had it checked out. The first summer they said erverything is working fine. They said the same thing the second summer. I had them evacuate the system recharge it anyway. They did it for next to nothing. Anyway, no real improvement so it is what it is. One thing I notice is that when I turn the AC on in oher cars, the cold starts coming within less than a minute. The 360 takes a lot longer and need the vent fan turned up higher as well.
Curt is right, the seals are prone to leaking. You can recharge periodically for quite a while but you are up for a compressor rebuild sooner or later.
No problem with my AC in hazy, hot and humid NJ. I only have it set on 72 and it is fine on the hottest days in the mid afternoon.
If the system has freon, then the magnetic clutch assembly probably is bad. I had this problem with my 430. Has the AC worked before and all of a sudden it stopped?
Correct, the AC used to work well. The fan still blows but all the air is warm. I'll head to my garage tomorrow and give it a look. Hopefully its something simple, if not, i'm due for a service this winter.
Is there any blockage to the condenser? Check and make sure that both intakes to the fans on the front of the car don't have leaves or something in them. Also, make sure the fans are coming on and no blown fuse.
Update: I bought a can of r134a at autozone and was able to successfully recharge the system. For those of you who don't know, the access to the AC port to connect the recharging canister is in the trunk under a panel to the right. It requires a flat head screwdriver to remove 3 screws holding the access panel shut. It took quite a while for the full recharge to take place. To ensure when the system was fully charged I placed a temperature probe in the driver side vent and charged until the temperature plateaued. It started at about 72 degrees and ended at 51 degrees.
Nothing magic or special about A/C systems on a 360. All generic. Corner A/C shop might be afraid of it since it is a "magic/mysterious" Ferrari but the A/C is no more exotic than one in a KIA, Ford, Fiat. Might be just a simple recharge(with gauges, you can do that yourself) and if that does not hold, the leak must be found and fixed. Sometimes it can get complicated and expensive if the condenser or evaporator is leaking. About changing the dryer. If you use gauges, you can diagnose the source of the fault and changing the dryer is very easy but then you must be prepared to draw down a vacuum and then recharge the system. Gauges are the only way to diagnose the problem. Let the A/C shop take care of it. Usually not an easy DIY fix.
Depends on the vehicle assembly number. Later cars have the fill ports there: Image Unavailable, Please Login You have to jump through hoops to get to the older types (behind the frunk moisture barrier on the opposite side of the car) Image Unavailable, Please Login (steering rack shown at the bottom of that last photo) Thanks to the gentleman who posted these photos earlier.
when the ac is running you can put your hand on the outlet pipe from the drier and it should be about 5C above the outside air temp ( assuming you have the correct amount of gas in the system) That will tell you that the condenser and fan is working ok
For reference, early 2000 car … my AC ports were behind the large carpeted panel in the frunk, left side of car as you stand in front looking into frunk. Remove the right side carpeted panel first because one of the screws for the larger panel is hidden underneath it. images below
Take the car to a professional and get the system evacuated of 134a. Then you can go ahead and replace the drier yourself and run a vacuum and recharge it.
why not first run a 12V source to the clutch to see if it clicks when applying the 12V source. if it clicks you know the clutch is OK if not you'll need a new clutch
