Condensor.

I'm talking about an A/C condensor. Why do they go bad and what are the symptoms of a failing or failed condensor?

Tank ya.

 

The condenser is the radiator looking part in front of your actual radiator. It has no moving parts. About the only way it could go bad is if it sprung a leak. Do you mean A/C compressor? They do go bad. Hooking up manifold gauges and checking pressures will show if it is working properly. Other problems compressors can have are leaking seals/cases, making noises, and clutch/bearing failures.

 

I had my A/C compressor changed two weeks ago at the dealership. My problem is I'm overheating in a very bad way as soon as I turn the A/C on. Bad enough where the A/C needs to be turned off or it'll keep on going into the red if I let it. Fans are perfect and running when the A/C is turned on and they run powerfully, nothing is obstructing the radiator in front, T-Stat works, coolant is full, everything that can be checked has been.

Here's my troubles explained:

https://ls1tech.com/forums/generation-iii-external-engine/375528-overheating-question.html

 

My compressor was replaced awhile back because my accumulator dyer blew up and damaged it. It was blowing slightly cool air, but wasn't getting cold. They installed a new dryer but the damaged compresser destroyed that one in short order. The had to replaced the dryer again, the failed compressor and purge the system. No problems now, good thing it was under warranty, very expensive. Could of bought lots of mods with the money it would have cost.

 

What sucks about my problem is: Everything has been gone over throroughly and its all working fine. But I simply cannot drive in the city without my temps going into the red if I leave it on. It will literally go right past the 210 mark and my engine will detonate so bad that I have to pull over or turn the A/C off. When I turn it off the temp visually goes right down to the 155 mark in a matter of 2-3 moinutes.

Something is wrong here.

 

Is the front air dam installed and all the factory plastic shrouding in place on the sides of the condenser? Do you know what high and low side pressures are you getting when the A/C is on? You say the fans are running, but are you sure they are running on high speed?

 

With your current engine setup, did you have working AC at one point with no overheating problems?
If yes, I keep coming back to the compressor or something related to the compressor install. I can't say what exactly, but there has to be some starting point.
Dealer install + brand new don't make it right, I'm saying.

 

When I start my car for the first time of the day and feel the fans, they are "off". If I immediately turn on the A/C with a cold engine, the fans come on a "low" setting. Then I get in and drive and just watch the temp needle just cruise right to 210. I pull over with the engine still on and the A/C still on and the fans are blowing major hard.

I've also checked the fans at different intervals while city driving by pulling over, once it gets past the 155 mark, the fans are on all the time and blowing very hard.

 

The order of events were:

I got my first 436 stroker installed, drove it for about a year and half, never had a problem at all. I could race around the city on a hot *** day and it would never get hot. Certianly not detonate. I never even knew what detonation was back then.
I send my engine back to ARE for a complete 100% rebuild. The engine gets re-installed and immediately it overheats every time the A/C gets turned on in the daytime. Its been about 1 year and 3 months since engine #2.

I just had a new compressor put in and nothing has changed, everything is the same. I thought since my compressor was leaking like badly that maybe it was trashed inside and dragging down the engine real bad. Nope.

 

The only thing i can think of ,since you said this ONLY happens with this new motor, is that MAYBE one of your head gaskets was installed backwards. there is a hole in the head gasket that goes twards the front. Now don't worry tou don't have to tear your motor apart just to check it. all youi have to do is pull your water pump off and stick your finger in the top hole it should go into the head. if something is blocking it then the gasket is backwards.
Its a long shot but it might be it.
What i think is REALLY wierd is that you said it ONLY does it while DRIVING with the a/c on. So sitting there with the A/C on it stays cool. huh?


ANOTHER THOUGHT!
Do you have a tranny gauge on your tranny? Maybe the reason you don't over heat while just sitting there but you do when your driving is cause the tranny cooler is adding ALOT of heat and there fore its just too much. If this is the case then what you would have to do is relocate your tranny cooler away from the front of your radiator and give it it's own seperate little fan.

 

Dumb *** thought but even a "blind hog finds an acorn every once in a while".

If temp sender is flakey, would a false temp reading cause bad gauge reading and also cause the PCM to detonate the engine?

 

But it is perfect with a/c off all the time. aand perfect when just sitting there with the a/c on. Sender wouldn't just flake out when the a/c is on AND the car is driving.

 

All plastic looks perfect and the air damn is perfect.

 

Yup, I let it idle today in the HOT HOT heat in the driveway for 30 minutes, it stayed cool as a cucumber, never reached the 155 mark. If I go for a drive it'll over heat in 3 minutes and start to detonate like MAD.

The tranny cooler is friggin hot as hell, is that normal? I mean I can't keep my hand on it even when it was just idling?

I even put metal spacers on the tranny cooler so its not right up against the radiator, its about 3 inches away. I'll get a picture tomorrow.

 

If that hole is blocked would it effect my temps while driving with the A/C "off"??????? Because it runs friggin cool with the A/C "off".


Where should I move it to? Do I really need one for a street car?

****edit**** Holy sheep ****, I never had the tranny cooler until the second engine went in. Imagine if thats it. I'm gonna move that bitch tomorrow and see if it works. Thanks, maybe you cracked the case. If you did I owe you many beers.

 

If your condenser is throwing enough heat to bother
the radiator, it's probably not the condenser's fault;
in fact it's working perfectly.

You might have a problem like a plugged up orifice tube,
which would elevate the high side pressure and that
means the high side temperature and heat to be shed
by the condenser. I'd put a manifold gauge to the high
side and see if it's normal or high.

When the orifice tube gets plugged the compressor
will keep on pushing, and the controls will keep on
demanding, but cooling power will be down and
condenser temp will be up.

It was bugger hot yesterday and I had to keep the
top up for hairstyle reasons, so I saw the A/C push
my engine temps up and heard pinging. I don't think
there's anything wrong with my car except for a
bit aggressive timing, and not enough pulled back for
ECT.

It also seemed that the A/C only ran the low fans
and this is I think an engineering mistake. Or just a
NVH compromise.

One of these days I will swap in the LT1 radiator
and move my tranny cooler off the cooling stack.

 

Its like that mike norris guy said. your cooling system can only handle so much. it doesn't matter if your cooler is spaced away from the condenser (you said radiator but its actually mounted on the a/c condenser) the air still has to flow thru it then the condenser THEN the radiator.
both your condenser and tranny cooler do the same thing your radiator does. they heat up air going thru them to cool off whats inside them. there fore when you are driving with the a/c on both the cooler and a/c are getting vrry hot. and they are heating the air that has to travel thru both of them. SO... the radiator gets air that has already been super heated my both the condenser and the cooler.
while just siting there at idle your cooler is hot but nowhere near as ho as it gets when you are driving. i think that is why when you start driving is when your temps go up. I can almost garuntee that is whats happenning. and the stock fans are actually VERY powerful so i don't think you can really upgrade those, so your only viable solution is to get the tranny cooler out from in front of your condensor/radiator.
I hope i'm right and this solves your problem. l know how agrevating it can be to have a problem like this. GOOD LUCK!

 

Check this out, here's how I mounted my tranny cooler. I thought by lifting it away it would allow more cooling air to get to the front of the condensor/radiator, rather than the tranny cooler stopping up an area as big as the tranny cooler itself.

I drove it up on ramps so I could take the pics under the front bumper.

I want to relocate it....but to where? Or do I really even need it?


( http://www.cryo-laboratory.com/uploa...pics%20001.jpg )


( http://www.cryo-laboratory.com/uploa...pics%20002.jpg )


( http://www.cryo-laboratory.com/uploa...pics%20003.jpg )


( http://www.cryo-laboratory.com/uploa...pics%20004.jpg )

 

HOLLY GIANT PICTURES BATMAN!
Either way your fans are what is pulling the air thru your cooler then condenser then radiator. So the air that goes thru your cooler also goes thru your condensor and radiator. i've never heard of another car doing this like yours but if you wanna see if this is the prblem you could temporarily mout your cooler behind your fans (with zip ties or something) and see if it still does it. if it does you know you hve to mount your cooler else where.

 

Let's take care of that...