2006 Baja Air conditioning

[foxmanb]

Anybody else out there not entirely satisfied with their Baja's AC? Mine seems to get the vents down to right about 50 on a hot day, and then the compressor disengages. R134a charge is correct, evap has been cleaned, condenser has been cleaned, no matter what it cuts off when the vent temp is 50F. On a cold day, it will get down to 47F or so.

I had the dash apart and took a look at the thermistor this weekend... and I thought, this can't be right...

15C cut off?!?!

That would explain why it doesn't blow cold. My 04 WRX blows at 38F for comparison.

Just wondering if any other baja owners have seen theirs, and remember the temp cutoff. It's located behind the glove box.

I'm thinking I can buy one with a 4c cutoff, or something, I won't be able to go by Subaru part numbers as they don't list cutoff temps.

Thanks,
Fox

[kamesama980]

Hmmm, mine's lackluster as well (downright pathetic when it's really warm) but I put it down as years of previous owners just recharging the system with stop-leak or letting it drain down and getting air in the lines. I'll definitely take a look at this now.

I'd also like to know how this fits into the overall control system before I go swapping it out. The engineers thought this was the best compromise for some reason, I'd like to know why before I decide I know better.

[foxmanb]

Re overall control system.

The thermistor senses the evap core temperature, when the cutoff temp is reached, it shuts off the compressor until the evap core warms up again. From what I can tell there is no reason for the high threshold. I wonder if it's a universal Baja thing or if they just subbed a different thermistor for a far northern climate because they ran out of the proper part on that day.

I've ordered a replacement (2.5c), but I won't have time to disassemble things for a few weeks. I'm hoping I don't have to drain the system and remove the evap core to get to it.

[fcs4482]

There is a well known problem (and solution for) the AC pump clutch on our generation of Subarus. Do a youtube search for something like "Subaru AC fix". The symptom is that the AC works for a while and then cuts out. Next day... same thing. The fix is to remove a shim from the worn out pulley clutch.

[foxmanb]

There is a well known problem (and solution for) the AC pump clutch on our generation of Subarus. Do a youtube search for something like "Subaru AC fix". The symptom is that the AC works for a while and then cuts out. Next day... same thing. The fix is to remove a shim from the worn out pulley clutch.

I don't believe this to be the same issue. Mine works all the time right around 50 degrees, just never gets the evap core as cold as it should. if I override the thermistor, it runs continuously but will freeze.

[fcs4482]

Understood. Good luck with this it's an interesting topic. I had the shim issue and now my AC works so compared to having none I'm thrilled.

[kamesama980]

There is a well known problem (and solution for) the AC pump clutch on our generation of Subarus. Do a youtube search for something like "Subaru AC fix". The symptom is that the AC works for a while and then cuts out. Next day... same thing. The fix is to remove a shim from the worn out pulley clutch.

Also not my problem. It's 20% effective 100% of the time.

[foxmanb]

Hopefully I will have some time to install the part soon. I was rear ended a couple weeks ago, so baja has been at the body shop.

[w.rohr]

Would you mind shipping me the old one, I would like to see if it can just be modded to a lower temp so people don't have to buy the whole thing. (I will pay for shipping)

[TastyHuman]

My 2003 AC had an interesting problem, one day it would work fine and the next it was warm. Very intermittent. Shop couldn't repeat it and couldn't fix it. I was speaking with the tech and he said that the compressor clutch relay on Japanese cars seems to be a weak point. Honda and Toyota are the worst but it happens on Subies sometimes. I had him replace the relay ($19 parts, 0 labor since this was a comeback after a recharge) and it hasn't flaked out since. Thought this might be useful to someone.