Air conditioning performance

[KcRay]

I wish I would have lurked on the forums first before my 2019 purchase.
Had I know this was an issue with the A/C I would not have purchased the truck. I liked my last Ram truck so much I just blindly went in and bought another one. I can deal with a few issues but **** poor A/C is not one of them.

Think about the valve or the clamp modification on the heater hose. You will get your smile back.

 

[Differia]

Think about the valve or the clamp modification on the heater hose. You will get your smile back.

Thank you for providing that mod. I saw that thread and appreciate it

I guess that will be my next approach. The service dept is changing a A/C line and the expansion valve right now but I do not think will improve the A/C temp. I will get my truck back at the end of the week.

I have already purchased the clamps from HF was just a little worried about the impact of shutting that line off.

 

[DraKhen99]

I dunno..That could explain the 3 - 4 recalls I've gotten in the last 45 years..Actually I went Saturday with checkbook in hand ready to purchase a Limited with $15.000.00 off MSRP..Couldn't believe I not only found the truck I wanted color and all with the cargo management boxes and equipped just like I would order it but it was over 22% below MSRP.. Was very disappointed..Here in Texas old men need good AC..Not trolling but thanks for proving my point..

Yeah, I have owned 7 or 8 Ford products in the last 15 years, and on the first several, I didn't get any recalls. On my 2011 and 2015 F-150s, there were numerous recalls and TSBs needed to fix their poor quality. My RAM so far has 1 recall (airbags) and while the A/C isn't ice cold, it will cool off after a few minutes in 95 degree heat in Auto mode (as indicated by the fan speed lowering). I'll take a few quirks and slightly subpar A/C over the recurring issues my F-150s suffered from, especially the mechanical ones my 2015 experienced. All while being coddled by the nicest riding, quietest, and most feature-laden truck in the 1/2-ton arena.

-John

 

[Magredvet]

I am hearing that RAM is throttling the speed of the AC compressor to reduce load on the engine to meet EPA standards. Not sure this is true but would make sense as to why they wont fix it.

Can't see how that can be the reason, as it has been proven on here, if you clamp the heater hose, you can get the vents down into the low 40's. The system can obviously get the evap temp down to 40, it's the isolation of the heater core from the airstream that is the issue.....

 

[ac1dd]

I know what you mean about the air being a hassle. I had the TSB done on my truck last week and a valve changed. Service dept said it was leaking. Got the truck back and it was worse. Still hot as can be and A/C lines have a constant hissing noise running through them.
Took the truck back in.
The service dept said the valve they replaced is no good and they need to replace the whole line now . Also now they found a leak in the expansion valve and will replace that.

You also have to wonder just how competent the dealers are. Wouldn't surprise me if most of the techs aren't properly trained to begin with and cause more damage trying to fix what was broken in the first place.

Sorry for your frustration!

 

[Edwards]

Can't see how that can be the reason, as it has been proven on here, if you clamp the heater hose, you can get the vents down into the low 40's. The system can obviously get the evap temp down to 40, it's the isolation of the heater core that is the issue.....

And you can't throttle the compressor speed without changing pulleys. It's belt driven. You could electrically cycle it off more often but that makes even less sense.

 

[duke2001]

You also have to wonder just how competent the dealers are. Wouldn't surprise me if most of the techs aren't properly trained to begin with and cause more damage trying to fix what was broken in the first place.

Sorry for your frustration!

Why paint such a broad brush? Could the same be said of the business you are in?

 

[ac1dd]

I am hearing that RAM is throttling the speed of the AC compressor to reduce load on the engine to meet EPA standards. Not sure this is true but would make sense as to why they wont fix it.

This isn't the likely culprit. Like others have said if they can clamp off the hoses to the heater core and get
an avg of 40 F vent temps or so and it STAYS constant, like many have said then it points to heat getting through
at the blend doors, ducting, ect.

There is NO way you can tell me that Chrysler can't duplicate this issue in some very basic testing with a problematic vehicle. The fact that when folks are seeing 10 degree plus readings between the left and right side vents and then when heater core hoses are clamped off they are getting about 40 F from BOTH L and R center vents is good proof of where the problem lies. Definitely seems like multiple problems with the ducting and blend doors probably some kind of manufacturing defect and the vendor is maybe working on it, and the software controlling the blend doors is probably also involved too.

It's concerning that some here claim there cars are putting out low 40s or 40 F air with their stock ducting and setup yet others are not...proves poor quality control for sure.

 

[ac1dd]

Why paint such a broad brush? Could the same be said of the business you are in?

Everyone knows that the auto repair business is probably one of the shadiest and unscrupulous industry in the country. Doesn't matter if it is chain, $tealership, or indy, seems like most of them are crooks, many of them are hacks, and many more are BOTH of those.

P.S. I worked in the business for almost 30 years at Stealers and independent shops and most of them were just what I mentioned above.

 

[Differia]

You also have to wonder just how competent the dealers are. Wouldn't surprise me if most of the techs aren't properly trained to begin with and cause more damage trying to fix what was broken in the first place.

Sorry for your frustration!

hahaha

I wonder that also. It took a tech at the dealership 3x`s to fix my window.

Just last week they fixed the lower A/C valve and the truck came back worse.
Brought it back in and the valve they replaced is still leaking and now the expansion valve is leaking. How did they not catch these issues after they replaced the first valve?

Now the parts are not in stock at the moment.

 

[Gsmith223]

So the most recent update from FCA is that they are not going to escalate my case and the dealership has no clue how to fix my truck. So pissed at FCA

 

[Gsmith223]

This isn't the likely culprit. Like others have said if they can clamp off the hoses to the heater core and get
an avg of 40 F vent temps or so and it STAYS constant, like many have said then it points to heat getting through
at the blend doors, ducting, ect.

There is NO way you can tell me that Chrysler can't duplicate this issue in some very basic testing with a problematic vehicle. The fact that when folks are seeing 10 degree plus readings between the left and right side vents and then when heater core hoses are clamped off they are getting about 40 F from BOTH L and R center vents is good proof of where the problem lies. Definitely seems like multiple problems with the ducting and blend doors probably some kind of manufacturing defect and the vendor is maybe working on it, and the software controlling the blend doors is probably also involved too.

It's concerning that some here claim there cars are putting out low 40s or 40 F air with their stock ducting and setup yet others are not...proves poor quality control for sure.

Clamping the hose is just a band aid

 

[rrbhokies]

Are there any videos or detailed instructions on how to clamp the hose, and what people are using to clamp their how with? I don't doing this as a temporary fix, but this will not be an acceptable permanent solution. Also, I keep reading about the blended door issue. What exactly is that again?

 

[cotonymopar]

mine works fine on Max A/C for cooling,especially in 100 degree weather in a black truck

 

[Biga]

Mine works decent, not the best AC I've had but it cools the cabin adequately on a 95 degree day. My 2014 was the same.

 

[Differia]

So the most recent update from FCA is that they are not going to escalate my case and the dealership has no clue how to fix my truck. So pissed at FCA

So that's it then? Just getting the truck back as is?

 

[Gsmith223]

So that's it then? Just getting the truck back as is?

No the dealership just called and apparently they found a leaking schrader valve and low refrigerant. You would think they would check that the first time?

 

[Tom488]

Are there any videos or detailed instructions on how to clamp the hose, and what people are using to clamp their how with? I don't doing this as a temporary fix, but this will not be an acceptable permanent solution. Also, I keep reading about the blended door issue. What exactly is that again?

Yes. Read post #72 in this thread:

Air conditioning Hack

This is an outstanding thread, thanks for all of the info! We're all on the same team here, and we all want very much to enjoy our expensive trucks. Even if we have to do a little tweak here and there. Welcome aboard!

5thgenrams.com

Blend door issue: Behind your dash is an HVAC box (heat/ventilation/air conditioning). In this box is a blower motor (fan) - you control the speed of this fan through your heat/AC controls - from 0 to 7. This fan either sucks air in from the outside (in normal mode - from the cowl vents at the base of the windshield), or from the floor of the cab (in recirculation mode). This function is controlled by the "recirc door" - basically a flap that closes off either of the above passages, so the fan is only sucking from one source.

Now, the blower (fan) pushes the air it just sucked in across the A/C evaporator coil. When the A/C is on, this coil gets to be about 36-38 degrees, thanks to the refrigerant (we won't get in tow HOW this works - for now, it's enough to know that the coil is cold). The air blowing across this coil gives up most of it's heat to the coil, warming the refrigerant in it, and therefore becoming cold itself (as a by-product of cooling the air, it can't hold as much moisture, so the moisture condenses on the coil and drips off - like a glass of iced tea will "sweat" in the summertime - that's where the "A/C condensate" comes from, and why your truck drips water when the A/C is running). When the A/C is off, this coil does nothing, and the air just passes over it with nothing happening.

Next in line is the aforementioned "blend door". Again, it's a flapper, like the recirc. door we talked about before, but unlike the recirc. door, the blend door has many positions. It's job is to direct none, some, or all of the incoming, possibly cooled, air over the heater core to get warmed up. Unlike the A/C evaporator, which is only cold when the A/C compressor is running, the heater core is hot virtually all the time. The engine coolant is constantly cycled through the heater core (which is itself nothing more than a tiny radiator). Whatever your coolant temperature gauge reads, that's the temperature of the heater core.

When your HVAC controls are on "full hot", all of the air being pushed through the A/C evaporator coil will then be directed through the heater core. When your HVAC controls are on "full cold", NONE of the air should go across the heater core - it should all bypass the heater core, so it stays cold. And when your settings are somewhere in the middle, some of the air goes through the heater core, and some bypasses it. We're "blending" the cold air and the hot air to arrive at a desired temperature.

What's happening, is even when you have the system at "full cold", some of the air is still going across the heater core (it shouldn't, but it is), resulting in warmer-than-desired air temps. We know this, because when the supply hose to the heater core is clamped off, resulting in a cool heater core, the observed temperatures at the vents become, on average, 10 degrees cooler.

Hope that helps some.

 

[BeauxXL1200]

Count me as potentially one in that group. F150 owner for over 20 years, but I love the new design of the Ram's. Lurking here until I make my final decision around September for a new purchase. I thought I was set on a Ram replacing my 2013 F150, but now I'm having doubts. I definitely know I'd get less bells and whistles with Ford (likely XLT compared to Laramie with Ram), so how these first year issues are handled with Gen 5 will definitely influence my buying decision. I'm doing the same lurking on Ford Forums as well.

I would also hold off until the 2020s come out. I can't imagine that Ram's engineers aren't working to resolve this issue on the 2020s.

Yes. Read post #72 in this thread:

Air conditioning Hack

This is an outstanding thread, thanks for all of the info! We're all on the same team here, and we all want very much to enjoy our expensive trucks. Even if we have to do a little tweak here and there. Welcome aboard!

5thgenrams.com

Blend door issue: Behind your dash is an HVAC box (heat/ventilation/air conditioning). In this box is a blower motor (fan) - you control the speed of this fan through your heat/AC controls - from 0 to 7. This fan either sucks air in from the outside (in normal mode - from the cowl vents at the base of the windshield), or from the floor of the cab (in recirculation mode). This function is controlled by the "recirc door" - basically a flap that closes off either of the above passages, so the fan is only sucking from one source.

Now, the blower (fan) pushes the air it just sucked in across the A/C evaporator coil. When the A/C is on, this coil gets to be about 36-38 degrees, thanks to the refrigerant (we won't get in tow HOW this works - for now, it's enough to know that the coil is cold). The air blowing across this coil gives up most of it's heat to the coil, warming the refrigerant in it, and therefore becoming cold itself (as a by-product of cooling the air, it can't hold as much moisture, so the moisture condenses on the coil and drips off - like a glass of iced tea will "sweat" in the summertime - that's where the "A/C condensate" comes from, and why your truck drips water when the A/C is running). When the A/C is off, this coil does nothing, and the air just passes over it with nothing happening.

Next in line is the aforementioned "blend door". Again, it's a flapper, like the recirc. door we talked about before, but unlike the recirc. door, the blend door has many positions. It's job is to direct none, some, or all of the incoming, possibly cooled, air over the heater core to get warmed up. Unlike the A/C evaporator, which is only cold when the A/C compressor is running, the heater core is hot virtually all the time. The engine coolant is constantly cycled through the heater core (which is itself nothing more than a tiny radiator). Whatever your coolant temperature gauge reads, that's the temperature of the heater core.

When your HVAC controls are on "full hot", all of the air being pushed through the A/C evaporator coil will then be directed through the heater core. When your HVAC controls are on "full cold", NONE of the air should go across the heater core - it should all bypass the heater core, so it stays cold. And when your settings are somewhere in the middle, some of the air goes through the heater core, and some bypasses it. We're "blending" the cold air and the hot air to arrive at a desired temperature.

What's happening, is even when you have the system at "full cold", some of the air is still going across the heater core (it shouldn't, but it is), resulting in warmer-than-desired air temps. We know this, because when the supply hose to the heater core is clamped off, resulting in a cool heater core, the observed temperatures at the vents become, on average, 10 degrees cooler.

Hope that helps some.

Excellent explanation.

Yes. Read post #72 in this thread:

Air conditioning Hack

This is an outstanding thread, thanks for all of the info! We're all on the same team here, and we all want very much to enjoy our expensive trucks. Even if we have to do a little tweak here and there. Welcome aboard!

5thgenrams.com

Blend door issue: Behind your dash is an HVAC box (heat/ventilation/air conditioning). In this box is a blower motor (fan) - you control the speed of this fan through your heat/AC controls - from 0 to 7. This fan either sucks air in from the outside (in normal mode - from the cowl vents at the base of the windshield), or from the floor of the cab (in recirculation mode). This function is controlled by the "recirc door" - basically a flap that closes off either of the above passages, so the fan is only sucking from one source.

Now, the blower (fan) pushes the air it just sucked in across the A/C evaporator coil. When the A/C is on, this coil gets to be about 36-38 degrees, thanks to the refrigerant (we won't get in tow HOW this works - for now, it's enough to know that the coil is cold). The air blowing across this coil gives up most of it's heat to the coil, warming the refrigerant in it, and therefore becoming cold itself (as a by-product of cooling the air, it can't hold as much moisture, so the moisture condenses on the coil and drips off - like a glass of iced tea will "sweat" in the summertime - that's where the "A/C condensate" comes from, and why your truck drips water when the A/C is running). When the A/C is off, this coil does nothing, and the air just passes over it with nothing happening.

Next in line is the aforementioned "blend door". Again, it's a flapper, like the recirc. door we talked about before, but unlike the recirc. door, the blend door has many positions. It's job is to direct none, some, or all of the incoming, possibly cooled, air over the heater core to get warmed up. Unlike the A/C evaporator, which is only cold when the A/C compressor is running, the heater core is hot virtually all the time. The engine coolant is constantly cycled through the heater core (which is itself nothing more than a tiny radiator). Whatever your coolant temperature gauge reads, that's the temperature of the heater core.

When your HVAC controls are on "full hot", all of the air being pushed through the A/C evaporator coil will then be directed through the heater core. When your HVAC controls are on "full cold", NONE of the air should go across the heater core - it should all bypass the heater core, so it stays cold. And when your settings are somewhere in the middle, some of the air goes through the heater core, and some bypasses it. We're "blending" the cold air and the hot air to arrive at a desired temperature.

What's happening, is even when you have the system at "full cold", some of the air is still going across the heater core (it shouldn't, but it is), resulting in warmer-than-desired air temps. We know this, because when the supply hose to the heater core is clamped off, resulting in a cool heater core, the observed temperatures at the vents become, on average, 10 degrees cooler.

Hope that helps some.

Excellent explanation, Tom.

 

[Ram1]

Hot weekend this past long weeeknd drove the truck all 3 days.I fix alot of AC units on heavy equipment as well as highway trucks, done it for so long i put the back of my hand at the vents and i can tell within a few degrees ifthe system is low 40's, my truck is not. Grab the thermometer and passenger side is 43, drivers side is 52 as many others have stated. This is 100% a blend door issue. If the ac system can bring one side down to 43 its oprerating to its capabilities. When I see a proper operating system but vent temps arent cold I immediately go to the heater taps and close them in heavy equipment. In doing so it eliminates any faults inside the plenum box. When doing this and vent temps drop you know the problem is in the dash....such as broken blend door, bad actuator or in the modern day age computer not telling actuator to close. GM and Chev had a whole bunch of trucks in early 2000's that would do thesame thing but put out heat on one side and ac air on the other. A reset of the sytem would fix it sometimes for a long time and sometimes ony for a week or two. I will give the dealer one time to fix it if they cant I'm installing the heater hose shutoff the problem will be solved.