Air conditioning Hack

[Joker4L]

okay okay ladies and gents! I have been reading about all these AC issues since I purchased my amazing truck last June 2018... My truck only had three issues since then which was the clunking noise when turning which I fixed myself, the center console squeaking when putting my arm on it which the dealer fix and finally the HK system amp being updated.....

As far as the AC goes, I always believed my system performed okay even in the Georgia heat but I decided for curiosity sake to buy a temp probe and check the temps and sure as F&*K the Driver side on MAX AC was 576 degrees at best when avg 90 plus degrees out while the passenger side was around maybe 48 degrees.

So I said why not try what everyone else is trying.... I went and purchased the same value KcRay used and installed it in about 5mins and lost maybe a drop of coolant in the process (zero mess to clean) I turned the value completed clockwise to close it and then opened it two full turns.

With the truck idling (no driving) and the outside temp at 91 Degrees the driver side vent immediately dropped to 48 degrees! After about 5mins it went even further down to 45 Degrees. The Passenger Side dropped as low as 42.5 degrees. This is all at idle in the driveway so I can only assume when driving on the freeway it might even get colder.

The cooler air can be noticed dramatically without a temp probe.. I had my wife jump in the truck and it was so cold she said F&*K this and got out lol. The added benefit is also the cooled seats are now very cold and its so niccceeeee!!!!

Total cost at the local O'Reilly was a whopping $17 big ones!

Thank you KcRay for this engineering discovery lol

 

[User_3336]

These apply to just about any vehicle manufacturer, not just FCA...... Aside from the heater core, which does have issues in our trucks anyway.

Yep. Yet another anecdotal proof our a/c systems aren't as FCA originally planned. The amount of heat coming through the windows, in-dash heater core, and possible radiating from a previously heat soaked interior overwhelms the a/c system. Not until you hit the open road with RPMs, cabin air circulation, and time does the imbalance have a chance to change. Thank goodness for the a/c hot water valve hack.

 

[User_3336]

you have 576 degree driver side vent temps??? NOW, that's ONE HOT TRUCK!!!!! LOL

okay okay ladies and gents! I have been reading about all these AC issues since I purchased my amazing truck last June 2018... My truck only had three issues since then which was the clunking noise when turning which I fixed myself, the center console squeaking when putting my arm on it which the dealer fix and finally the HK system amp being updated.....

As far as the AC goes, I always believed my system performed okay even in the Georgia heat but I decided for curiosity sake to buy a temp probe and check the temps and sure as F&*K the Driver side on MAX AC was 576 degrees at best when avg 90 plus degrees out while the passenger side was around maybe 48 degrees.

So I said why not try what everyone else is trying.... I went and purchased the same value KcRay used and installed it in about 5mins and lost maybe a drop of coolant in the process (zero mess to clean) I turned the value completed clockwise to close it and then opened it two full turns.

With the truck idling (no driving) and the outside temp at 91 Degrees the driver side vent immediately dropped to 48 degrees! After about 5mins it went even further down to 45 Degrees. The Passenger Side dropped as low as 42.5 degrees. This is all at idle in the driveway so I can only assume when driving on the freeway it might even get colder.

The cooler air can be noticed dramatically without a temp probe.. I had my wife jump in the truck and it was so cold she said F&*K this and got out lol. The added benefit is also the cooled seats are now very cold and its so niccceeeee!!!!

Total cost at the local O'Reilly was a whopping $17 big ones!

Thank you KcRay for this engineering discovery lol

 

[Joker4L]

you have 576 degree driver side vent temps??? NOW, that's ONE HOT TRUCK!!!!! LOL

Opps it was meant to say 56 degrees lol. I’ll edit later

 

[ldoh]

These apply to just about any vehicle manufacturer, not just FCA...... Aside from the heater core, which does have issues in our trucks anyway.

Maybe you missed the main point - an excessively long low comfort period to recover versus the norm. Of course we still don't know if it's a design or production issue, when it is present, but the high vent temps are not normal with any modern a/c equipped vehicle let alone one with such a large volume cabin with large window area and possibly a new optioned double pane pano roof design. With well over 100deg dry desert outside air temps, I saw 73 deg vent output parked in the driveway - that's almost swamp cooler like temps. Plus a general consensus being the classic ram 1500 a/c system works much better.

 

[User_3336]

Nah, I didn't miss the MAIN point. I did the "hack" a while back, so yeah, I understand the point.

Never understood the fascination with dual-pane sunroofs.

Maybe you missed the main point - an excessively long low comfort period to recover versus the norm. Of course we still don't know if it's a design or production issue, when it is present, but the high vent temps are not normal with any modern a/c equipped vehicle let alone one with such a large volume cabin with large window area and possibly a new optioned double pane pano roof design. With well over 100deg dry desert outside air temps, I saw 73 deg vent output parked in the driveway - that's almost swamp cooler like temps. Plus a general consensus being the classic ram 1500 a/c system works much better.

 

[ColoradoCub]

It appears that some ram owners haven’t owned a full size Crew Cab truck before and therefore try to attribute the size of the cab (?) or the size of the vehicle to how AC should perform. You read on here where owners are spending hundreds of dollars on fancy new tints and even tinting their damn windshields in an effort to thwart a poorly designed AC system. That’s nonsense, I’ve owned CrewMax Tundras, CrewCab F150’s as well as Crew Cab 2500’s, all of which are as big or bigger interior wise to the new Ram and none of them had any issue making low 40’s AC vent temps. This is purely a 5th gen Ram problem with this mid to high 50’s AC temps is the new norm.

 

[duke2001]

It appears that some ram owners haven’t owned a full size Crew Cab truck before and therefore try to attribute the size of the cab (?) or the size of the vehicle to how AC should perform. You read on here where owners are spending hundreds of dollars on fancy new tints and even tinting their damn windshields in an effort to thwart a poorly designed AC system. That’s nonsense, I’ve owned CrewMax Tundras, CrewCab F150’s as well as Crew Cab 2500’s, all of which are as big or bigger interior wise to the new Ram and none of them had any issue making low 40’s AC vent temps. This is purely a 5th gen Ram problem with this mid to high 50’s AC temps is the new norm.

100 degrees here and my a/c is handling it fine. Auto, Recirc, set to 72. So, it can’t be all 2919 Ram trucks.

 

[Ortiz7983]

That's great IF you want to take the risk that the dealer will be ok with it....and you don't know for sure whether there may ever be an adverse impact with the mod. So...if your A/C fails, you have a heater core issue, etc. you don't think they will try to deny warranty coverage if they find a non approved valve/alteration on said line??? At the very least they will TRY to deny coverage and make you jump through hoops and fight the issue...and they have much deeper pockets than you or any owner.

That’s what I’ve been telling people but they don’t listen. You can even have proof that some modification you’ve done wasn’t the reason for the problem. But they can still deny you. Doesn’t mean they are right, but they can still deny you and your warranty. You can fight it up the ladder. But I bet your truck will be sitting there for a long time waiting to get fixed while you try to fight this.

 

[ColoradoCub]

100 degrees here and my a/c is handling it fine. Auto, Recirc, set to 72. So, it can’t be all 2919 Ram trucks.

“Handling it fine” is not a performance parameter, it’s your individual opinion. If you own two vehicles in your household put a thermometer in the AC vent of each and you’ll see the difference.

 

[SpeedyV]

“Handling it fine” is not a performance parameter, it’s your individual opinion. If you own two vehicles in your household put a thermometer in the AC vent of each and you’ll see the difference.

It’s colder than our 2015 Audi.

 

[ColoradoCub]

That’s what I’ve been telling people but they don’t listen. You can even have proof that some modification you’ve done wasn’t the reason for the problem. But they can still deny you. Doesn’t mean they are right, but they can still deny you and your warranty. You can fight it up the ladder. But I bet your truck will be sitting there for a long time waiting to get fixed while you try to fight this.

It takes less than a minute to return it to stock if you have to take your vehicle to the dealership. Do you go to the dealer daily

It’s colder than our 2015 Audi.

What is the Temperature?

 

[SpeedyV]

It takes less than a minute to return it to stock if you have to take your vehicle to the dealership. Do you go to the dealer daily


Temp?

I published my Ram temps like a hundred posts ago. They were similar to what others have posted (51-56 driver, colder on passenger). I haven’t even measured the Audi, yet my wife and I know unequivocally that her car is not nearly as cold.

 

[Ortiz7983]

It takes less than a minute to return it to stock if you have to take your vehicle to the dealership. Do you go to the dealer daily


What is the Temperature?

I didn’t say it took long. Go back and figure out what post I was referring to.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[duke2001]

“Handling it fine” is not a performance parameter, it’s your individual opinion. If you own two vehicles in your household put a thermometer in the AC vent of each and you’ll see the difference.

.
Been there, done that, no matter what I say, you will still have a problem with “ your” truck.The point is, it is not all of the 300,000 2019 Rams made so far, which is exactly what you keep implying. Get your truck fixed or move on to another brand. FCA is not hearing you.

 

[ColoradoCub]

I published my Ram temps like a hundred posts ago. They were similar to what others have posted (51-56 driver, colder on passenger). I haven’t even measured the Audi, yet my wife and I know unequivocally that her car is not nearly as cold.

.
Been there, done that, no matter what I say, you will still have a problem with “ your” truck.The point is, it is not all of the 300,000 2019 Rams made so far, which is exactly what you keep implying. Get your truck fixed or move on to another brand. FCA is not hearing you.

It’s not just my truck Duke, or the topic of AC problems wouldn’t be the largest threads on this forum. The AC in my buddies Limited blows warmer than my truck does! It’s just that some folks are ok with mediocre AC , but many aren’t.

 

[duke2001]

It’s not just my truck Duke, or the topic of AC problems wouldn’t be the largest threads on this forum. The AC in my buddies Limited blows warmer than my truck does! It’s just that some folks are ok with mediocre AC , but many aren’t.

300000 and again you are implying that I don’t know that my a/ c is broke. Sorry again you have this issue but if as many out there are working right then it is not a figment of someone’s imagination. It just means they did not get yours right and it can be fixed.

 

[SpeedyV]

It’s not just my truck Duke, or the topic of AC problems wouldn’t be the largest threads on this forum. The AC in my buddies Limited blows warmer than my truck does! It’s just that some folks are ok with mediocre AC , but many aren’t.

In my case, I think it’s important to note that my truck stays garaged (it’s a hot garage, but at least it’s shaded) most of the time, and I frequently jump on highways around town, so I can cool the truck quickly.

However, I do keep my home at 72 degrees during the day and 70 on these hot summer nights, and I’m just as comfortable in the Ram set at Auto and 71. Maybe I’m just acclimated to the Texas summer? We’ve been 101-107 every day for the past week (hotter if you consider heat index), so I feel like that’s a good A/C test.

I noticed it seemed sluggish to cool off when we were out running errands today, as we were going a mile between stops and leaving the truck in parking lots for 30-60 minutes at a shot (temps just over 100 out). When we wrapped up, I jumped on the highway and cooled the interior off quickly. Note: this was with four adults in the truck, which probably didn’t help.

If this is “as bad as it gets” for me, I’ll be thankful. Maybe my particular driving conditions or some other factor(s) are working in my favor. I do feel for you guys that are dealing with subpar performance, and I’m glad to hear that the “hack” is an easy, inexpensive, and effective workaround.

 

[duke2001]

In my case, I think it’s important to note that my truck stays garaged (it’s a hot garage, but at least it’s shaded) most of the time, and I frequently jump on highways around town, so I can cool the truck quickly.

However, I do keep my home at 72 degrees during the day and 70 on these hot summer nights, and I’m just as comfortable in the Ram set at Auto and 71. Maybe I’m just acclimated to the Texas summer? We’ve been 101-107 every day for the past week (hotter if you consider heat index), so I feel like that’s a good A/C test.

I noticed it seemed sluggish to cool off when we were out running errands today, as we were going a mile between stops and leaving the truck in parking lots for 30-60 minutes at a shot (temps just over 100 out). When we wrapped up, I jumped on the highway and cooled the interior off quickly. Note: this was with four adults in the truck, which probably didn’t help.

If this is “as bad as it gets” for me, I’ll be thankful. Maybe my particular driving conditions or some other factor(s) are working in my favor. I do feel for you guys that are dealing with subpar performance, and I’m glad to hear that the “hack” is an easy, inexpensive, and effective workaround.

Yep, in the Texas heat, as well! Mine sits in sun all day. Only help is a good sunshade I use.

 

[SpeedyV]

Yep, in the Texas heat, as well! Mine sits in sun all day. Only help is a good sunshade I use.

I use a Covercraft. It’s big, but it does a great job. I keep one in every vehicle.