Air conditioning Hack

[James Cole]

I noticed no change. ~177 or so.

The two hoses that are connected to the transmission start lower downstream the main coolant lines and are in no way dependent of the heater core lines, it appears the core lines are truly independent.

 

[GOATinstructor]

I had similar issues with AC not being the coldest and I think I may have fixed it.

All I did was sit in the truck with it set to run but engine off. Make sure it is very quiet.

I set climate control to fan speed 1 and then rolled the temp up to max. You should hear the blend door move. Then slide it all the way down to low. You should hear the blend door move again.

I cycled it a few times to make sure the door opens and closes fully. Although I cannot verify that, I believe doing this "teaches" the door fully open to fully close and allows the auto AC to figure out where to move the door to.

I get pretty cold air now, but haven't tested the vents with a thermometer.

 

[KcRay]

The two hoses that are connected to the transmission start lower downstream the main coolant lines and are in no way dependent of the heater core lines, it appears the core lines are truly independent.

Correct, those two hose we are dealing with only run to the heater core and back to the water pump. FOR SURE!!

 

[djwdjw]

but haven't tested the vents with a thermometer.

Until ^^^ this with a thermometer, there's no real data.

 

[Firepower2010]

Interesting info regarding the potential source for many climate control problems, nice work.

Last summer this site collected a lot of owner complaints about insufficient cooling air and weird/incorrect climate control logic. My AC is certainly not “ice cold” like my other vehicles, and just yesterday I was commenting to my wife about how the climate system seems to take inappropriate actions based on ambient vs commanded temps.... I wonder if the blend door problem you are discussing is related?

I wish there was a way for @RamCares to point Ram engineers at a post like yours above @KcRay to briefly review how shutting off a line like you did drastically improved the AC performance. Maybe it could provide them a direct path to fixing a problem that we’ve heard exists in many trucks, as evidenced by the complaints and service calls last summer.

I suspect these climate control complaints and service calls will increase again soon and Ram will be hearing a lot about it... would be great to help them get a leg up on a fix. But how do you get their ear? Must it be through a star case?

OMG, YES YES YES. I have been complaining to the service dept (2 different ones, who say everything is "normal"), also opened a case with FCA, no resolve, but the HVAC system on this truck is SCREWY!!! My old 2016 was PERFECT, this 2019 SUCKS!!

 

[Jhill]

Correct, those two hose we are dealing with only run to the heater core and back to the water pump. FOR SURE!!

I am still not clear on how pressure has a bypass if we block coolant flow on "out" hose from water pump There are 3 other hoses, 2 that are on ports of bottom radiator hose and 1 from neck of thermostat that all head under engine. Can you explain the bypass route that relieves pressure? What about when thermostat closed vs open. Thanks!

 

[AndreiV]

Great tips and discussion. I bough harborfright hose clamps as one suggested option and will have it the truck and clamp it on hot days.

 

[Gman]

I noticed no change. ~177 or so.

Thank you!

 

[Jhill]

There is currently at least 5 AC performance threads running
1) Air conditioning Hack
2) RAM AC poor performance TWITTER/FACEBOOK
3) A/C Performance
4) Air conditioning performance
5) Update on A/C issues
Not sure if there is a way to consolidate threads.

 

[KcRay]

I am still not clear on how pressure has a bypass if we block coolant flow on "out" hose from water pump There are 3 other hoses, 2 that are on ports of bottom radiator hose and 1 from neck of thermostat that all head under engine. Can you explain the bypass route that relieves pressure? What about when thermostat closed vs open. Thanks!

Really can't speak to all the new fangeld gadgets to help transmission warm up, or those weird little hoses going down to some kind of black filter. The two hoses we are concerned with are the "heater hoses" on my truck, they run from water pump to heater core "behind the fire wall" and back to water pump. That is all these two hoses do. A lot of technology has passed me by over the years of being out of the business, but bypassing the heater core in this truck gives me no worries whatsoever. It does however make my nose cold. Lol

 

[jkm312]

In reading reviews about these "four season" and similar looking coolant shutoff valves, they apparently have a history of leaking from the adjuster screw....some are from china, others better made from USA. I am considering putting in a real brass/stainless ball valve from Grainger or other quality product supplier. Their specs have wide temp/pressure range and ball valves rarely leak. May have to buy threaded female to female threaded valve and add 5/8 male barbed fittings to get it to fit. Maybe 1/3 more money than the regular one that members are getting but I will feel at ease with no leaks. .....A little OCD and I hate murphy's law ****update**** I found this valve with 1/2" Pex barbed ports that others in reviews have used for heater core control. It is an Everflow 615P012-NL and is available for only $7.99 with free shipping on Amazon! It has a compact handle. I just ordered it so will see if it seems like a good alternative. Check out pics....... View attachment 26158 View attachment 26159

JHill

I ordered both the 1/2 and 3/4 valve you have referenced from Amazon. The 3/4 valve arrived today and it is a perfect fit for 5/8 heater hoses. No need to squeeze 5/8 down to 1/2. It is a well built valve. Plumbing is a tough business there a 1000 different parts to do the same job 500 different ways. I'll just add the 1/2" to the bone pile, it will be in good company for awhile. Every one is working pretty hard in these threads to clear up a problem as best we can. Here's what I can contribute today. Thanks to all of you.

 

[Jhill]

JHill

I ordered both the 1/2 and 3/4 valve you have referenced from Amazon. The 3/4 valve arrived today and it is a perfect fit for 5/8 heater hoses. No need to squeeze 5/8 down to 1/2. It is a well built valve. Plumbing is a tough business there a 1000 different parts to do the same job 500 different ways. I'll just add the 1/2" to the bone pile, it will be in good company for awhile. Every one is working pretty hard in these threads to clear up a problem as best we can. Here's what I can contribute today. Thanks to all of you.

View attachment 26677

Nice job!!! Great info! I will order up the 3/4 size right now. I might get 2 .. valves and 2 .... 3/4 pex "T" fittings to make a cross hose (between "out" and "in" water pump hoses) to avoid any chance of a problem by restricting flow. Basically create my own bypass route with 1 valve in cross hose and 1 valve just after the cross hose but still in "out" hose from water pump. Thanks to jkm312 for the 3/4 Pex size info!!! Here is diagram of my plan. Amazon for everything except heater hose that I will just get 2 feet of 5/8 from local auto parts store. What do you think?

 

[I Love Grits]

Please inspect yours and see if different build dates are different than mine.******update***** that is a V6 engine not a 5.7 Hemi. There are only 3 injectors and air cleaner intake is facing forward, not upwards. Upper radiator hose appears to be on drivers side. The document says at top it is a 5.7 V8 but drawing is incorrect. Thought I was going wacky! The schematic may also be for a V6.

Good catch. Wouldn't be the first time there was something incorrect with the service manual. Until someone verifies where all hoses run, looks like I'm wrong and you're right.

 

[James Cole]

@KcRay Can you please explain to us why blocking only the engine out hose wont add pressure to the system?

 

[KcRay]

@KcRay Can you please explain to us why blocking only the engine out hose wont add pressure to the system?

Think of it as if you drilled a hole in the water pump so you could take some hot coolant and use it for something else. Now what happens if you cover up that hole? The coolant continues the path of least resistance.
To
the radiator, the engine, the transmission cooler.

 

[Jtr]

I had similar issues with AC not being the coldest and I think I may have fixed it.

All I did was sit in the truck with it set to run but engine off. Make sure it is very quiet.

I set climate control to fan speed 1 and then rolled the temp up to max. You should hear the blend door move. Then slide it all the way down to low. You should hear the blend door move again.

I cycled it a few times to make sure the door opens and closes fully. Although I cannot verify that, I believe doing this "teaches" the door fully open to fully close and allows the auto AC to figure out where to move the door to.

I get pretty cold air now, but haven't tested the vents with a thermometer.

I am not quite following that this method would "teach" the system to correctly close the blend door, but if someone were to test the temps before and after I am all ears!

 

[Jhill]

I am not quite following that this method would "teach" the system to correctly close the blend door, but if someone were to test the temps before and after I am all ears!

Maybe door is stiff from manufacturing and cycling it to extreme limits free's up its motion so it goes where it should??? Maybe measure and document the two center vents temperatures as well as ambient temp while on full cooling. Then cycle from full heat to full cold like 20 times and then repeat the temp reads again while requesting cooling. That would be great if that helped problem. Worth a try if someone has time.

 

[James Cole]

I tried moving both blend doors repeatedly until I hear a "click" when it shuts, no change in temperatures.

 

[Jhill]

I tried moving both blend doors repeatedly until I hear a "click" when it shuts, no change in temperatures.
[/QUOTE
You already have tried that....well it sounded like a possible theory. bummer it didn't help

 

[GOATinstructor]

I am not quite following that this method would "teach" the system to correctly close the blend door, but if someone were to test the temps before and after I am all ears!

This was just a theory before people spend money on clamps and valves.

I work in a big store where things are sold on pallets. Some of the giant coolers have a roll-up door run off a motor and a small computer. The computer counts rotations of the motor to know when the door has rolled all the way down to shut off the motor. It knows all the way up based on a lever it hits.

If you manually adjust the door up a foot off the ground and then hit the open switch, the door will roll all the way up, but when it goes to close, the door will stop at a foot off the ground.

I was applying that logic to the blend door as after I did this, I did get cooler temps. What is odd is now it is back to the way it was. Sometimes I get freezing air out of the vents, and sometimes I get cool air.

We seem to have isolated this issue to the blend door - how can we focus on that instead of clamping or shutting off the heater core? Has anyone peered up into the cabin air filter box to see what is reachable from there? BTW, I am just spit-balling ideas here.