Air conditioning Hack

[KcRay]

I found that keeping the valve closed all the way, got me the vent temperature was seeking. The hose clamps are really designed to be use as a temporary stop, when doing a repair that requires coolant hoses to be unhooked, so you don't lose coolant.

 

[Edwards]

First summer I will have my new 5th gen and looking to do this in near future as we get into hot temps in Atlanta. After reading many pages I have a couple questions. 1) Is one method favored or work better over the other.(clamp vs valve) 2) Do most close flow completely or keep it slightly open?

@KcRay is right. Do it the right way and install the valve. Wait long enough in the spring until you know you'll no longer need heat and then close it completely. You will be amazed at the difference. Then when it starts to get cool in the fall and you want some heat, open it back up again.

 

[dts828]

@KcRay is right. Do it the right way and install the valve. Wait long enough in the spring until you know you'll no longer need heat and then close it completely. You will be amazed at the difference. Then when it starts to get cool in the fall and you want some heat, open it back up again.

Thanks to you and @KcRay, ordered valve on Amazon. Going to try find a pair of oem type clamps if not I go with the regular worm gear clamps.

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[ldoh]

Curious if some additional tint would work as well or better....

Ceramic tint placed on the pano and throughout definitely helps. I avoided the front windshield but some report good results.

We had one afternoon of 90 degrees the other day which made me aware it was time to flip the a/c hack valve off again.

 

[dmodem]

The issue is warm temperatures being produced from the vents and A/C system. Tint, clamps, and valves are nothing more than an aid for an underperforming system on $60k+ trucks. The fact that Ram has done nothing to address the validated issue is very concerning from a consumer standpoint.

 

[ldoh]

The issue is warm temperatures being produced from the vents and A/C system. Tint, clamps, and valves are nothing more than an aid for an underperforming system on $60k+ trucks. The fact that Ram has done nothing to address the validated issue is very concerning from a consumer standpoint.

No doubt. FCA dropped the ball and has no plan to address it. In the meantime until it's time to buy something else, aids help to keep comfortable in hot outdoor temperatures.

 

[dts828]

They won't never admit to it because there are no warranty claims and that's because "it's working within specification". They won't fix until it's gets media coverage and starts to impact sales. Forums are great but they typically only reach the enthusiasts or modders of the world which is small percentage compared to overall sales.

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[ExcursionDiesel]

Curious if some additional tint would work as well or better....

Tinting ABSORBS the energy from sunlight instead of reflecting it. It can cause the glass to get hotter and even burst a sunroof in some cases, as others mentioned. The insulation I used is reflective as well as being an insulator so my guess is that it blocks the heat better. A highly reflective tint might work ok though.

 

[Timeless]

Tinting ABSORBS the energy from sunlight instead of reflecting it. It can cause the glass to get hotter and even burst a sunroof in some cases, as others mentioned. The insulation I used is reflective as well as being an insulator so my guess is that it blocks the heat better. A highly reflective tint might work ok though.

And here I thought the LowE coating or whatever they call it was to reflect?

 

[ldoh]

Tempered glass is known to explode on it's own depending on manufacturing and quality issues. A few years back there was a rash of news stories about spontaneous sunroof and shower glass explosions. I couldn't find any stories about ceramic tinted glass causing explosions.

If you are worried about heat, it's a good idea to avoid the cheap tints as they can't block or insulate heat like a ceramic tint. After all, ceramics are insulators.

 

[ExcursionDiesel]

And here I thought the LowE coating or whatever they call it was to reflect?

Any form of tint will raise the temperature of glass to some degree since tinting absorbs light energy creating heat. LowE is designed to reduce (not eliminate) the stress on glass by reflecting instead of absorbing some of the heat from direct sunlight. It is rare that tinting alone will cause breakage. I suspect most breakage is due to compromised glass from flexing, a rock peck, or a manufacturing issue. Temperature change is nearly always involved although one of the other factors is usually the culprit. From 3M's website:

Will Window Films Cause Glass to Break?
Glass breaks when stressed. There are five types of stress that may cause glass breakage:

1. Thermal Stress - from absorption of solar radiation.
2. Tensile Stress - from the weight of the glass itself.
3. Mechanical Flexing Stress - from wind.
4. Impact Stress - from flying objects, (hail, baseballs).
5. Twisting Stress - from building or window frame sagging or settling.

The first type, thermal stress, is the only one which film may affect. The use of window films will increase the thermal stress on sunlit glass. However, there are also other factors which will increase thermal stress such as: partial shading of windows from overhangs, tightly fitting drapes or blinds, signs or decals on windows, heating and cooling vents directed at glass. In addition, different types of glass (annealed versus tempered, clear versus tinted) have different solar absorption rates and will withstand different degrees of thermal stress.

I would think a light tint that is as mirror-like as possible would be relatively safe and effective on a sunroof. It would also prevent the tempered glass slivers from raining down into the cab if the sunroof burst. I had a panoramic roof in a Murano burst on me. It felt like a bomb went off and glass shards fell onto the shade since it was closed.

 

[ldoh]

We just received an FCA quality email survey. Maybe a coincidence but their timing was perfect just before summer.

 

[ldoh]

Any form of tint will raise the temperature of glass to some degree since tinting absorbs light energy creating heat. LowE is designed to reduce (not eliminate) the stress on glass by reflecting instead of absorbing some of the heat from direct sunlight. It is rare that tinting alone will cause breakage. I suspect most breakage is due to compromised glass from flexing, a rock peck, or a manufacturing issue. Temperature change is nearly always involved although one of the other factors is usually the culprit. From 3M's website:

Will Window Films Cause Glass to Break?
Glass breaks when stressed. There are five types of stress that may cause glass breakage:

1. Thermal Stress - from absorption of solar radiation.
2. Tensile Stress - from the weight of the glass itself.
3. Mechanical Flexing Stress - from wind.
4. Impact Stress - from flying objects, (hail, baseballs).
5. Twisting Stress - from building or window frame sagging or settling.

The first type, thermal stress, is the only one which film may affect. The use of window films will increase the thermal stress on sunlit glass. However, there are also other factors which will increase thermal stress such as: partial shading of windows from overhangs, tightly fitting drapes or blinds, signs or decals on windows, heating and cooling vents directed at glass. In addition, different types of glass (annealed versus tempered, clear versus tinted) have different solar absorption rates and will withstand different degrees of thermal stress.

I would think a light tint that is as mirror-like as possible would be relatively safe and effective on a sunroof. It would also prevent the tempered glass slivers from raining down into the cab if the sunroof burst. I had a panoramic roof in a Murano burst on me. It felt like a bomb went off and glass shards fell onto the shade since it was closed.

I would bet most idiopathic spontaneous vehicle glass breaks these days are related to quality/manufacturing issues and very few design related. If done correct, everything has a built-in engineering over-design margin, tested to extreme conditions, and then there are factory window tint options. Glass breaks via window tinting is a red herring.

 

[Gsmith223]

I went to the trouble to file a lemon law claim after the 4th attempt and it was a waste of time. FCA fought it tooth and nail even lying several times in the response to the arbitrator. Basically the HVAC isnt a critical component and since the truck didnt break down they the arbitrator basically said it doesnt qualify as a Lemon. So good luck if you decided to go that route.

 

[KcRay]

I went to the trouble to file a lemon law claim after the 4th attempt and it was a waste of time. FCA fought it tooth and nail even lying several times in the response to the arbitrator. Basically the HVAC isnt a critical component and since the truck didnt break down they the arbitrator basically said it doesnt qualify as a Lemon. So good luck if you decided to go that route.

Kudos to you, for taking the time and the effort in pursuing that venture.

 

[ldoh]

Yes, good job trying. I guess a lemon law implies the lemon vehicle has a substantial defect the manufacturer can't correct.

On the bright side FCA's defense isn't the hvac system is functioning properly.

 

[ldoh]

Hopefully it's a one-off but I had a bad result from Advanced Auto Parts' valve (p/n 84706). I closed the valve in prep for summer and quickly noticed a leak from the thread area beneath the wing knob. I verified the lock nut at the base of the threads was tight.

I hope the next one lasts much longer than 1 year otherwise I will need to find a more reliable solution.

Amazon.com: Four Seasons 84706 Shut Off Valve: Automotive

Buy Four Seasons 84706 Shut Off Valve: Control Valves - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

[KcRay]

Hopefully it's a one-off but I had a bad result from Advanced Auto Parts' valve (p/n 84706). I closed the valve in prep for summer and quickly noticed a leak from the thread area beneath the wing knob. I verified the lock nut at the base of the threads was tight.

I hope the next one lasts much longer than 1 year otherwise I will need to find a more reliable solution.

Amazon.com: Four Seasons 84706 Shut Off Valve: Automotive

Buy Four Seasons 84706 Shut Off Valve: Control Valves - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Somewhere here in this thread some, people have found some more heavy duty valves to use.

Hopefully it's a one-off but I had a bad result from Advanced Auto Parts' valve (p/n 84706). I closed the valve in prep for summer and quickly noticed a leak from the thread area beneath the wing knob. I verified the lock nut at the base of the threads was tight.

I hope the next one lasts much longer than 1 year otherwise I will need to find a more reliable solution.

Amazon.com: Four Seasons 84706 Shut Off Valve: Automotive

Buy Four Seasons 84706 Shut Off Valve: Control Valves - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

There are certainly some better quality shut off valves available. I remember seeing some people here using them. Definitely good idea to keep watching your valve. Thanks for the update.

 

[dts828]

Here's the one I went with... working great so far

Everflow Supplies 615P034-NL Lead Free Pex Full Port Ball Valve with Tee Handle, 3/4-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MA9DQBE/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_JO-KEb5S68TJ0

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[Zeronet]

Here's the one I went with... working great so far

Everflow Supplies 615P034-NL Lead Free Pex Full Port Ball Valve with Tee Handle, 3/4-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MA9DQBE/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_JO-KEb5S68TJ0

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That’s the one I went with. It’s rated for high pressure and steam with brass construction. Still working great after 12k miles in Florida heat with a good amount of towing.

Painted it black and used OEM style hose clamps. Can’t even tell it’s there.