Air conditioning Hack

[stakxyn]

Anyone had any longevity issues with the Harbor Freight clamps?

 

[djwdjw]

Anyone had any longevity issues with the Harbor Freight clamps?

None so far. Going on year three (or is it four)?

Comes off in the winter, back on in the summer.

 

[benb1976]

'22 not under any warranty?

It's under warranty but the process I described above is how the dealer does it even under warranty. Diagnosis costs money if the issue isn't clear to the dealer when dropped off, and since there is no official automatic loaner program due to all the other makes and models of jeeps and dodge at the dealer, and the sheer number of vehicles being serviced on any day, it's a nine day lead time. What good is a warranty if it's too difficult to get a vehicle looked at and serviced in the first place.


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[stakxyn]

None so far. Going on year three (or is it four)?

Comes off in the winter, back on in the summer.

Thanks man. Do you tighten it down all the way? Worried about the pipe splitting open but maybe I’m just being paranoid

 

[theblet]

Thanks man. Do you tighten it down all the way? Worried about the pipe splitting open but maybe I’m just being paranoid

I would just put the hack. I didn’t like the way it was smashing the hose. There are different opinions on this.

 

[stakxyn]

I went ahead and tested the HB Freight clamps just to see if I got a temperature difference on my 2020 Rebel cause I got tired of waiting for the cab to get cool when I’m already half way to work.

Yesterday during my commute to work I got temp readings of about 53.6F. With the clamp on today, the temp went as low as 49.3F.

You can tell it’s cooler for sure, but I think it’s just stupid hot in Texas right now for there to be a major difference that previous users described. I also have to park the black truck with pano sunroof outside (cover on btw), so that won’t help my situation.

I’ll think I’ll keep testing with the clamp on for now, but I may just clamp it on for longer commutes/road trips and leave it off for my daily 25 min work commute.

 

[jimk hunt]

I went ahead and tested the HB Freight clamps just to see if I got a temperature difference on my 2020 Rebel cause I got tired of waiting for the cab to get cool when I’m already half way to work.

Yesterday during my commute to work I got temp readings of about 53.6F. With the clamp on today, the temp went as low as 49.3F.

You can tell it’s cooler for sure, but I think it’s just stupid hot in Texas right now for there to be a major difference that previous users described. I also have to park the black truck with pano sunroof outside (cover on btw), so that won’t help my situation.

I’ll think I’ll keep testing with the clamp on for now, but I may just clamp it on for longer commutes/road trips and leave it off for my daily 25 min work commute.

Not sure maybe you didn't clamp it all the way? I have used the clamp for the past 2 years with no ill effects. I remove it in the fall. If you are worried about the hose just set a calendar reminder on your phone and move it a couple inches once during the AC season.

 

[benb1976]

Ditched and removed the infotainment BS and was going to do the Muzzy hack or HF clamps but decided to go old school like gramps does in his Ram.

Against common logic and expected functioning of the AC, I just set the AC temp dial to one click above Max, then adjust the speed of the fan to control the temp. I get better airflow without recirc on even with the K&N cabin filter, but I do go back and forth between Max AC and one notch up since the truck is so hot that I'm observing recirc restricts the flow making it take longer to do an initial cooling and the recirc components and all aspects of the interior are so dam hot it's like a convection oven. The better initial flow helps cool the ducts I think, and I can switch it back to recirc afterwards.

It's not perfect but since the blend door issue may be a thing I try to eliminate the blend as much as possible with using max or one notch up setting. I live in San Antonio so it's either full AC or the heater, only a few months I don't need either.

Also my truck is a 2022, crew cab and black so it gets friggin hot to 125 inside in my shaded spot. It does take a while to cool it down to 70's, but at least this is working and I can get it tolerable within a 10 min drive to HEB. Note that for my '22, the vent temp coming out when at Max or one notch above is in the green or 42-45 ish, and if I go a notch above it gets to 50's, and then another notch 60's, it's like 10 degrees per notch so I said f-it just run on max and screw the blend doors it's Texas. Before I was running it this way I was using common sense and keeping it at a few notches up until I started testing air temp for each notch and found it needs to be at a lowest setting to be cold and that controlling air flow makes the best sense, I don't want to waste AC by blending with heat anyways.

I was going to do the AC hack but keeping blend doors closed this way is working good enough. Maybe the clamps will help improve but the hot dash and windshield allow so much heat in it's always going to be a constant battle. Oh ya I have ceramic tint all around, ceramic brow, with limo on the rear window, so that supposedly helps too.


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[User_3336]

I also have to park the black truck with pano sunroof outside (cover on btw), so that won’t help my situation.

Most definitely DOES NOT help your dilemma. That's the worst possible combo. Black and glass soaking up all that heat!!

 

[stakxyn]

Most definitely DOES NOT help your dilemma. That's the worst possible combo. Black and glass soaking up all that heat!!

Yup. I’ll keep testing throughout the week but I think I’m just gonna have to suck up this heat

 

[jimk hunt]

Yup. I’ll keep testing throughout the week but I think I’m just gonna have to suck up this heat

Try the clamp, it's a <$10 fix and it won't hurt anything. If you have the blend door defect, there is nothing you can do with the controls to get around it.

 

[User_3336]

If you have the Harbor Freight clamp set "HACK", I've varied the places on the hose where I've clamped it, alternating from one location to another. That way it does not put stress on the hose at the same spot.

I have a 2023 now, which will freeze you out, but the clamps are what I had on the previous RAM with the issue.

 

[theblet]

Here’s my hack in case you wanna go that route. Don’t have to worry about smashing the hose. I used this valve. It should be 5/8 heater hose. No issues so far.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/SharkBite-Brass-3-4-in-PEX-Barb-Ball-Valve/1000183107

 

[HemiDude]

Ditched and removed the infotainment BS and was going to do the Muzzy hack or HF clamps but decided to go old school like gramps does in his Ram.

Against common logic and expected functioning of the AC, I just set the AC temp dial to one click above Max, then adjust the speed of the fan to control the temp. I get better airflow without recirc on even with the K&N cabin filter, but I do go back and forth between Max AC and one notch up since the truck is so hot that I'm observing recirc restricts the flow making it take longer to do an initial cooling and the recirc components and all aspects of the interior are so dam hot it's like a convection oven. The better initial flow helps cool the ducts I think, and I can switch it back to recirc afterwards.

It's not perfect but since the blend door issue may be a thing I try to eliminate the blend as much as possible with using max or one notch up setting. I live in San Antonio so it's either full AC or the heater, only a few months I don't need either.

Also my truck is a 2022, crew cab and black so it gets friggin hot to 125 inside in my shaded spot. It does take a while to cool it down to 70's, but at least this is working and I can get it tolerable within a 10 min drive to HEB. Note that for my '22, the vent temp coming out when at Max or one notch above is in the green or 42-45 ish, and if I go a notch above it gets to 50's, and then another notch 60's, it's like 10 degrees per notch so I said f-it just run on max and screw the blend doors it's Texas. Before I was running it this way I was using common sense and keeping it at a few notches up until I started testing air temp for each notch and found it needs to be at a lowest setting to be cold and that controlling air flow makes the best sense, I don't want to waste AC by blending with heat anyways.

I was going to do the AC hack but keeping blend doors closed this way is working good enough. Maybe the clamps will help improve but the hot dash and windshield allow so much heat in it's always going to be a constant battle. Oh ya I have ceramic tint all around, ceramic brow, with limo on the rear window, so that supposedly helps too.


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Im surprised to hear that your ‘22 is so bad, my ‘22 cools twice as good as my ‘20 did. The hack was a great temp fix on my ‘20, I highly recommend it to anyone who wants the coldest air they can get

 

[stakxyn]

Try the clamp, it's a <$10 fix and it won't hurt anything. If you have the blend door defect, there is nothing you can do with the controls to get around it.

I did the harbor freight clamp “hack.” My previous comment reflected my use with it

 

[Olbez]

My 2023 Ecodiesel AC is not all that effective so so maybe they didn't actually resolve the problem for all trucks? I'd like to try pinching off a hose to see if that helps, but not sure which one should I do it. Could anyone point out the right hose in the photo below? I'd really appreciate the help!

 

[Scram1500]

My valve started to weep a little last year so I got rid of it and went back to stock. It was the brass ball valve from the Muzzy kit, not sure what the WOG rating is. Now that it's hot as heck I went with the Harbor Freight clamp and watched the vent temperature drop 9 degrees from 53 to 44. The next valve is going to be stainless steel 1000 WOG so there's no worry if it can take the heat.

 

[BowDown]

My valve started to weep a little last year so I got rid of it and went back to stock. It was the brass ball valve from the Muzzy kit, not sure what the WOG rating is. Now that it's hot as heck I went with the Harbor Freight clamp and watched the vent temperature drop 9 degrees from 53 to 44. The next valve is going to be stainless steel 1000 WOG so there's no worry if it can take the heat.

This is exactly why I didn't use the valve hack

 

[theblet]

My valve started to weep a little last year so I got rid of it and went back to stock. It was the brass ball valve from the Muzzy kit, not sure what the WOG rating is. Now that it's hot as heck I went with the Harbor Freight clamp and watched the vent temperature drop 9 degrees from 53 to 44. The next valve is going to be stainless steel 1000 WOG so there's no worry if it can take the heat.

My first valve was a “heater core shut off valve” from the auto parts store. Started leaking a week after installation. Now I have a brass ball valve from Lowe’s. No issues since

 

[Scram1500]

This is exactly why I didn't use the valve hack

I should have my head examined for using a valve of unknown origin