Air conditioning performance

[DraKhen99]

Hoping this gets addressed soon as I'm truck shopping and really love the Ram other than this issue. Really unacceptable for any vehicle much less $50K+ ones.

@RamCares

Go ahead and drive a new RAM, see if the A/C performance on that particular truck is OK to you.

Some of us need ice-cold A/C, others are perfectly content with 50-55 degree vent temps.

-John

 

[Timeless]

Go ahead and drive a new RAM, see if the A/C performance on that particular truck is OK to you.

Some of us need ice-cold A/C, others are perfectly content with 50-55 degree vent temps.

-John

My best response to that is here: https://5thgenrams.com/community/threads/air-conditioning-hack.10150/post-180443

 

[TheMadDutchDude]

I just measured my AC this morning, on the drive into work. It’s 72F outside.

Center console, driver side: 41F
Driver side window: 42F

This was with fan speed set to 3 and recirculation on. Max AC, of course.

My dealer measured it at 46F in an 80+ degree environment, seems pretty good to me!

 

[Timeless]

I just measured my AC this morning, on the drive into work. It’s 72F outside.

Center console, driver side: 41F
Driver side window: 42F

This was with fan speed set to 3 and recirculation on. Max AC, of course.

My dealer measured it at 46F in an 80+ degree environment, seems pretty good to me!

Lol, not to sound rude but that does not compare to the triple digit days with 70%+ humidity we get here...which I am sure makes a difference in performance.

 

[TheMadDutchDude]

Of course it does... I’m just giving you the facts, like I said I would previously, that my dealer wasn’t lying to my face and that it actually is performing as expected.

Humidity won’t affect cooling performance by much, but the outside temperature will.

 

[Differia]

Measure the temps in triple digits and see how it performs.

 

[ColoradoCub]

I just measured my AC this morning, on the drive into work. It’s 72F outside.

Center console, driver side: 41F
Driver side window: 42F

This was with fan speed set to 3 and recirculation on. Max AC, of course.

My dealer measured it at 46F in an 80+ degree environment, seems pretty good to me!

If yours really blows those temps then you have a functional AC, mine will not blow close to those temps at 70 deg. Here is a picture with my AC temp in stock form at 67 deg outside. It only gets warmer as the outside temps increase.

 

[TheMadDutchDude]

It really does. I’m surprised myself. It has gotten better as time went on. It’s so cold that my hands get sore after a while.

I wish they’d all work this well...

 

[Billet1500 4x4]

Of course it does... I’m just giving you the facts, like I said I would previously, that my dealer wasn’t lying to my face and that it actually is performing as expected.

Humidity won’t affect cooling performance by much, but the outside temperature will.

Humidity plays a large role in cooling performance. The performance of the system is correlated to the heat index for the ambient air not the dry bulb temp of the ambient air. Example 100 F air at 25% RH has a heat index of 100 F, 100 F air at 70% RH has a heat index value of 143 F. Essentially a lot of the work being done by the AC system is absorbing heat released by the water condensing from the air versus absorbing heat from the air itself. Recirc mode helps mitigate this by first dehumidifying the air then cooling the air itself while it recirculates but even in recirc mode outside air has to be let into the cabin to replenish the oxygen so inevitably you're introducing more water vapor for the system to condense.

 

[Gsmith223]

I just wanted to update the thread with my most recent experience. After the 4th time of taking it in the tech closed off the heater core and took temps at the condenser 38 degrees and 43 degrees at the vents. They said the will have to pull the dash and check the plenum. My case manager has opened a star case. I don’t really want the dash pulled hopefully they can buy it back.

 

[dmodem]

I just wanted to update the thread with my most recent experience. After the 4th time of taking it in the tech closed off the heater core and took temps at the condenser 38 degrees and 43 degrees at the vents. They said the will have to pull the dash and check the plenum. My case manager has opened a star case. I don’t really want the dash pulled hopefully they can buy it back.

Since my dealer recently had my Limited in for over a week with no change in performance afterward, and since I won't be able to replicate the temp. issue until next summer due to PA's change of seasons, my Ram case was closed. Hopefully, they'll step up and recall the problem or buyback documented problematic trucks.

 

[Gsmith223]

Since my dealer recently had my Limited in for over a week with no change in performance afterward, and since I won't be able to replicate the temp. issue until next summer due to PA's change of seasons, my Ram case was closed. Hopefully, they'll step up and recall the problem or buyback documented problematic trucks.

Wow yeah I would drive to Texas and be like what? I was afraid of the same-thing here so I took it in while it was still hot. But literally it does not even stay in spec at 78-80 ambient. It just keeps getting worse.

 

[813Hemi]

Bought a 5.7 Long Horn in Sept of 18. A.C. performance has been terrible. Florida driving for 30 years so I know my auto AC's lol.
Traded it for a New Rebel and the A.C. works perfectly, like it should.

 

[dmodem]

Bought a 5.7 Long Horn in Sept of 18. A.C. performance has been terrible. Florida driving for 30 years so I know my auto AC's lol.
Traded it for a New Rebel and the A.C. works perfectly, like it should.

I'm not trading/purchasing another. The ball's in Ram's court.

 

[Timeless]

Bought a 5.7 Long Horn in Sept of 18. A.C. performance has been terrible. Florida driving for 30 years so I know my auto AC's lol.
Traded it for a New Rebel and the A.C. works perfectly, like it should.

So same year trucks? Both 2019s?

 

[Firebird]

These modern AC temps are not near what the old R-12 systems were. My GMC 3/4 ton van with dual air, blew a measured 27 degrees from the vents. My old Datsun's would blow a measured 32 degrees. I had a couple of R134 vehicles, that I got down to upper 30's out of the vents.

 

[ldoh]

I just measured my AC this morning, on the drive into work. It’s 72F outside.

Center console, driver side: 41F
Driver side window: 42F

This was with fan speed set to 3 and recirculation on. Max AC, of course.

My dealer measured it at 46F in an 80+ degree environment, seems pretty good to me!

Nice, your a/c works when it isn't needed.

 

[Rototerrier]

I know I've cost RAM at least 1 sale over this already. Buddy of mine literally just bought a new truck that isn't a RAM because of my A/C issues. Folks don't want to be hot. Not that RAM is hurting for sales, but that's 1 they missed out on.

 

[Timeless]

I know I've cost RAM at least 1 sale over this already. Buddy of mine literally just bought a new truck that isn't a RAM because of my A/C issues. Folks don't want to be hot. Not that RAM is hurting for sales, but that's 1 they missed out on.

It has definitely made me pause as well. I'm hoping the 2020s are better...or possibly other models (Rebel) are not affected.

And maybe going back to a 2018...and last resort I will go to an F150.

 

[DraKhen99]

It has definitely made me pause as well. I'm hoping the 2020s are better...or possibly other models (Rebel) are not affected.

And maybe going back to a 2018...and last resort I will go to an F150.

I'll take being slightly warmer to all the issues I had on my 2015 F-150, many of which still haven't been corrected in new production. (Namely, freezing door locks, IWE issues, and transmission problems)