Air conditioning performance

[jdmartin]

I have a 2019 and just got back from 2 weeks in Central Florida. Having never had my truck anywhere near that hot an area I was a little concerned that I'd be sweating it, but truck performed no problem! Most of the time when I got in the truck the outside thermometer read 125 degrees on the dashboard, and once I started driving would drop down to about 98-99 degrees. I like things cold and within a few minutes the inside of the truck was tolerable and within 15 minutes I was turning the AC down a few notches. I never bothered opening the windows to let the hot air out, as it was virtually the same temperature outside as inside. I definitely used Max AC all the time to recirculate inside air as that is really the key to cooling down a space; just like in your house, you wouldn't introduce a constant stream of humid, outside air into your HVAC system; part of feeling cool is removing all the humidity, and no AC system running a constant stream of outdoor air can keep up with that. The truck has the added issue of a massive amount of cubic feet of air that has to be cooled and dehumidified compared to any car.

When I first got this truck I thought the AC didn't seem to perform as well as my Titan, but after owning it now for coming up on 4 years I think it's really about the same - the air doesn't start off feeling as cold as my Titan but the time it takes for the cabin to cool down is about the same.

 

[BNJMN]

You got a good one then. 85 in Michigan today and I just did a 30 minute trip, never turned it off low and max ac. Sunroof cover closed.

 

[theblet]

Its because they picked 1234yf refrigerant for CAFE credits. R134a is 30% more efficient and also 100% compatible while being 8% of the cost of 1234yf as well.

If you ever have to open the system you may as well replace the fittings and put 134a in.

"The R-1234yf CAFE credits are 13.8 g/mi for cars, 17.2 g/mi for trucks. (GWP, a metric used by environmental regulatory agencies worldwide, is a measure of how much a given mass of a gas contributes to global warming. It is a relative scale which compares the amount of heat trapped by greenhouse gas to the amount of heat trapped in an equal mass of CO2. The GWP of CO2 is by definition 1.)

The value of storing CAFE credits for a low GWP refrigerant enticed Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) into beginning its changeover in 2014MY. General Motors has had just one entry in that period, the Cadillac XTS, but GM will be virtually across the board by the end of this year. Ford reportedly will begin its changeover in April with the Escape, but no details of its rollout are available. Sending vehicles with either refrigerant down the same assembly line is not a difficult process.

Warranty payments

The "street retail" price of R-1234yf—over $100 lb/ $220 kg has reportedly dropped slightly for volume buyers, and there are internet advertisements (of unknown validity) for as low as $72.50 lb ($160 kg). However, that's still much higher than the typical $3 lb/$6.60 kg for R-134a.

FCA's list price for R-1234yf is per ounce—because its dealers are instructed to bill the factory only for the additional amount (total refrigerant charge at the conclusion of the repair, less amount recovered from the vehicle system at the start). The recovery/recycle/recharge machines have a charge accuracy of ±1 oz and print out the amount added; the printout must be attached to a warranty claim."

1234yf definitely underperforms compared to 134a. It works best above 1k rpm, but at idle it’s cr@p.

I’m also curious if anyone has swapped to 134a.

 

[SkittleRam]

1234yf definitely underperforms compared to 134a. It works best above 1k rpm, but at idle it’s cr@p.

I’m also curious if anyone has swapped to 134a.

I have a friend that has done several r134 swaps and from what I hear they work good if not better, that said he has not done a Ram truck yet. When I need to recharge my system, it will get R134.

Our 2021 Yukon has the 1234yf and it performs amazing, cools quickly and is downright cold I never run more than 1/2 the fan speed. This leads me to believe that Ram did not engineer the system to run as effectively as it could since there are systems running 1234yf that perform just fine.

 

[BNJMN]

Exactly. Wife's Kia has 42 degree air almost instantly and it is 123yf. It isn't the fault of the refrigerant, despite ram techs wanting to blame it on that.

 

[azzx]

If you have 2019, 2020 model year, then do the TSB. don't remember the TSB number.
It is pretty involved - they will remove the dash and change many parts. there is big kit that they have to order and it will take 2 days to get it done
Prior to the TSB, my AC was OK - around 48 degrees. Now it is running in mid- 40s.
I live in AZ and summers are miserable, after the TSB my AC is tolerable
the write up is on page 64 currently

 

[User_3336]

Know anyone that has replaced with r134a? I'm wondering if the temps would drop

The cost would negate the benefits.

 

[AV8OR]

I've had my 1500 for almost 3 months now and have been pretty disappointed in the A/C and "ventilated" seats. Granted I'm in Houston and we've been getting 5-6 days in a row of 102-103.... But I am coming from driving a 2014 Ford Fusion Titanium for the past 8 years... black on black and it was waaaay colder A/C and the "cooled" seats were ice cold too! When I turn my Ram's seats on, i can barely feel it, and it's not cold at all... I guess they truly are just "ventilated" seats though. Why couldn't they have installed "cooled" seats! aaarrrggghhh!

oh, and by the way, I have full Luxor ceramic on all windows/windshield.

If it makes you feel any better your neighbors up here in the cold north of DFW are not doing any better with our summer of 100 plus days.

I run the AC old school by running the temp all the way down until I see LO, recirculate on, AUTO off and just very the fan speed to keep me ”comfortable.”

After the truck ”cools off“ the lowest reading I can get out of any of the outlets is around 48 degrees.

Not sure how to test the fan on the seat but I can’t tell it’s working.

 

[User_3336]

All "cooled/ventilated" seats are is a fan underneath projecting cabin temperature upwards thru little holes in the seats. If the cabin isn't cool, especially at floor level, you ain't getting "cooled" seats.

Are people thinking the seats have mini a/c's under them?> LOL

 

[theblet]

If you have 2019, 2020 model year, then do the TSB. don't remember the TSB number.
It is pretty involved - they will remove the dash and change many parts. there is big kit that they have to order and it will take 2 days to get it done
Prior to the TSB, my AC was OK - around 48 degrees. Now it is running in mid- 40s.
I live in AZ and summers are miserable, after the TSB my AC is tolerable
the write up is on page 64 currently

 

[AV8OR]

Cold air is going right down the center console under your elbow.

Not too much would be involved to design the seat to pipe some of that cold air going to the back into the forward seat bottoms.

 

[OldMarine]

guys..listen up...I have a 19 Limited. I always felt like the ac was adequate,...not GREAT...but did the job. Been saying that for years....ok, with that said, I finally gave in out of curiousity and put a Harbor freight clamp on the ac line, as seen in the "AC Hack" thread....OMG...the diff is amazing. Like ice now. Do yourself a favor and just get the $7.99 4 piece fluid line clamp kit at HF and use the biggest clamp to pinch that line. You will NEVER complain about ac temps again...skip the hassle of the TSB.

 

[theblet]

If I would have been out of warranty I would’ve just stuck with my hack.

 

[BNJMN]

How long has your line been pinched? Any sign of wear or risk that it could cause a leak?

 

[RJS]

All "cooled/ventilated" seats are is a fan underneath projecting cabin temperature upwards thru little holes in the seats. If the cabin isn't cool, especially at floor level, you ain't getting "cooled" seats.

Are people thinking the seats have mini a/c's under them?> LOL

I believe the fan pulls air through the seat. A piece of paper on the seat back will stick if the fan is running and fall when it's switched off.

 

[theblet]

How long has your line been pinched? Any sign of wear or risk that it could cause a leak?

If you’re plan on leaving it long term, I would do the hack not the pinch.

 

[OldMarine]

been pinched for

How long has your line been pinched? Any sign of wear or risk that it could cause a leak?

Clamp has been on just a couple days. Make sure you pinch it a little ways up the hose to where the outer protective mesh starts, just adds a little more protection, and no need to clamp down hard on the hose, just to the point where it's squeezed good, but still leaves a little flow for the water. I don't believe there will be any issues with damaging the hose. The clamp may be on for 3-4 hot months, then I will take it off for the rest of the year since I don't need peak performance during the cooler months. I'm telling you, the difference is DRAMATIC! ***on edit** For the first time I actually had to take it OFF " max ac/lo"...and set it to 67 degrees, it was actually TOO COLD! lol.

 

[Aseras]

The cost would negate the benefits.

1234yf uses the same fittings as r12, so any r12 to R134a kit would work. So if like $15 in fittings and $20 in refrigerant is too expensive sorry.

 

[User_3336]

1234yf uses the same fittings as r12, so any r12 to R134a kit would work. So if like $15 in fittings and $20 in refrigerant is too expensive sorry.

Why risk f'ing up your a/c system? Bet that's more than $35, eh? Guess common sense doesn't prevail sometimes?

 

[User_3336]

been pinched for

Clamp has been on just a couple days. Make sure you pinch it a little ways up the hose to where the outer protective mesh starts, just adds a little more protection, and no need to clamp down hard on the hose, just to the point where it's squeezed good, but still leaves a little flow for the water. I don't believe there will be any issues with damaging the hose. The clamp may be on for 3-4 hot months, then I will take it off for the rest of the year since I don't need peak performance during the cooler months. I'm telling you, the difference is DRAMATIC! ***on edit** For the first time I actually had to take it OFF " max ac/lo"...and set it to 67 degrees, it was actually TOO COLD! lol.

What is the VENT temp?