How many times has your AC failed?

[Jerry Dobson]

My AC has now failed for the third time this Summer alone.

Everyone I ask "Has your AC ever failed in your Viper?"....most people reply "Yes".

Another reason to have the extended warranty.

So.....Has your AC ever failed and if so, how many times?

 

[Newport Viper]

Once in 43,000 miles

 

[Ron]

<FONT face="Comic Sans MS">Three times - One recharge, two evaporators. Still fairly weak. 9,800 miles.

 

[genXgts]

I never use it, in my car it's laughable at a stop above anywhere around 80-85 degrees. How ironic as when it's in the 60's my desire for air diminishes a touch!!!

 

[King GTS]

Everytime my Viper overheats!

 

[HP]

I had a problem, but basically it was a pinched vacuum line
off the intake failing to open the A/C vent door(but the end result was no A/C). I took it to a dealer, but had to actually tell them what to do. When it comes to knowledgable
Viper trained techs, my area is the epi-center of a big void.

 

[Rare1]

Never had any problem!
Mikael

 

[Kurt 97 GTS]

Once on my 94 RT in 41K miles!!

 

[Devin 97 Blue GTS]

I have a leak that no dealer can find , so every two month I go in and try try try to get fixed !!!! ( I's going on a year now)

 

[viperdoctor]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Devin 97 Blue GTS:
I have a leak that no dealer can find , so every two month I go in and try try try to get fixed !!!! ( I's going on a year now)

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's bs. Any leak can be found with the dye additives. Some are just visible red or you can get the UV dye. The leak can be found quickly and easily.

The only time it's tough is when it's in the evaporator box. You have to analyze the water dripping out of it to see if the dye is there.

Find a competent dealer.

 

[fred]

I had a leak in the condenser on my previous 97 GTS. they put dye in it to find the leak. Car had about 7000 miles on it. Biggest concern of mine was that the dealer had to remove the hood. They did a god job though and everything came out fine. Daytona dodge, Daytona Beach, Fl

 

[RonC]

Three repairs after my rebuild. Before (9k miles) never a problem.

Ron

 

[KenH]

Mine only worked on occasion since new. Eventually traced to a pinched ground wire under the compressor. Also caused an O2 sensor failure code to keep popping up. Took 4 trips in to fix it.

 

[Andrew2KRT10]

Never happened to me.....

 

[Mike Adams]

All cars with the R134 have problems. The 134 molecules are smaller than the old r12. Have a dye installed with the freon then they can use a UV light and have the leak located if it is big enough. Most cars including Chrysler, Ford, GM etc tend to leak at the evaporator for some reason. Most likely because it has alot of alumimum welds which are difficult to do

 

[Nadine UK GTS]

Mine worked well at 35000 miles (up until I had 100 mph frontal crash, that leaked it big time)! The O-ring seals are fragile on the connections.

 

[Warren 00 GTS]

No problems yet.

 

[HYPRVYPR]

How's this? I took delivery of my brand new 2002 GTS on a cool night. The dealer probably hadn't checked it out since he couldn't even be bothered to wash it before delivering it. Anyway, I didn't care - it was mine and I was looking forward getting it looking the way I wanted it. The next day was about 96 degrees. I got in and guess what... Yup - no a/c.
Took it back to the dealer and they fixed it pretty fast (I was little less congenial by now). The blower motor for the fascia was defective. Since then my only problem is that the a/c cuts out whenever I drop the hammer and then quickly cuts back in.

 

[Vreracing]

I had a 993C4 delivered from Austin to my house. It arrived on a hot day. The AC didn't work and then the sun roof elevator broke. In the next 22,000 miles nothing else went wrong with the car, but the dealer was of course horrified that he sent a car so far away with two broken parts on it.

Back to the post, my AC went out at 20K miles. Only took about 1200 to fix. One of the nurses was livid about this. It turns out her boyfriend was the only AC mechanic that they would let work on the car. Since the part was due in any day they wouldn't let him go out of town until the part came. She had made plans to go to Santa Fe which she had to cancel.

It's the only repair I've had to pay for in 3 and a half years. The only other work has been a minor oil leak covered under warranty and some oil changes. Its been a pretty economical car compared to my other exotic cars.

 

[Y2K5SRT]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by HYPRVYPR:
Since then my only problem is that the a/c cuts out whenever I drop the hammer and then quickly cuts back in.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Actually, the car is designed to do that. ALL Vipers will cut the compressor on full throttle, delivering all the power where it belongs.

As to mine, I had similar problems on my 2000 GTS.

Trip #1: Replaced the evaporator and dryer.
Trip #2: Replaced the compressor
Trip #3: Replaced O-rings
Trip #4: Found leak in lower aluminum hose - FIXED!

It took a year and a half, but works like a charm now. Oh, and Jerry: Try Mike ("Mikey" to those that love him) at Bud Brown Dodge in Overland Park. He is the one that finally figured out my AC problem and was very good about fixing it right.

Chris

 

[Jerry Dobson]

I am sure I have yet ANOTHER leak. Normally I drive my car almost everyday. I got sick and the car sat for one week. AC was gone.

Kansas City gets hot. On 100+ degree days, the AC was still acceptable. I think even with the new type Freon, it should cool a car. My temperature went about 3/4's up but never overheated.

I would be ********** if I could not run the AC when it got hot out (causing overheating).

Years ago when I worked at Schneider Baily on Main Street in KC, all I did was install AC in new cars. Most were Honda's. I averaged about two cars a day. Rip out the dash, put in all the controls, drill the firewall for the hoses...etc, etc. Most of these cars had less than 20 miles on them. Is after market air as good as factory? NO! But I can assure you that we would have been out of business real quick if the reliablity was like Viper AC.

Chris, I may try Bud Brown, but the guys at Jay Wolfe really treat me right. The facility is brand new and my car is always inside under a cover when I pick it up.

 

[Vic]

I've got 12,000 smiles, and my air still works the same as when it was new. (Which always was a little weak, but adequate)

The car does not over heat with the air on, even on a hot day. In that case, the temperature gauge just goes about to the line just right of center. The only time I have seen 225 is on the track in 100+ weather.

 

[Oli]

Never within 30.000km

 

[RonC]

Crap, as of today, it is dead again. Very frustrating. Funny it was fixed about a month ago, worked all the way to Victoria BC, then fine on the way back. Sat two weeks and bye-bye A/C.

 

[luc]

If I am not mistaking,what we are talking about is having no air flow through the vents when you step ******* the gas.

The A/C clutch could indeed be programmed to be disconnected to gain horsepower,but that will not stop the A/C from blowing cold air(cold at least for few minutes)

The clutch always cycle on and off,being regulated by the cooling needed and/or line pressure.

I did the reservoir mode and my A/C is blowing cold all the time,even when I floor the gas pedal.
Luc.

 

[Vic]

Yeah, That's it, Luc!

Like JMcGuire, I thought they had set it up intentionally to cut out at wide open throttle (wot).

Come to think of it, why would they even bother to turn the blower motor off, under WOT?

Just turn off the compressor, that makes sense.

But there is no reason to turn off the blower motor! So it must just be the vacuum operated diverter valves in the air passages, that lose control as the vacuum changes under WOT.

When the throttle bodies are wide open, the air is allowed to enter the plenum more easily, (read: comparatively less intake vacuum) which allows the engine to rev up.

At idle, (the other extreme), the throttle bodies are almost closed, constricting the air flow, making for more intake vacuum.

ahhhh, its becoming clearer now........

 

[luc]

Chris,
The A/C not blowing when you step ******* the gas has nothing to do with the compressor cutting out.
The problem has to do with vaccum.
When you step on the gas the intake manifold vaccum get very low and the "flapper" valves in the blower/duct system close.
DC could have solved this problem for a couple of $.

Here is what you need to do to have the A/C blowing all the time.

1/ Good solution

Buy a one way vaccum valve and put in inline on the vaccum control plastic hose that is connected by a rubber elbow on the passenger side intake manifold by the windshield wiper motor.


2/ Best solution.

Buy a vaccum reservoir canister (I can give you the part #)and after disconnecting the rubber elbow,run a rubber line/hose from that intake port to the "in" port of the reservoir and connect the "out" port of the reservoir to the rubber elbow that you disconnected in step one.
Now your vaccum sytem based heater/A/C will work(move all the doors/flappers) even when the engine is off.(no vaccum)

Luc.00GTS

 

[Coder]

Once in 15K miles...