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Air Conditioning Issues

2K views 7 replies 7 participants last post by  KDodge75 
#1 ·
I have a black 14 Rallye Redline that lives in the Alabama sun unfortunately. I have a sun shade up to help with the temperature inside the car as best as I can but it still gets like a sauna during the daytime. I have noticed recently that it has gotten hot enough that the air conditioning will not blow out full steam until the car has been driving for around 5 minutes and therefore has cooled off. Even crazier, is that the buttons on my radio and dials do not work on a really hot day. I can still control the radio on my steering wheel and it still plays fine, but it takes the same 5 minutes for the buttons to work on my dash. Has anyone else ever had these issues? I know having a black car sit in the 95 degree heat is not helping but I feel like there has to be something else going on. And does anyone have any other tricks or advice to keeping a car cool during the daytime besides parking in the shade or covered parking?
 
#2 ·
I used to have a dark blue full size van, it would get deadly hot inside on some days. I put a powered fan in the roof vent, and with the floor vent open it actually made a difference. Ceiling temps were about 125 in it on a 90 degree day. So, one of those solar powered junky window vent things, (or 2 of them) may help. But nothing will be parking in the shade.
 
#3 ·
With the Hellcat on a really hot day and if the car has been in the sun when I get in the car and with the auto climate on and set to 72F sometimes the A/C starts out rather subdued considering the cabin/ambient temperature but then after a few minutes switches to a more aggressive cooling mode. Not sure why. Maybe to give the A/C system time to develop some cool so one doesn't get a face full of hot air?

Have never experienced any issues with any controls not working when hot.

What I found helps keep the cabin temperature down is to crack the driver and passenger side windows. I leave them down an inch or so. Also I try to park the car facing *away* from the sun. For some reason the cabin doesn't feel like it gets as hot with the sun beating down directly on the rear glass.

I will park in artificial shade if I can -- like in the shade of a building -- but I avoid parking under trees. This often results in bird mess on the car and that can damage the clear coat if not removed promptly.

At home even though my carports are located a distance away from my front door unless I know I'm going right back out I always park my car under the carport to keep it out of the direct sun.
 
#4 ·
Are you able to monitor your battery voltage when that happens? Also do you notice if things work better at a particular speed? The charging system on these cars are regulated by the PCM which uses speed and ambient temp to set voltages. Although I have to admit, buttons not working because of heat is a little puzzling.
 
#5 ·
With the Hellcat on a really hot day and if the car has been in the sun when I get in the car and with the auto climate on and set to 72F sometimes the A/C starts out rather subdued considering the cabin/ambient temperature but then after a few minutes switches to a more aggressive cooling mode. Not sure why. Maybe to give the A/C system time to develop some cool so one doesn't get a face full of hot air?

Have never experienced any issues with any controls not working when hot.

What I found helps keep the cabin temperature down is to crack the driver and passenger side windows. I leave them down an inch or so. Also I try to park the car facing *away* from the sun. For some reason the cabin doesn't feel like it gets as hot with the sun beating down directly on the rear glass.

I will park in artificial shade if I can -- like in the shade of a building -- but I avoid parking under trees. This often results in bird mess on the car and that can damage the clear coat if not removed promptly.

At home even though my carports are located a distance away from my front door unless I know I'm going right back out I always park my car under the carport to keep it out of the direct sun.


Hello Rockster & Treybeck12,

Please keep us updated on this concern going forward. If you decide to schedule an appointment with your dealer, we can provide an additional layer of assistance while in service.

Lamar
Dodge Social Care Specialist
 
#6 ·
A car, with all of its windows, is virtually a greenhouse. When it's 85 degrees outside it can get to 104F degrees inside after 10 minutes, and 119F after 30 minutes. When it's 90F degrees outside it can get to 109F degrees inside after 10 minutes, and 124F after 30 minutes. When it's 95F degrees outside it can get to 114F degrees inside after 10 minutes, and 129F after 30 minutes.

Your air conditioner has to cool, not only the air, but all the hot surfaces in the car. The same thing applies to your home's central air conditioner. On a hot day, when you are away, it is best to set your thermostat, between 75-78F degrees so that your A/C will not have to work so hard to bring the temperature and humidity down (of the air, furniture and carpets) when you return.

After my car has been sitting in the sun for a while, in the summer, I drive it for 3-4 minutes with all of the windows down, before switching on the A/C. This really helps. After that, I switch the A/C to "Closed" on the lowest temperature and highest fan settings.
 
#7 ·
While I didn't say so I do on a real hot day drop the windows and let the cabin cool some before turning on the A/C. But even on milder days with the cabin temperature not that high the system can still start out a bit subdued. Not necessarily a negative as it could be just how the auto climate system is supposed to work.
 
#8 ·
The A/C function almost seems normal if in the full auto mode.

I keep my challenger on auto all year round. If it's sitting in the sun and hasn't been started recently, It closes the doors so no air blows out for a certain number of seconds then starts blowing. The air that comes out is then cool enough that you don't get a burst of hot air blowing in your face initially and starts out slow at first. It then ramps up to full speed for a while.

There's actually a second in the manual that explains what to do with the hvac system on initial startup based on outdoor conditions.
 
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