ac nightmare in sprinter van

RD Monk

Rookie Expediter
A "frozen motor"? Or a frozen compressor? I think you have two compressors and the one for the rear air could be locked up. I would check the pully(s). Take the belt off that compressor, everything should turn freely including the compressor. Check Europarts of San Diego for that rear A/C compressor. You will see that the dealer is a little high on theirs. Buy the parts and have them install if they will.

thanks for answering------I called today and they said the pulley was frozen and he was sure it needed replaced. They are a Dodge/Chrysler dealer......he expected $2,000 plus...and I couldn't buy parts....because they warrant for 12/12000 miles........my sprinter has 23,000 mile.....and I'm now thinking
thinking of adding a warranty ......they have one for $3,000...24 months.....and good at any Dodge
Chrysler dealer(that) works on Sprinters .......very few work on them in my home state even though only a few miles away....can you suggest another warranty ? I have disability and down time in another state can be rough
thanks
 

CBrown

New Recruit
Steady is right about the diverter valve. It's in there primarily due to the pre-heater motor and isolates the heater coil when the a/c is turned on. 2006 models have the same design. While the expansion valve itself isn't expensive the labor can be, and I'm of the mind of don't fix it if it ain't broke. Flushing the system is a double edged sword. If not done correctly, it can force trash into the expansion valve and drier causing them to fail. I would ask the shop how they do it before I had it done.

First thing that should be done is to hook up a/c gauges and determine the status of the a/c. It can be determined if the system is low on R134a or if the expansion valve is bad. A bad expansion valve will allow the low side to pull into a vacuum.

If the system is full, expansion valve working, pressures good, and still blows warm air, then the diverter valve is the culprit. However, before you replace the valve you need to determine one more thing. Some Sprinters are equipped with the automatic pre-heater. The pre-heater motor will come on if the coolant temp drops below a certain temp. This is for winter driving to keep the engine at operating temp. The temp sensor that controls the diverter valve could be screwing up and telling the diverter valve to open even if the pre-heater switch is turned off.

So, determine the status of the a/c system. Confirm how your Sprinter is equipped. Replace the faulty part.

From CB:
Sprinter enthusiast, I looked at my 2005 US sprinter system. The air goes from the fresh air intake under the hood, or the cabin recirculate intake to the inlet of the main blower, then directly thru the cabin filter, then directly to the AC evaporator on the center top of the dash just above the cabin air filter (first no vales or diverters), then to the 2 upper (just below the windshield) dash vents on off,(top dash vent controls) or and then down thru the heater core to the in your face 4 dash vents on or off.. If you unplug the heater core water diverter valve electrics just above the motor, on the passenger side, in the engine compartment it causes water to flow thru the heater core unrestricted,..(full heat after the AC intake will come out of the 4 front vents) that is full ac(cold and dehumidified air) to the top vents if open, then thru the heater core out the 4 in your face dash vents warm if engine is warm (if open). But if you clamp off the water, there is full cooling out the 4 front dash face vents. So you can make the van summer friendly, by clamping off he water to the heater core (just under the cabin air filter) AFIAICT their is no hot air diverter for the hot air on an 2005 Sprinter in the US., at least not on mine. Not sure if the engine warmup or cabin climate control (or the water valve itself) is at fault, but if you cut off he engine hot water to the cabin heater core, the problem is resolved.
Hope this helps somebody., my AC works all the time out the top air vents regardless, of the intermittent heat out the in your face, front air vents, before this fix.
Regards
CBrown
 
Last edited:

CBrown

New Recruit
From CB:
Sprinter enthusiast, I looked at my 2005 US sprinter system. The air goes from the fresh air intake under the hood, or the cabin recirculate intake to the inlet of the main blower, then directly thru the cabin filter, then directly to the AC evaporator on the center top of the dash just above the cabin air filter (first no vales or diverters), then to the 2 upper (just below the windshield) dash vents on off,(top dash vent controls) or and then down thru the heater core to the in your face 4 dash vents on or off.. If you unplug the heater core water diverter valve electrics just above the motor, on the passenger side, in the engine compartment it causes water to flow thru the heater core unrestricted,..(full heat after the AC intake will come out of the 4 front vents) that is full ac(cold and dehumidified air) to the top vents if open, then thru the heater core out the 4 in your face dash vents warm if engine is warm (if open). But if you clamp off the water, there is full cooling out the 4 front dash face vents. So you can make the van summer friendly, by clamping off he water to the heater core (just under the cabin air filter) AFIAICT their is no hot air diverter for the hot air on an 2005 Sprinter in the US., at least not on mine. Not sure if the engine warmup or cabin climate control (or the water valve itself) is at fault, but if you cut off he engine hot water to the cabin heater core, the problem is resolved.
Hope this helps somebody., my AC works all the time out the top air vents regardless, of the intermittent heat out the in your face, front air vents, before this fix.
Regards
CBrown

More info, can't edit at this point...as a bonus the heat still works! and no more intermittent dash vent heat.
The hose I clamped off is apparently is for the when parked supplemental heater system as in the loop it has the electric water flow valve then thru the heater core somehow, and then to the parked engine off supplemental heater electric water pump, (which reportedly also cools off hot spots in the head after the engine switched off in some models) which I also unplugged .since I clamped off the water hose. did not want to dead head the new pump.. it's replacement did not increase the frequency of the heat out the dash vents when installed).
All is good, finally no more random heat out the front vents.
If you have the button for the auz parked cabin heat, I would give this fix a try.
Result!
CB
 

mohammed hassan

New Recruit
Driver
AC issues need help! I have a 2008 sprinter. ac blows cold when moving but blows warm when vehicle stops. Changed compressor but the problem persists
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
AC issues need help! I have a 2008 sprinter. ac blows cold when moving but blows warm when vehicle stops. Changed compressor but the problem persists
It's either low coolant, or insufficient airflow over the condenser.

For low coolant, that's easy - just have it recharged and checked for leaks.

For insufficient air flow, It's probably the aux fan right in front of the condenser. They've been known to go bad, or a fuse might be blown. Any mediocre mechanic can diagnose that one. It might also be the fan clutch for the main engine fan, so if it's not the AC aux fan, look there next (especially if you've never replaced it).
 

dalscott

Expert Expediter
It's either low coolant, or insufficient airflow over the condenser.

For low coolant, that's easy - just have it recharged and checked for leaks.

For insufficient air flow, It's probably the aux fan right in front of the condenser. They've been known to go bad, or a fuse might be blown. Any mediocre mechanic can diagnose that one. It might also be the fan clutch for the main engine fan, so if it's not the AC aux fan, look there next (especially if you've never replaced it).

If it’s a bad cooling fan, don’t idle It that way. I blew the condenser doing that.


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