Why Your A/C Blows Cold, Then Warm

An A/C that starts strong and fades is telling you something specific. Here is what it usually is.

The usual culprit: a low charge with a leak

An A/C system that cools for the first ten minutes and then goes warm is usually low on refrigerant — and refrigerant does not get used up, it escapes. Somewhere there is a leak: a worn O-ring, a corroded condenser, a chafed line. Topping it off without finding the leak buys you a few weeks at best. A proper service finds the leak with dye or an electronic sniffer, fixes it, then charges the system by weight.

Quick tips

Cooling that fades with idling often points to the condenser fan
A hissing sound after shutoff can be normal equalization — clicking is not
If the compressor cycles rapidly, stop running the A/C until it is checked

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Overheating in Stop-and-Go Traffic (But Fine on the Freeway?) →

The usual culprit: a low charge with a leak

Quick tips

Stranded, stuck, or just done with repair shops?