well a few days ago some steam was coming out of my hood scoop and I checked for oil, power steering leakage, etc. I didnt see anything, and figured it was water vapor from the AC being on.

the next day the AC just blows warm air. Its an 05 FXT with teh USDM 2.5 motor (only 6,000 miles) I checked the High valve and teh Low valve, nothing comes out of the H valve and Freon (sp?) comes out of the L valve.

when I turn on the AC, usually the clutch kicks in, idle goes up and voila. the clutch doesnt kick in.

has anybody experienced this on an 05? I realize there were a few TSB's for 02-03's but didnt know if it was still a problem

any help would be great!

05? Just take it to your dealer and have them fix it. That's what warranties are for.

ITS NOT CALLED FREON any more...its R134a or refridgerant....Freon was R12...
Some stuff to know...If the clutch is continually going off and on...your low on refridgerant...If you have some guages to monitor it...low side should be in the upper 120 psi range

The compressor will also cycle rapidly if the system is overcharged and the high-pressure cutout is activating.

It appears your pressure relief valve opened due to excessive system high side pressures. Usually this happens due to hot weather and inadequate air flow. Make sure both cooling fans come on when AC is commanded. If not, you've found the problem. You may need to replace the pressure relief valve as some do not reset when actuated.

Further reasons for too high pressures are blockage in the system or closed (faulty) expansion valve.

good luck

thanks for the replies. I have an STi top mount that I need to remove "just in case" they try to blame that on the faulty AC. I also have a turboback that I would much rather them not hassle me on.

those were the main 2 reasons I wanted to know if it was a common problem with a quick fix. the other thing is finding time and another car to drive while its in the shop! damn its hot in So. Cal right now!

the fans dont come on when the AC is turned on and the clutch doesnt come on and off, it just stays off. Is there any way to reset the pressure release valve or does it have to be replaced after its been released? Temps have been in the 100's in So Cal lately with varying humidity. I never use my AC only when its hot like this...could that be a part of the problem? does the AC need to be turned on frequently for the system to work right?

thanks again!

Is it possible that you damaged one of the AC lines when installing the intercooler, or that there was continued contact between the line and IC causing it to perforate? This has been known to happen with some aftermarket ICs.
If the compressor isn't coming on at all now the system is probably nearly or completely empty. There is a low-pressure cutout that prevents the compressor from engaging to protect it from damage.
Bear in mind that if the dealer finds any physical damage to any of the lines, or road debris damage to the condenser (which happens) the repair will not be covered under warranty.

theres no damage to the AC lines, they rattled on the firewall for the first 5 min of test driving with the STi TMIC but after that I zip tied the High and Low together (loosely of course). there is still pressure in the Low line I tested the valve and mist came out.

another thought is I was hit by a Uhaul truck on my Drivers fender and bumper (no damage to the inner fender, but I didnt notice any damage to AC lines...could a force hitting my car cause it to fail?

There are no AC lines running behind the fender, however any impact to the front of the car could damage the condenser if it's near the center of the bumper. Off to the side I doubt it would cause a problem with the AC.

I guess I'll pull the TMIC off this weekend to inspect all the lines. bleh!

pulled teh TMIC off and it rubbed a hole in teh H pressure line and almost rubbed throught the larger L pressure line. looks like I'll need a new H pressure line.

question now is I can install the line and recharge the refrigerant is there a valve that needs to be replaced because of the loss of pressure in teh AC system? or is there something that has to be reset?

No there is nothing that needs to be replaced other than the lines. Sometimes if the system has been empty and exposed to the atmosphere for a while the receiver/dryer may need to be changed, but since it's only been a few days and there was still something in the lines it should be ok. However in order to do the repair properly, once the lines are replaced the system should be pumped down into vacuum and then recharged to the proper pressure using gauges, so you'll need to have the dealer or a shop do this. Since it won't be a warranty repair you might as well find a good independent shop that can do the job for less than the dealer will charge.

Some AC hose shops may cut out the damaged section and splice in a replacement section and save cost of entire hose assembly.

good luck

If there's a hole in the high-pressure line, a measurable amount of compressor oil must have escaped along with refrigerant. It has to be added back. You need to find a good shop to sort this all out.

^
Good point.