i saw a post of another MSP owners engine bay and she said her ac lines were insulated because she lived in nevada. i live in texas and the ac in my protege is lackluster at best during the 100+ degree summers. ive had the ac serviced and everything is running as it should be. my question is would wrapping some sort of foam insulation around the ac lines actually do anything to keep my ac colder or at least allow it to blow cold air more quickly? i have to park outside for work everyday and my car is like 120degrees inside when i go home. if this is a viable option to improve ac performance could someone point out to me exactly which lines need to be insulated? thanks.
insulating ac lines?
- Thread starter Toasty
- Start date
hornsfan10609
Certified Mazda Tech
- :
- 2003.5 Mazdaspeed Protege x2
My AC works great even in summer and that's with an FMIC in front of the AC condenser. Make sure it's charged up and your fans and compressor are working properly.
That would be interesting to try but I'd assume it's from the high temps under the hood. When I'm moving the A/C is ice cold, but when I'm still at a light I can feel the air become warmer. It never really blows warm, but not near as cold as when in motion.
It would be worth picking up some insulation that they put on A/C units for houses.
It would be worth picking up some insulation that they put on A/C units for houses.
shane02pro5
25ish_psi
- :
- New Caney TX
I'd imagine you probably have a slight leak that threw the pressure off slightly. Last time I had to have my ac exacuated and refilled and they only added 2oz. but the pressure has to be dead nuts. There is no engine bay more hot than mine and my ac blows perfectly cold! Get a thermometer and see what temps your vents are getting to.
- :
- aggressive auto culture
The condenser needs air moving over it for it to work, hence the fan. You could look at getting an aftermarket fan to move more air in traffic. Loss of pressure or pressure differential in any form will cause your AC to loose efficiency. Look for kinked, dented or bent lines. You should also look at going in to a good shop and ask for a AC performance test.
I've talked with Hornsfan about upgrading my fans (he has upgraded ones), but he said they move a great amount of CFM so they should be sufficient.
I guess I'll bite the bullet and take it to a shop, I just never trust anyone in those places. Also, I feel as though they'll pay most attention to the fact that in order for the A/C to work on setting 2-4 the dial has to be right in the perfect "sweet spot" between the two settings..haha.
I guess I'll bite the bullet and take it to a shop, I just never trust anyone in those places. Also, I feel as though they'll pay most attention to the fact that in order for the A/C to work on setting 2-4 the dial has to be right in the perfect "sweet spot" between the two settings..haha.
shane02pro5
25ish_psi
- :
- New Caney TX
You may look into the fix for the ac control unit not blowing cold thread to fix that or take a shot at getting a good one from the salvage yard like I did... $45 no more flickering ac light 
i think you guys misunderstand. the ac does indeed blow cold, its just not ice cold like a nice luxury car. there is no problem with my ac, i would just like for it to perform better in the dead of summer. i know this may have to do with other factors like the car not being as well insulated as a mercedes or a BMW (i know insulation adds weight.) i was just looking for a cheap fix, im gonna be selling this car after this summer so i dont really want to put money into it.
- :
- aggressive auto culture
then go back to R12, lolol.
shane02pro5
25ish_psi
- :
- New Caney TX
I was referring to the fan speed dial needing to be just right to work... common problem.
