My A/C was in working order ever since I bought the car, the other day it just stopped blowing cold air. I'm assuming it is just out of refrigerant? It is a 2004 model so it's been being used for over 8 years now and could possibly have never been recharged, I noticed no signs of leaks or anything like that, it has always been ice cold. Valvoline over here wants $140 to service it. How reliable are the cans they sell at Autozone and places like that?

 

The cans are reliable but you really need to put a set of gauges on it to determine exactly what is going on.

 

From my recent Problems with my 8.I relized that the refrigerant does not just dissapear out of nowhere.. you either have a leak in the lines or the compressor went out... when you turn on the air full blast does your clutch on the ac compressor come on and start spinning...i would recomened someone put some gauges on your system and get some numbers..

On my 8 the ac was never freezing but was pretty warm did not do any pressure test on the system itself. which i regret probabley would have saved me some money. well long story short i have a ac compressor condenser and evaportator valve in my trunk about to be installed ...cant wait for the ac to be fixed.. Its So hot in TEXAS...
Good luck with car..

 

It could be any number of things that are causing it to stop cooling.
If it was working fine one day than not at all the next, its not likely a loss of refrigerant unless you had something puncture the condenser coil in front of the radiator. If that was the case, you would be able to find refrigerant oil on and around the condenser coil.
If it has been slowly cooling less over the past few weeks or so than it could be a slow loss of refrigerant.
Try turning the system on full force on recirc and look at the compressor clutch/pulley to see if it is cycling. (like Blake said ^^)
If it is not than you need to check fuses and relays.
If it is, is it constant or is it cycling on and off in 30ish seconds or so. If so, than you need to determine why. Make sure the radiator fans are running while the compressor is running. If not, check fuses and relays for the fans.
If the fans are running then check the line that runs across the top of the motor near the fire wall and see if it is at all cool/cold.
Let us know what you find. maybe we can help further.

 

Having installed a few new air conditioners (in my own new cars) back in the days when "Factory Kits" were put in the boot of new cars and installation was done by the local Mazda Dealer (it was a tax avoidance thing then to do it this way in Australia), there could be a number of reasons as to why AC won't blow cold air.

1. Is your Compressor's Clutch clicking in and staying on, does it have a Drive Belt?
2. Could be a Pressure Switch and or Switch/Relay/Amplifier/HVAC Controls? (electrics).
3. Could be a leaking Compressor Seal or 'O' Ring anywhere in the system where there are joins, in the RX-8 there are 12 pipe joins with o rings...Like Compressor, Evaporator (under dash), Condenser/Dryer, and Pipes.
4. Could be a puncture (stone) in your Condenser (front of Radiator).
5. Could be just a top up of Gas...?
6. Other...

This one always concerns me when guys say, I will just buy a can of gas and add into the system, really? in the high side or low side?, and use the Compressor to push through gas in system?, generally NO, no one without experience should do this as you could be doing more harm than good.

ONLY way to do procedure is either add a little gas in the system and leak test at all joins/pipes with meter. Or use a dye gas to see 'where' there is a leak, I prefer a proper electronic gas leak tester.

You find the leak and if at a join you can fix it with either a new 'o' ring, or sometimes just a careful tightening of joint Nut (s) can sometimes do the job.

IF you can get the system to hold a little gas and or you found the leak and fixed it, you then MUST do the following (again proper tools/gauges required).

1. The system has to have all air evacuated/vacuumed out (always present once a bad leak is fixed or repaired or gas holding related parts are renewed in system) with special electric AC vac pump.
2. Once low/high gauges show the vac procedure is successful (holds vacuum, no air leaks) then the correct amount of gas is added to factory specs.
3. System should be run and leak tested again.

This is not something that can be done without the correct AC servicing/repair equipment.

You really are better off taking your car to an Auto Air Conditioner Specialist.
Not a Mazda Dealer.

 

In the old days of R12 and sight glasses, you could just buy a can of refrigerant and give it a try. At least if you read the instructions for what to look for in the sight glass. I think that was one of the reasons R12 was eventually banned...lots of systems leaked, and it was cheaper to keep topping up than to get the things fixed. R134a ain't that simple.

Ken

 

Very true that Ken..

 

Guys, thank you for all the responses. After talking to a friend I am realizing like you are all saying that it is in fact a closed system and shouldn't just disappear over time. Roughly a month back my front bumper was hit in a parking lot by some idiot backing up, nothing major at all. The front driver side bumper was damaged, head light scuffed and front left oil cooler under the head light was pushed back a little but not damaged. A week and a half later I get it in to the body shop for repairs and during that time is when the AC stopped working, hmm. This is seeming to much of a coincidence now. Is there anything AC related in that area? And to answer the question if there is any sound from the AC compressor when turning on the AC in the car the answer is no, not that I can tell. At the scene of the accident there was no liquid on the ground and the AC did work that day and most of the rest of that week. I'm really leaning towards something happened front this accident.

 

Should have a day off coming up pretty soon and then I will bring it in somewhere to have them check out what the problem is. Anyone know a good AC specialist in fairfield county???

 

Also, try looking at your HVAC temp control. Mine went out, and I had to fix it.

https://www.rx8club.com/do-yourself-...ontrol-158200/

 

Yes. The condenser. It looks like a thin radiator, sitting right in front of the radiator. If damge went far enough back to hit an oil cooler, it's very possible the condensor or the line fittings to it were damaged.

Whoever appraised the damage on your car should have looked for that.

Ken

 

Update. Brought it back to the shop but they don't really service a/c there only recharge them. The guy told me there is no noticeable damage to the condenser and he filled it and got it blowing cold air and said to check it after a few days. Sure enough it stopped working again and blows no cold air, next step is to bring it in to an a/c specialist. Soon as I find some time.

 

I got mine fixed after the same thing ,happened i went and got compressor ,condensor and now i have cold ac .they actually sent me two condensers if you need one let me know.

 

Hey guys, check this out. My AC will blow cold then just gets hot all of the sudden. If you play with the temp control ****, it will usually start blowing cold again! Sometimes it starts blowing when the **** is on "hot". Been doing this for about a month. You guys with no ac should turn the temp **** back and forth a couple of times and see if it starts blowing cold again... Anyone seen this? More importantly, how can it be fixed?

 

Thanks alot! Will def let you know, I took it to a specialist who hooked it up too see if it holds pressure and also put the due in it because it aw deffinitley empty. I have to drive it a couple of days and take it back in to him, he thinks it's a pin hole leak somewhere.

 

Mine inperticular can't be the **** because I had it filled and within a couple days had emptied out and now I have it filled with the dye to see where this leak is, hopefully it's an easy fix, I already gave the guy $125.

 

Fingers crossed King, good luck!!

I found more info and how to fix on my problem with some more searching. Thanks Beodude!