2007 CRV Air Conditioning Issues. Hottest days, it cuts out.

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I will preface this by saying I am no stranger to sorting out issues, but not so much with Air Conditioning. This A/C will work perfectly most of the time, but it seems that when it gets really hot out the compressor shuts off entirely. Once things cool off a little, or on the first ride of the day, it works fine. After the engine gets heat soaked, it's more likey to happen. My mother has been driving this car for several years, since 15,000 miles, currently at 117,000.

I have checked to make sure it is not a relay issue, a undercharge/overcharge issue, fan cooling condenser issue,I also cleaned the condenser. My parents took it to their mechanic and my information I guess didn't get past the desk girl so they put dye in the system and charged $125. Excellent. The system didn't need to be charged and wasn't leaking.

Anyone have thoughts on this issue?
 
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So does the compressor clutch refuse to engage in extreme ambient temps or does it engage as expected but immediately shuts back off?

My first thought is that it sounds like it's overcharged, but that's merely an educated guess based on limited information.
 
There is a problem with CR-V AC in those years.
It can be a out-of-spec clutch; there is a maximum air gap.
One test is to tap it with a hammer to see if it engages.

I had to replace the entire system on a 2006 CR-V; hopefully your problem has a simpler fix.
Good luck.
 
I read about an issue with the compressors self-destructing. I'm seeing alot of people around here driving their CR-V's with the windows down.
 
Originally Posted by Chris142
Does this car still have the OE condenser?



Yes, it does. Everything is oem
 
Nukeman, thanks for the link! I doubt they'll do it. I've replaced a clutch assembly once. I will print this out and let their mechanic take care of it.
 
Start with the cheapest things first, check for power and ground, cost = zero. The Honda A/C relay is notorious for failure when hot, jump the clutch, if it engages that is probably not the problem.
Nothing sucks more than doing a bigger and expensive job just to find out you still have a problem and it was a cheap easy to replace part in the first place.
 
Originally Posted by Gasbuggy
Nukeman, thanks for the link! I doubt they'll do it. I've replaced a clutch assembly once. I will print this out and let their mechanic take care of it.


You might want to tackle it yourself if Honda refuses to help. I have had luck by just removing the front armature plate and deleting one of the thinnest shim washers to decrease the clearance gap. You may also try sanding the backside of the armature plate with emery cloth to get a smoother mating surface. Worst case, buy a cheap replacement A/C clutch from ebay and just change out the worn armature plate. No need to replace the magnetic clutch coil which is the difficult part of the job. Just be sure to not lose any of the shim washers.
 
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If it needs a clutch, just replace the compressor. The thermal cutout switches on those compressors are finicky, as well, and will cause a loss of clutch engagement. As you've seen, that compressor may be a ticking time bomb at that mileage. I have yet to have an issue with an aftermarket unit on a CR-V, just make ABSOLUTELY sure to drain the oil out of the new compressor into a container and do the same for the old one, adding back what you got out of the old into the new (with the new oil, of course). Those system's absolutely hate being overfilled with oil and won't cool well at all with as little as 2 oz too much.
 
Went through the same thing last year with my wife's 2008 CR-V. Wound up replacing the compressor as it turned out not to be the relay. Local dealer said they used to do a lot of them and were surprised mine had lasted. The extended warranty had expired on mine as well.
 
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