Underpowered A/C

June 14, 2009 7:12 PM

Other experiences with under-powered A/C in Subarus?

I have a 2002 Subaru Outback, and since day 1, its air conditioning has always been inadequate. It's reasonable in cooler weather, but even on an 80-degree day in the sun it has to run full blast on recycling air to keep the car cool -- especially if anyone is riding in the back, then it's full blast the entire time. On the really hot days, it just never cools the car off much. The air is definitely cooled and dry, but just not cold, and everyone who has ridden with me says it's weak compared to any other cars they've been in.
Car has an impeccable service record including all the A/C system services along the way, and it has always run like this. So I was curious if other people have had experiences with underpowered A/C in their Subarus. No results on google searching, but wanted to see about MeFi user experiences.

posted by davidnc to travel & transportation (17 comments total)

Yep. 2001, same story.
posted by acorncup at 7:16 PM on June 14

Yeah, my 2003 was the same. When I decided I was moving back to TX, my solution was to trade it in for a VW.
posted by youcancallmeal at 7:27 PM on June 14

That's a kind of epidemic situation with Japanese cars. Honda, Toyota, Mazda, you name it. They'll all have an A/C system that never cools the car enough while still managing to suck all the power out of the engine.
I love my Mazda to death, but I don't even bother running the A/C, even when it's scorching out. Since day one, I'm at my destination before the car is cool inside.

You'd have to pony up for a Lexus if you want a Japanese car with decent A/C.
posted by Jon-o at 7:28 PM on June 14

My 2006 Impreza's A/C works alright. I'd say it's a little underpowered, but plenty cold.
posted by JuiceBoxHero at 7:36 PM on June 14

That's odd. I've got a 2002 WRX. I live in Austin TX (high today: 100°F). I find the AC in the car more than sufficient. Maybe I got lucky.

Admittedly, I keep the AC in my house at 79, so maybe I have different standards for "sufficient."
posted by adamrice at 7:38 PM on June 14

Yeah, I've got an 04 Outback Sport that has only been used in Texas and Oklahoma, and I've never really had any complaints about the AC.
posted by Ufez Jones at 7:57 PM on June 14

I live in southern California and I've got a 2006 Outback. So far I have to say that the A/C has been very effective.
posted by cwarmy at 7:58 PM on June 14

My 04 Liberty (Australian name the the Legacy) A/C copes just fine with our stinking hot summers. I wonder if the Japanese-built Subarus have different systems than North American ones.
posted by the duck by the oboe at 8:02 PM on June 14

Jon-o: That's interesting because, on various Mazda3 forums in the US, I've seen many complaints about the air con being inadequate. Whereas, in Aus, mine (& everybody elses) works just fine, easily handling 40+°C (~104+°F) at any humidity.

From perusing the service manuals, almost everything in the A/C is the same, including the refrigerant - the only difference I could see is the compressor has a different part #. I used to wonder if the people whinging just had different cultural expectations, but maybe it's just that different regulations in the US mandates crap compressors?
posted by Pinback at 8:03 PM on June 14

My 02 WRX was like that until I got it recharged by someone other than a Subaru dealer. Since then it cools significantly better. It still sometimes freezes up and stops cooling if I run it for too long on a very hot day. Sucks on a Summer road trip. It has done this since the car was new, and nobody's been able to fix it. But turning it off for a few minutes brings it back to life, or running it on a lower setting seems to help too..
posted by spilon at 8:26 PM on June 14

That's a kind of epidemic situation with Japanese cars. Honda, Toyota, Mazda, you name it. They'll all have an A/C system that never cools the car enough while still managing to suck all the power out of the engine.

Newer Hondas seem to have solved this problem. My mom and I were just discussing how her '06 CRV doesn't lose power when she turns on the AC the way her '96 Civic did, and how I have had the same experience with an '06 Element and an '06 Odyssey versus the '88 Accord I drove years ago.

Man, though, the pull on those older Hondas when you switched on the air was crazy. It was almost like suddenly going into reverse.
posted by padraigin at 8:42 PM on June 14

I have two Legacy wagons - a '93 and a '05. Both have very good A/C from my point of view. Driving to Sacramento in the summer gives the system a workout and in neither car have I ever felt the A/C to be weak. However, the '93 has not got much power and the A/C saps a lot of it (people with these old wagons call it Yugo mode).
posted by jet_silver at 8:51 PM on June 14

I'm told that on the Imprezas anyway, you can significantly improve the effectiveness of the air conditioner by wrapping some (heat-tolerant) insulation around the coolant line and ducts. I live in cool San Francisco so I haven't had any reason to try this myself.
posted by aubilenon at 9:40 PM on June 14

I have a 2005 Outback and it seems like the A/C goes from being really cold one minute to slightly cool the next. So while it sometimes cranks out some nice cold air, if it's really hot outside I have to leave it on most of the time so that the cold/not-as-cold cycle can keep up. I took it to the dealer and they said it's operating normally.
posted by thejanna at 6:20 AM on June 15

'99 Legacy wagon here. The A/c is adequate but, then again, I don't like things too cold. My wife, who is the primary driver of that car and who DOES like her A/c, also has no complaints.
posted by cheapskatebay at 6:21 AM on June 15

1998 Subaru Forester and the AC is crappy but tolerable. Noticeable decline in power and mileage. I live in the Far North so have a high tolerance for temp.
posted by jadepearl at 8:16 AM on June 15

I have an 04 Impreza WRX and the a/c is good. Gets cold quickly and cools the back seat area with no problems. We have previously owned an 02 Impreza WRX and an 05 Legacy GT with no a/c problems in either of those cars. I do notice that my current car creates a lot of condensation when the a/c is on and will leave a puddle in the garage after I park the car. Other makes and models of cars have not done this.
posted by LightMayo at 9:35 AM on June 15