95 Civic DX A/C doesn't work when it's hot out.

From Beaumont, Texas, 3 posts

Last summer my car's a/c stopped working if it sat out in the heat. If I parked in the shade the a/c would work just fine. Gradually the problem became worse and it finally stopped working all together.



This summer I took my car to a mechanic. They changed out the expansion valve, compressor, dryer, belt, a/c clutch relay not to mention recharged it with freon several times. When they changed out the expansion valve it worked for a week just fine and then quit working again. When they changed out the compressor, dryer, belt, it would cycle between hot & cold. Now that they've changed out the a/c clutch relay it is acting like it did last summer. It only works if it hasn't been sitting in the heat.



My mechanic has my car right now, he drove my car yesterday and said it happened to him, however, everything is testing out fine and he can't find the problem. I've spent almost $1,000 trying to fix this.



I know there is a huge thread for the newer Civics and that the popular theory is that it is a design flaw, while that may be true, apparently it isn't a "new" design flaw.

From BP Auckland, 6 posts

Hi there, your AC probably just needs refilling with gas, it costs about 40 pound to have it done.

Cloggy

From Australia, 3 posts

I'm glad that I've found other people with this same problem. I thought I was just going mad with an isolated incedent. I live in Australia and the climate isn't very extreme but we still have a difference of about 15 degrees between summer and winter. My Civic is a mid spec 1995 eg model, it has a 1.5L engine that is equivelant to the Lsi models in the UK or the Ex models in the USA. The air-con (since I purchased this car in 2003) has always been faulty during summer when the temperature reaches 28 degrees or above. The AC only seems to work in cool conditions which seems to defeat its purpose. I have had the AC regassed twice by the dealership and the condensor fan has also been replaced. Unfortunately, the problem still remains, and once again, the dealership stands firm on their claim that there is nothing wrong with the AC unit in my car. I am extremely frustrated with the car, but knowing that its going onto 12 years, I am less demanding. I was quite shocked to find that there are customers with 2006 models with the same problem. I've always liked my Civic, and I have also regarded Honda to be a reliable make of car. However, I am starting to become skeptical with the quality of their products, considering how poorly they function. (Air-bag issues are also common with the EG and EK models, as well as design flaws in the water seals), I will possibly consider a different make next time around when looking for another car.