2009 Kia Rio A/C

Unfortunately we aren't going to be able to locate schematics or diagrams for aftermarket equipment but I can tell you that the AC compressor will not engage if there isn't enough refrigerant in the system. Now I'm not exactly sure what was installed but there should be some sort of pressure sensor for the ac system that tells the computer (if its wired into the computer) to kick on the ac compressor. If thats defective and is always showing a low pressure, the computer will think there isn't enough freon in the system and never kick on the compressor. My advice to you is to go back to the place that installed it because they should have manuals and diagrams showing them how the aftermarket setup operates.

Well first off. I work at a dealership and can tell you for certain that dealerships will never install aftermarket equipment into one of their own vehicles because they don't know the quality of the aftermarket equipment. This would be somewhat of a major job and then if anything faulty occurs, now they are stuck having to try to diagnose equipment that isn't made by the manufacturer. I hope you understand that part I'm saying. For example, I get vehicles that come and customers complain about water leaking through the sunroof but when I inspect the car, the sunroof was not OEM equipment and was installed by some who "specializes" in installing sunroofs. So we refuse to diagnose equipment installed by third parties due to the fact that we don't want to take the liability of non OEM equipment or the installation of the components. But the setup for aftermarket and OEM is sometimes completely different even if you can make it fit. I work at a Hyundai dealership which would make some hyundais and Kias the same. The Kia Rio is the equivalent of the Hyundai Accent so I'm familiar with the setup of the vehicles that don't come with factory air conditioning. So from that experience, I'm giving you advice on some options on what it could be. It could easily be that its low on refrigerant and just needs a recharge but keep in mind that the ac system is supposed to be a "sealed" system and isn't supposed to lose any freon. We all know thats not always the case. Some vehicles will just naturally seep out over a long period of time and just need a simple recharge. Others have leaks that cause the freon to dissipate into the atmosphere and will require repairs to be made. All this will need to be done with special tools for recovery and performing leak test and vacuuming out the system or perform by a local AC professional. The second cause like I mentioned before could be a faulty pressure sensor giving the computer an improper reading. To find this out, you will need a scan tool that can monitor live data. The pressure should be around 80-100 at idle. If its lower than that, and you know for certain that the ac system is properly charged, I would go ahead and replace the pressure sensor. It could also be the compressor is internal failed. Test for power at the AC compressor connector and you should be getting battery voltage of around 12 volts. If you have 12 volts at the compressor and its still not kicking on, then that means the computer sees the proper conditions to command the AC compressor on but the compressor doesn't. Replace the compressor at this point. Lastly, I know you mentioned looking only in the fuse box under the hood, but they're may also be fuses for this system inside the vehicle. Some models do and some don't. I would check that out first before anything else.

I'm not exactly sure why a Kia dealer would prevent a Kia technician from installing a factory unit. And the Hyundai technician might have said he's not sure if the harness will work because its a Hyundai kit that you're trying to install into a Kia and the PCM may be different and the parameters will be different. Only way to truly find that out is by checking the part numbers of the PCM. If they are the same, then it should definitely work. As to the the vehicle being pre wired, I believe you are correct. Its not so much that its pre wired but the fact that they use the same engine harness for vehicles equipped with air conditioning so the connector isn't separate. But as you mentioned twice already, you want a Kia technician to tell the ins and outs but they may just tell you the same things I've already mentioned so ill give this up to someone more experienced that may add more information on your problem. Best of luck.

No it's not problem. I understand frustration totally. I myself may not always have the correct answer but I base my answers on past experiences and the knowledge I have up to this point and the resources available to me. Unfortunately this site may or may not have Kia specialized technicians. Some of us may be retired technicians and some of us may still be working at dealerships or independent shops and we are all from different parts of the country. We try our best to give you information I would also really hope for a Kia technician to help us get through this problem together.