2002 Volvo S60 Air Conditioner fan freezing up

VICDAN

MEMBER
2002 VOLVO S60
6 CYL
AWD
AUTOMATIC
13,800 MILES

The air conditioner in my Volvo S60 doesn't work properly when it's very hot and humid outside. There is no problem when I first turn it on or for the first 15 to 20 min. Then something seems to freeze up and block any air from coming through the vents. I can hear that the blower/fan is still on, but no air comes out of the vents. To solve the problem, I have to turn the a/c off and let warm air from the outside blow through the vents. After a few minutes, I get a major blast of cold air (even though the A/C isn't on at this point) that last a few minutes and then gets warm again. After this, I turn the A/C back on and it will work until another 15 min. Goes by and it freezes up again. It seems to be worse when I have the fan at medium speed instead of on full blast, however, having it on full blast does not always keep the freezing up from happening. I would appreciate any help you can give me. I've yet to find anyone who can help me solve this problem.

1 Reply

JIS001

MECHANIC
3,411 POSTS

Couple of basics you need to check and let me know what you find. First, when was the last time you replaced the cabin air filter? A dirty cabin filter will reduce the air flow coming from the vents. If that is ok, when you feel the air diminish, press on the recirculation button and see what happens with the air flow with it in recirculation and when you have fresh air come in. Does it change? If it does, clear out your glove box. Too much stuff like papers, napkins, or tissue paper can be sucked up by the recirculation door. Here is an example. Turn on a regular fan and feel the air flow, next get a piece of paper and put it in back of the fan. You will notice the paper is being pulled in by the vacuum but because of that obstruction, your air flow diminishes. Same concept here with the recircultion door and that sits behinde the glove box. Sometimes it takes a while before the air diminishes because it is gradually pulling in the paper until it gets to the recirculation door vent. Let me know what you find?