My car's AC blows hot air when I am stopped at a long traffic light, just idling, or driving very slowly...?

Question

... such as when I'm circling around in a parking garage, but the AC works just fine when I am driving normally.  

A friend said he thinks it's the compressor.  Can anyone confirm that?  If so, how much do you think it would be to fix? My car is a 1999 Saturn SL2.  

Any recommendations?  If I decide not to fix it, is the AC likely to stop working entirely?

Thanks for your help!

corey · Accepted Answer

ur freeon might be low.normally an ac that is fill up will blow cold air when stoped or going,but when its not,it wont blow cold air until u move again.and if the compressor went out,u wouldnt feel cold air at all.and when the compressor does go out,it blows out white smoke and smells like carbon monoxide.i wouldnt know how much one would cost to get fixed,but it would be cheap.

Anonymous · Answer

My suggestion is to get it diagnosed somewhere you trust.  It should cost about $30 to find the problem, then you'll know.  

Off-hand, it could be the compressor, the drive belt or low/missing coolant.

Melissa E · Answer

Check the refrigerant level. It is probably low (you'll need a qualified tech to do this but it's not expensive, under $150 even with a recharge)

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My car's AC blows hot air when I am stopped at a long traffic light, just idling, or driving very slowly...?

3 Answers