I was travelling back
home from
Perth the other day and stopped on the roadside to speak with some people. Left the car running with the air on [fresh as it always is] and up to that time it had been very comfortable and maintaining a constant temp.
Outside temperature was probably about 50 celsius but it was getting later in the day and cooler than it had been. {Was about 4 in the afternoon}
In other words it had been hotter earlier while driving along up to when I stopped. [between Minilya and Nanutarra in NW WA]
After about 15 minutes I finished having a yack and went back to the car to keep on driving. I noticed the cabin area was quite a bit warmer than it had been but thought maybe it was something to do with a rev cutout or something and expected it to cool down after I got going again. Water temp gauge was in its normal place and so I was a bit surprised.
It got a bit cooler in the cab after about 10 minutes but certainly nowhere near as cool as it had been and not enough to be considered effective.
Thought it might just need to completely shut down and let it cool a bit so called into Nanutarra [where diesel costs the most of any place between
Perth and here - how the hell can $1.30 litre can be justified escapes me and I would not fill up or buy stuff from the food
shop on principle] and let it cool down for 30 minutes while the kids had a walk around in the river bed area.
Got back in the car and but still no more effective. As it got later in the day and cooler outside then the airconditioner became more and more effective.
Got
home that night and thought no more of it. Went out again in the hot of the day and the blasted thing is doing the same thing. Went out last night and it was fine again.
In checking out the Owners Manual to find out if there is a thermal cutout when a certain outside temp is reached I saw talk of a airconditioning sensor on the dash, It is a red flashing light.
Mine was covered by the dashmat that was put on it before I picked it up from the dealer. Until today I had no idea it [the sensor] was there. There is a punch out hole in the dash [that had not been punched out] that would expose that flashing light which is right in front of the drivers
seat position near the windscreen on the top of the dash.
Can anyone tell me What this sensor actually does and could that be the cause of my problem?
If not anyone got any idea what it might be. I can't get it into the dealers for 3 weeks and its bloody hot up here at this time of year!!
Regards.
Dave
I've posted in a couple of forums so if you answered else where I will see it. Don't waste your time doing the same thing twice - thanks.