2007 Dodge 3500 air conditioner problems.

[Tish]

I have 2 2007 Dodge 3500's and everyone I've known with the 2007.s has had similar experience. I can't remember how many A/C compressors ive put in these trucks wit none lasting much over a year. I even let tne Dodge house put one in with a 2 year supposed warranty. got about 18 months. I've never gotten more than 7 volt feed to the clutch. I think that it lets the clutch slip. would it help to add a relay to feed the clutch and feed it with the clutch signal??

 

[MrMarty51]

Hello Tish, welcome to thetruckstop.
I believe that the A/C clutches is already fed through a relay. You might check a wiring diagram to confirm this.
You also might check the voltage getting to the relay, if it is fed through a relay.

 

[WarWagon]

Middle of winter and your AC quit?!

I have a good guess as to how compressors are failing, but, let us know: clutch burn up, compressor lockup, etc.

Main problem is Dodge used a blind control for the fan clutch and ASSumed the fan could speed up before the AC high side goes beyond 400psig, from condenser overheating, and blows 1/2 the refrigerant out the safety valve. Yeah, blind as the ECM don't shut off the compressor when things are ready to explode, never mind the pressure goes over the design limits of the compressor.

I had a condenser coated by a site vendor here that helps with keeping cool. Link below @Twisted Steel Performance

Some further reading:

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Sanden Direct AC compressors for 1996-2005

Might save some members some coin without having to source *uh* auto parts stores no-quality stuff. Wholesale FCA prices are around $550 for just a...

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[THEFERMANATOR]

The biggest problem is the fan clutches are expensive since they're a EVC design, and people don't change them like they should. When the fan clutch gets weak, it takes a LONG time to engage, pressure spikes before engagement, and your compressor gets damaged. Whenever a compressor fails, you must change the compressor, condensor, liquid/orifice line, accumulator, many times the high pressure transducer, and almost always the fan clutch needs to be done as well. It's an expensive job and many don't do everything, then the cycle of failures just keeps repeating.

 

[Tish]

Thank s for the input. never even gave a thought to the fan clutch, I've just always blamed it on the low voltage to the clutch. The one 2007 has often blown refrigerant out of the condenser input connection if I leave it idling in hot weather. That may be due to fan clutch also. Most often the clutch just burns up. on this last one the idler bearing locked up. that was the Dodge factory replacement compressor.

 

[tylerlassere]

I have been having the same issues with my dodge 3500 but I no longer have a factory fan clutch it was replaced with one from a 97 Ford f350 could this be the reason I am having issues any advice would be great

 

[WarWagon]

I have been having the same issues with my dodge 3500 but I no longer have a factory fan clutch it was replaced with one from a 97 Ford f350 could this be the reason I am having issues any advice would be great

Maybe you did this 5+ years ago and your fan clutch is aged out as they loose 200 RPM a year. The E/V electronic clutches could compensate for this although they get slow to respond as they age.

You have a taken your Dodge back to the OBSOLETE STONE AGE with the Spring Thermal Fan Clutch! The Spring thermal clutch has a delay to turn the fan on that the electronically controlled fan clutch doesn't. The delay is from hot air having to warm up (or cool) the thermal spring before the obsolete design clutch "does something". A hot A/C condenser can have the air cooled off by a cold engine and radiator so it doesn't even heat up the fan clutch thermal spring! The ECM has ZERO, Zilch, NADA ways to turn off the A/C clutch if the system pressure is getting high from condenser overheating. It simply vents the refrigerant out the high pressure safety relief OR blows something up around 500 psig. Some have had luck with this obsolete clutch conversion but not for solving this problem. Others have added an electric pusher fan only to have the system still vent when these pickups were brand new back in the day.

The system expects the electric controlled fan clutch to work like new and even then it would blow it's charge if the conditions lined up.

Generally I will have full OEM E/V fan lockup in less than one block from A/C demand on a cold engine when things are working.

 

[tylerlassere]

The mechanic I took the truck to that did the conversion 5+ years ago said the OEM fan clutches were bad about not working if they have been sitting on a shelf for to long so he did the conversion and the truck runs great holds at 180 on the temp even pulling my 46ft camper

The only problem is the ac I can put a compressor on it will last about three months and then eat it's self I have replaced the whole system minus the condenser in the dash and I continue to have this
I had this issue before the conversation to the fan was done

 

[WarWagon]

truck runs great holds at 180 on the temp even pulling my 46ft camper

The only problem is the ac

And the most overlooked thing in A/C repair is the fan that removes the heat the A/C system is pulling out of the cab because the engine isn't spitting coolant overheating. 160F condenser temp is in the overheat high head pressure range for a R134A system. The engine will not overheat with a marginal cooling fan while the A/C system is burning out compressors.

The fan isn't needed for A/C above 45 MPH, however, it IS needed above that speed for engine cooling from time to time.

Your 5 year old fan clutch itself is aged out and needs to be replaced as it's lost RPM. IMO I would go back to the OEM electronic clutch and find a mechanic that will warranty OEM parts vs. aftermarket substitutes. Further I would add a pusher fan that comes on with the A/C compressor.

What kind of compressor? 2003 is a Sanden and you are best ordering a genuine Sanden not a Knock off "you want cheap!" clone the local parts store sell. Yes, the condenser is toast with a compressor failure. It's possible the evaporator has internal corrosion that's contaminating the system. (2007 is a different make of a compressor, Denso. Again get a Genuine Denso.)

Other than that the reason the compressors are failing does need to be found. My 2003 OEM compressor went over 100K in our extreme heat. It outlasted two engines.

 

[evilgenius79]

Adding a relay to provide a stronger feed to the clutch sounds like a smart move to ensure it gets enough voltage. It could potentially help with the slipping issue you're seeing.