Fans blowing hot air with temp set to cold - Page 2 - LotusTalk

TheViper · 03-30-2009, 10:27 AM

Hey, you know no question is stupid on these cars

Air is always fed through the footwell recirculation intakes. When you press the "recirc. button, it actually shuts off the outside air coming in through the nose intakes. Removing the blanking plates over the footwell vents & blocking the nose intakes will dramatically increase the air volume into the cabin, but the air still passes through the heater/AC box, so that won't fix your problem.
Is your AC working, maybe your have no refrigerant. Access the evaporator coil and put a thermometer on it..
Michael

Quote:

Originally Posted by SweetDaddyD

.
Pehaps this is a stupid question. If I drill out the block off plate in the car (did it on a friends car but not my own) does air always now blow through there? (guess I can just velcro it back on) Also if I tape off the vents at the front, now where does it take in air to get into the cabin? doesn't the air go from there into the heater box were the flapper valve is and then either across the heater core or AC condenser?

ChrisH · 03-30-2009, 10:52 AM

The subject of this thread is an old one that has been discussed in many threads. Basically, it is a common problem, and Lotus has done nothing about it and has refused to fix it under warranty in the past (basically it is a flawed flap actuator design that doesn’t always pull the flap down tight). Tony Wa created a heater core bypass kit to solve this problem, and the kit is described in the following thread. You can buy the kit from him.

Heater Core Bypass Mod (Tony Wa) [How To]

buzzy · 07-18-2009, 01:36 PM

I've got the front clam off and visually inspected the flap moving from hot to cold with no problem. There's also no gaps in it either so i suspect that

Jean · 09-14-2009, 03:56 PM

The a/c on my 06 Elise has never been "strong" but lately, it was about the same as the heater...I checked the cold air /warm air flaps and they were working fine for the "cold" position.
Today, I found that there is only 0.07 kg of r134 refrigerant left in the system instead of 0.55 kg as it should be. We filled it up and put dye stuff to see if there is any leak. A/c is now working perfectly...
I am wondering if there is a low pressure switch to cut off the compressor ?
I am happy I didn't have any damage to the compressor with the system almost empty...

TheViper · 09-14-2009, 04:03 PM

Yes there is a pressure switch that operates on both high and low pressure, it's called a Trinary Switch.
IMPROVED A/C & HEATING SYSTEM
Michael

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jean

The a/c on my 06 Elise has never been "strong" but lately, it was about the same as the heater...I checked the cold air /warm air flaps and they were working fine for the "cold" position.
Today, I found that there is only 0.07 kg of r134 refrigerant left in the system instead of 0.55 kg as it should be. We filled it up and put dye stuff to see if there is any leak. A/c is now working perfectly...
I am wondering if there is a low pressure switch to cut off the compressor ?
I am happy I didn't have any damage to the compressor with the system almost empty...

Jean · 09-14-2009, 04:32 PM

Thanks Michael !
But do you think that my trinary switch could be faulty or the margin with this kind of switch is higher than the "old low pressure switch" ?

TheViper · 09-14-2009, 04:52 PM

From the Service Notes:
A trinary switch fitted into the top of the receiver-drier senses the pressure of refrigerant and allows
system operation only within a pressure range of 2 to 32 bar in order to prevent system damage from too high
a pressure, or from compressor oil starvation damage caused by too low a pressure. A third switching point is
used to engage the two condenser fans at half speed at pressures over 17.5 bar (see also sub-section KH.5).
An additional safeguard is provided in the form of a high pressure relief valve in the condenser inlet pipe, which
opens at 38 - 41 bar.

2 -32 Bar = 29 - 464 PSI

Jean · 09-14-2009, 05:21 PM

Well, the pressure read at the shop today with 0.07 kg of refrigerant put the system always in "vacuum" and the condenser fans were not working.(it was the same thing at high speed with a lot of air)
I was wondering why the two condenser fans were not engaging like before.
Maybe the trinary switch was just about to do his job and stop the compressor...

09-14-2009, 03:56 PM	#24 (permalink)
Jean Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Québec, Canada Posts: 149	Low pressure switch ? The a/c on my 06 Elise has never been "strong" but lately, it was about the same as the heater...I checked the cold air /warm air flaps and they were working fine for the "cold" position. Today, I found that there is only 0.07 kg of r134 refrigerant left in the system instead of 0.55 kg as it should be. We filled it up and put dye stuff to see if there is any leak. A/c is now working perfectly... I am wondering if there is a low pressure switch to cut off the compressor ? I am happy I didn't have any damage to the compressor with the system almost empty...

09-14-2009, 04:52 PM	#27 (permalink)
TheViper Alarmed & Dangerous Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Boca Raton FL Posts: 3,204	From the Service Notes: A trinary switch fitted into the top of the receiver-drier senses the pressure of refrigerant and allows system operation only within a pressure range of 2 to 32 bar in order to prevent system damage from too high a pressure, or from compressor oil starvation damage caused by too low a pressure. A third switching point is used to engage the two condenser fans at half speed at pressures over 17.5 bar (see also sub-section KH.5). An additional safeguard is provided in the form of a high pressure relief valve in the condenser inlet pipe, which opens at 38 - 41 bar. 2 -32 Bar = 29 - 464 PSI __________________ Cobra OEM - Alarm, Immobilizer, CDL Emergency Override with warranty Additional Emergency Touch Keys - see link above Brand New Cobra Alarm Remote with warranty Cobra Remote Key Fob Strap Cobra Window Closing Module - Add to your existing Cobra alarm 3 Piece Front Clam Protection Kit with Center Bumper Undertray Removal Tool INFORMATION Improved AC & Heating System Battery Choices & Information Remote Key Fob, Alarm & Immobilizer Programming Light Bulb Conversions 2005

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03-30-2009, 10:52 AM	#22 (permalink)
ChrisH Mountain Road Nut Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ramona,CA Posts: 2,291	The subject of this thread is an old one that has been discussed in many threads. Basically, it is a common problem, and Lotus has done nothing about it and has refused to fix it under warranty in the past (basically it is a flawed flap actuator design that doesn’t always pull the flap down tight). Tony Wa created a heater core bypass kit to solve this problem, and the kit is described in the following thread. You can buy the kit from him. Heater Core Bypass Mod (Tony Wa) [How To]

07-18-2009, 01:36 PM	#23 (permalink)
buzzy Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: The Moon Posts: 879 Images: 10	I've got the front clam off and visually inspected the flap moving from hot to cold with no problem. There's also no gaps in it either so i suspect that

09-14-2009, 04:32 PM	#26 (permalink)
Jean Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Québec, Canada Posts: 149	Thanks Michael ! But do you think that my trinary switch could be faulty or the margin with this kind of switch is higher than the "old low pressure switch" ?

09-14-2009, 05:21 PM	#28 (permalink)
Jean Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Québec, Canada Posts: 149	Well, the pressure read at the shop today with 0.07 kg of refrigerant put the system always in "vacuum" and the condenser fans were not working.(it was the same thing at high speed with a lot of air) I was wondering why the two condenser fans were not engaging like before. Maybe the trinary switch was just about to do his job and stop the compressor...

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