Air Conditioning quits, requires engine re-start in high heat/humidity

[GrenADV]

Interesting, on mine it is the exact opposite, Auto is far more reliable in terms of proper regulation and fan speed than trying to do it myself...

I'm jealous - I wish I could say the same about mine! It's especially bad when it rains - both my Mini and Jeep automatically modulate the defog as well (on Auto), but the Grenadier does not - I find myself having to manually press the defog button about every 5 minutes or so to keep the windscreen and side windows clear. Although honestly, these are small items in my mind...not enough to make me question my passion for the vehicle

 

[Roach]

I have read about a few A/C problems on the forum including refrigerant leaks (resulting in air not blowing cold) and water dripping into footwell. My forum search skills may be lacking but I am not finding a thread about electrical issues related to the HVAC system. Please point me in that direction if this has been discussed already.

I am in a high-temp (95degF) high-humidity location on the U.S. southeast coast this week. The Grenadier has been perfect (towing like a champ) except for the A/C, which is kind of an issue when I am traveling with the wife and kids. The problem appeared after a long drive enroute here, when temps climbed well into the 90s

In high temps (and seemingly not in more moderate ~80degF temps) I intermittently observe the "Auto" HVAC setting drop out (indicator light turns off) and the A/C indicator turn off. Air keeps blowing but soon becomes obviously warmer. There are no screen display indications or warning lights to indicate any issues. Pressing HVAC buttons does not allow either Auto or A/C to come back on. After an engine off/on cycle (engine restart) of any duration, the buttons will allow me to re-engage the Auto or manual A/C, the indicator lights work again, and air blows cold again.

However the problem may repeat itself in 5 seconds, or 5 minutes, or 20 minutes. It's fairly random, but if I give the A/C a "break" for a while (maybe 20 mins) then it will run for longer before the failure repeats.

I MIGHT have figured out a way to limp along:
It seems that if I cycle the A/C off and on manually (off for just a few seconds) by pressing the A/C button every 5 mins or so, the problem does not occur at all. I have done this for a few drives and it seems to abate or eliminate the symptom, but I am on a family vacation and the agenda has not allowed methodical testing if this.

Has anyone experienced this issue, and if so what have you discovered about root cause?

Because it requires an engine restart, I am inclined to think this is a re-settable breaker tripping. Maybe the engine re-start cycle resets the breaker and the system operates again for a while. But this is pure speculation. I can't tell if the compressor is disengaging when the problem occurs, or possibly a blend door is closing or something. I think I can hear some subtle airflow change occur when the fault happens, which I don't think would occur if it was just the compressor stopping.

I haven't been able to troubleshoot properly yet and I probably won't for a few more days. Won't be anywhere that I can get IG dealer service any time soon.

Any help would be much appreciated.

@BenTN any further progress in problem determination?

 

[BenTN]

@BenTN any further progress in problem determination?

Well, the problem did not disappear on its own, but I have found a way to live with it for now.

The frequency of system drop-out (A/C stops blowing cold and lights go out on Auto and A/C buttons, requiring a vehicle re-start to resolve) seems to be lessened now that temps and humidity have dropped, typically into the 80F range. However it is still definitely there.

I can not predict the time period or draw a connection to any specific external factor except time at high ambient temp. The vehicle engine/coolant temp is not above normal. When it happens, I can not observe any "freezing" of any components in the A/C system.

HOWEVER: If I cycle the system off manually by pressing the A/C button every ~5 mins (I typically leave it off for 5-10sec) it seems to eliminate the overload (or whatever it is). I drove about 600 miles over the weekend and it only quit twice, each time after I got distracted and forgot to cycle the A/C off (I had let it go maybe 15 mins or so).

So I feel like this is a big clue. I plan to call Regal Ineos and see what they can tell me. I have my first service coming up soon anyway so I can probably survive until then.

 

[Roach]

Maybe a refrigerant problem. Compressor is trying to save itself

 

[pmatusov]

The reason I think it might be electrical instead of just low freon is I will completely shut off the AC and fan controls so there is no air blowing through the vents, the system is completely off and it will all of a sudden start blowing strong hot air through the vents. The only way to stop it is to turn the fan dial to high and back to off again. Ten minutes later down the road it turns itself on again when all dials are set to off. I don't think its low on freon as when it does work it works great but when it doesn't work its like the truck has a mind of its own blowing hot when it should be cold and turning on by itself when all dials are set to off.

Happened again to me a couple of times in the last week. The shut off/three lock button click routine does not seem to work.

 

[Kevin Mokracek]

Happened again to me a couple of times in the last week. The shut off/three lock button click routine does not seem to work.

I was supposed to drop it off at ruznak today but was told they are short staffed and will have to wait a week or two. The service guy made it sound like this is a known issue but no definitive fix yet.

 

[pmatusov]

I was supposed to drop it off at ruznak today but was told they are short staffed and will have to wait a week or two. The service guy made it sound like this is a known issue but no definitive fix yet.

When I mentioned that to Mossy IG while making an appointment for the 12k service, I didn't get an impression it was a known issue with a known fix. Since it only happened twice by then, I decided to put off this science fair project; but it happened once again after the service.

 

[Kevin Mokracek]

When I mentioned that to Mossy IG while making an appointment for the 12k service, I didn't get an impression it was a known issue with a known fix. Since it only happened twice by then, I decided to put off this science fair project; but it happened once again after the service.

I know personally 3 owners that are having this issue and have read complaints from quite a few others on forums and Facebook groups. I figure it must be at least a known issue but I have yet to hear about anyone getting the problem actually fixed. I read one Facebook post from someone in Australia that had the issue and was told by Ineos that they are aware of it but have no idea what causes it or how to fix it.

 

[lizziehammock]

Same problem, I can drive it 15 times with no issue, blows super cold but then I will stop and run into the market and start up again and I get super hot air out the back vents and warm out the front. No amount of fiddling with the controls will return the cold air, I have to stop, turn off the engine for at least 10 minutes and cross my fingers it will blow cold again. Most times it will start working again but there have been a few long hot drives where nothing seemed to reset it until I let it sit for an hour or more. I don't see how it can be a refrigerant level issue as it blows ice cold most times. It seems to be an electrical demon. When I called the dealer they said they hadn't heard of any issues except the low refrigerant level or leak. I am hesitant to bring it in because they will test it and it will work fine and hand it back saying no problem found. Thats the problem with intermittent issues.

Just happened to me. I live in oklahoma and it is 95 degrees on a cool day. I got in my car, turned the engine on and the scalding hot air started blasting through the vents. Especially in the back seat vents. So hot I thought it would melt something. I had to push "auto" for the air to become bearable. I turned off the car, went to dinner and when I restarted it, everything went back to normal. This CANNOT happen in Oklahoma !

 

[flynnsk]

Well, the problem did not disappear on its own, but I have found a way to live with it for now.

The frequency of system drop-out (A/C stops blowing cold and lights go out on Auto and A/C buttons, requiring a vehicle re-start to resolve) seems to be lessened now that temps and humidity have dropped, typically into the 80F range. However it is still definitely there.

I can not predict the time period or draw a connection to any specific external factor except time at high ambient temp. The vehicle engine/coolant temp is not above normal. When it happens, I can not observe any "freezing" of any components in the A/C system.

HOWEVER: If I cycle the system off manually by pressing the A/C button every ~5 mins (I typically leave it off for 5-10sec) it seems to eliminate the overload (or whatever it is). I drove about 600 miles over the weekend and it only quit twice, each time after I got distracted and forgot to cycle the A/C off (I had let it go maybe 15 mins or so).

So I feel like this is a big clue. I plan to call Regal Ineos and see what they can tell me. I have my first service coming up soon anyway so I can probably survive until then.

Just a hunch/guess, if ruled out coolant, almost sounds like a fault/ground or a sensor connection.

Cannot say we've had the frequency of issues others report, though 1st two things do by nature is disable Speed Alert and AutoStart. (Hate that AutoStart shuts off the "Auto" and wont resume after say a long light)

 

[WJG-GMT II]

I have read about a few A/C problems on the forum including refrigerant leaks (resulting in air not blowing cold) and water dripping into footwell. My forum search skills may be lacking but I am not finding a thread about electrical issues related to the HVAC system. Please point me in that direction if this has been discussed already.

I am in a high-temp (95degF) high-humidity location on the U.S. southeast coast this week. The Grenadier has been perfect (towing like a champ) except for the A/C, which is kind of an issue when I am traveling with the wife and kids. The problem appeared after a long drive enroute here, when temps climbed well into the 90s

In high temps (and seemingly not in more moderate ~80degF temps) I intermittently observe the "Auto" HVAC setting drop out (indicator light turns off) and the A/C indicator turn off. Air keeps blowing but soon becomes obviously warmer. There are no screen display indications or warning lights to indicate any issues. Pressing HVAC buttons does not allow either Auto or A/C to come back on. After an engine off/on cycle (engine restart) of any duration, the buttons will allow me to re-engage the Auto or manual A/C, the indicator lights work again, and air blows cold again.

However the problem may repeat itself in 5 seconds, or 5 minutes, or 20 minutes. It's fairly random, but if I give the A/C a "break" for a while (maybe 20 mins) then it will run for longer before the failure repeats.

I MIGHT have figured out a way to limp along:
It seems that if I cycle the A/C off and on manually (off for just a few seconds) by pressing the A/C button every 5 mins or so, the problem does not occur at all. I have done this for a few drives and it seems to abate or eliminate the symptom, but I am on a family vacation and the agenda has not allowed methodical testing if this.

Has anyone experienced this issue, and if so what have you discovered about root cause?

Because it requires an engine restart, I am inclined to think this is a re-settable breaker tripping. Maybe the engine re-start cycle resets the breaker and the system operates again for a while. But this is pure speculation. I can't tell if the compressor is disengaging when the problem occurs, or possibly a blend door is closing or something. I think I can hear some subtle airflow change occur when the fault happens, which I don't think would occur if it was just the compressor stopping.

I haven't been able to troubleshoot properly yet and I probably won't for a few more days. Won't be anywhere that I can get IG dealer service any time soon.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Good luck dude—that’s a bummer—but living in Florida—a rock solid AC is an absolute must

 

[WJG-GMT II]

Just happened to me. I live in oklahoma and it is 95 degrees on a cool day. I got in my car, turned the engine on and the scalding hot air started blasting through the vents. Especially in the back seat vents. So hot I thought it would melt something. I had to push "auto" for the air to become bearable. I turned off the car, went to dinner and when I restarted it, everything went back to normal. This CANNOT happen in Oklahoma !

An iffy AC is a deal breaker in Florida

 

[HERMAN]

Same problem, I can drive it 15 times with no issue, blows super cold but then I will stop and run into the market and start up again and I get super hot air out the back vents and warm out the front. No amount of fiddling with the controls will return the cold air, I have to stop, turn off the engine for at least 10 minutes and cross my fingers it will blow cold again. Most times it will start working again but there have been a few long hot drives where nothing seemed to reset it until I let it sit for an hour or more. I don't see how it can be a refrigerant level issue as it blows ice cold most times. It seems to be an electrical demon. When I called the dealer they said they hadn't heard of any issues except the low refrigerant level or leak. I am hesitant to bring it in because they will test it and it will work fine and hand it back saying no problem found. Thats the problem with intermittent issues.

I have read about a few A/C problems on the forum including refrigerant leaks (resulting in air not blowing cold) and water dripping into footwell. My forum search skills may be lacking but I am not finding a thread about electrical issues related to the HVAC system. Please point me in that direction if this has been discussed already.

I am in a high-temp (95degF) high-humidity location on the U.S. southeast coast this week. The Grenadier has been perfect (towing like a champ) except for the A/C, which is kind of an issue when I am traveling with the wife and kids. The problem appeared after a long drive enroute here, when temps climbed well into the 90s

In high temps (and seemingly not in more moderate ~80degF temps) I intermittently observe the "Auto" HVAC setting drop out (indicator light turns off) and the A/C indicator turn off. Air keeps blowing but soon becomes obviously warmer. There are no screen display indications or warning lights to indicate any issues. Pressing HVAC buttons does not allow either Auto or A/C to come back on. After an engine off/on cycle (engine restart) of any duration, the buttons will allow me to re-engage the Auto or manual A/C, the indicator lights work again, and air blows cold again.

However the problem may repeat itself in 5 seconds, or 5 minutes, or 20 minutes. It's fairly random, but if I give the A/C a "break" for a while (maybe 20 mins) then it will run for longer before the failure repeats.

I MIGHT have figured out a way to limp along:
It seems that if I cycle the A/C off and on manually (off for just a few seconds) by pressing the A/C button every 5 mins or so, the problem does not occur at all. I have done this for a few drives and it seems to abate or eliminate the symptom, but I am on a family vacation and the agenda has not allowed methodical testing if this.

Has anyone experienced this issue, and if so what have you discovered about root cause?

Because it requires an engine restart, I am inclined to think this is a re-settable breaker tripping. Maybe the engine re-start cycle resets the breaker and the system operates again for a while. But this is pure speculation. I can't tell if the compressor is disengaging when the problem occurs, or possibly a blend door is closing or something. I think I can hear some subtle airflow change occur when the fault happens, which I don't think would occur if it was just the compressor stopping.

I haven't been able to troubleshoot properly yet and I probably won't for a few more days. Won't be anywhere that I can get IG dealer service any time soon.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Hey buddy just adding to the thread. I have approximately 1500 miles on my truck and it has the same symptoms as Kevin’s.

 

[Trailrunner863]

When I had my Grenadier, after 2 months, in March, San Antonio, Texas, stopped working, then would start up again w/in a few minutes, 30 minutes or an hour. Once it was April, I took to dealer and left it there, 3 hours to Houston. After a week, they called, it is ready, advised to keep it, drive for a week have someone take it home and drive daily, after 2 days, stated happened again,. After another week, same exact situation, they drove for a week and again, stopped working. After 1 month, they seem to have figured it out. The only experience I have now, is it won't always start blowing air for about 30 seconds after start up or up to a minute, but still blows cold, other times, it will air velocity will slow a bit, but w/in a minute or two, it comes back full speed. Finger's crossed, I do love this beast. Had 89 110 for years, used to issues, just not on a new vehicle and cannot drive in south Texas in summer. I use as a daily driver, 8398 miles so far.

Houston's Mossy Grenadier, has a great service supervisor...was very patient when I would tell him, keep it, drive it until you know.
Trevor Lilly, service manager.

 

[ScotteW]

Just out of curiosity can you tell if the system is icing up?

If I recall that would make the system turn off until it melts..

The system is not icing up in my experience.

 

[AUDIOBUS]

Hey buddy just adding to the thread. I have approximately 1500 miles on my truck and it has the same symptoms as Kevin’s.

I'm also in the same melted ice bucket. I just ticked 1600 miles on the OD, 95º the past week or so and it was fine... but this same issue started yesterday. Blows "luke warm" on the drivers side, slightly cooler on the passenger side, and is intermittent. At the end of a 30 min drive yesterday afternoon it started getting cooler again. This morning it was fine. Cycling through AUTO and all the vents, plus manually opening/closing the vents didn't seem to do anything---but it was how I discovered the passenger side was getting a different temp than the drivers side.

 

[Kevin Mokracek]

Just picked mine up from the dealer this morning. They found a leaking hose and replaced it. We’ll see if that helps. Aside from that they found no problem. I wasn’t thinking it was leaking hose related since the AC when it did work worked and blew very cold. I still think it’s a vent/baffle malfunction but hopefully it is the leaking hose they found.

 

[TopperKenobi]

I’ve had it happening like Kevin mentions it on his other post. Took it to the dealership (600 miles away) and showed it to them and they took a video and send it to Ineos. They tested the temperature coming out of every place in the car.
They want me to change the HVAC box, a 2-3 day job after a 600 mile drive. They say it’s a sensor on the box that causes the flaps not to turn.
They were swapping a box on another customer when I took the truck two weeks ago to the dealership to fix the door seals, etc.
That’s the last I know.
For the last 4 months it happens every other time I use the truck.
I have to say, Ineos has been helpful and calling me to see how the dealership service is working and how they are addressing my issues.

 

[Roach]

Anybody know if there is a range of VINS that have the sensor issue?

 

[Tom109]

I’ve had it happening like Kevin mentions it on his other post. Took it to the dealership (600 miles away) and showed it to them and they took a video and send it to Ineos. They tested the temperature coming out of every place in the car.
They want me to change the HVAC box, a 2-3 day job after a 600 mile drive. They say it’s a sensor on the box that causes the flaps not to turn.
They were swapping a box on another customer when I took the truck two weeks ago to the dealership to fix the door seals, etc.
That’s the last I know.
For the last 4 months it happens every other time I use the truck.
I have to say, Ineos has been helpful and calling me to see how the dealership service is working and how they are addressing my issues.

Adding this info to my dealer call and planned work for the 6k mile service.