2004 chevy cavalier thermostat


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Old 07-05-10, 08:01 AM
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2004 chevy cavalier thermostat

my a/c stops working when I've been idling more than a couple of minutes, when I have to stop for longer red lights or if traffic is extremely slow- otherwise it is nice and cold. Someone at work said it sounds like the thermostat needs to be replaced, and that it's easy and inexpensive to do. Can an inexperienced but fairly smart person do this?
 
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Old 07-05-10, 08:16 AM
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Don't know how a thermostat would affect your a/c. What you describe sounds pretty normal. Has it always done this?

More likely you could be slightly low on refrigerant.
 
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Old 07-05-10, 10:30 AM
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They do route the A/C compressor on/off through the engine computer...

...and they do this so that in certain situations the engine computer can shut down the A/C (like when passing and wide open throttle - gives you more power)...

BUT they keep all the engine computer stuff secret!

So it is possible that if the engine begins to overheat, the engine computer could sense this and shutdown the A/C compressor. That would be a good idea. But if they do this I don't know?

If you have determined that this is what is going on, then fix the engine overheating problem. This can be all sorts of things, but good idea to start with replacing the thermostat.

Also be sure the fan is working. If electric, check that. If a mechanical "clutch" design, these will fail and not blow as fast as they should - replace fan clutch if that is the problem.

Then the radiator can be clogged internally. Try back-flushing or replace with new radiator.

If it is an A/C problem, if the pressures get too high, this will also cause the compressor to shut down. A problem which can cause this is a non-working A/C condenser fan. If that fan is not working, the high side pressure can go sky high! So have someone test the pressures with a proper set of gauges to see what exactly is going on. Might want to do that first.

If you have electric fans which are not working, check the fuses. Your owner's manual should tell you the location of the fuse boxes. How to check fuses...
Testing fuses Page
 
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Old 07-05-10, 10:45 AM
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Thx Bill....I meant to ask about engine temps and fans...but got distracted and sent my post w/o proofreading....my "duh" for the day...(only one I hope).
 
 

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