my A/C has been working great, blowing cold air, but now it stops blowing cold, and then starts cold again, it keep blowing cold and then stopping, often times the cold stops at slower speeds or at a light.I checked the fans when I start the car with the A/C on and 1 fan is running. any help is greatly appreciated.

 

so for the last week or so there has been a lot of rain. on a cold start up in the morning the car idle is surging and then almost stalling. the idle climbs and falls as the car stutters, but it does not stall. once I give it some gas and let it warm up it catches and the idle goes to normal and the car rides perfect with no idle issues whatsoever. I put a new IAC valve in a year or so ago. 3 people told me to just clean the IAC valve. could it be the fuel pump as its 25 years old, the original. I have a backup OEM fuel pump but I had the fuel pressure checked on start up a few months ago and it was good.

your help is appreciated!

 

Any error codes? Check-engine light? I think the V-6 Accords have OBD-2 starting in 1995, a year before that was required. So possibly a scanner that reads live data will help you out.

It's uncommon (not impossible) for Honda IAC valves to actually go bad. So the advice to clean it first makes sense.
Since the fuel pressure checked OK, I would look elsewhere besides the pump.

There's a thread about setting the "base" idle speed, over in the DIY section.
Setting Base Idle speed - Honda Accord Forum - Honda Accord Enthusiast Forums
However, the 1995-97 V6 car is a lot different than the 4-cyl, so I'm not sure how well that advice matches to YOUR car.
I'm pretty sure the advice that the throttle cable MUST go slack when you take your foot off the accelerator pedal is still good.

There is a fast-idle valve under the throttle body, you could try cleaning that out. People have had to tighten the plunger inside there, but the usual symptom for that is the idle stays fast after the engine is warm. So that doesn't exactly match your case.

How about spark plugs, wires, & distributor cap? Those things can deteriorate & allow some tracking-arcs which weaken the spark. Check that by watching a cold startup in complete darkness - watch for blue glow around the wires & cap.

 

On the 4-cyl cars, the AC should trigger BOTH fans to run. I suspect that's the same for the V-6. Check the fan that doesn't run, maybe it's stalled, maybe it has a bad relay or something like that. Insufficient air blowing through (while the car is stopped) might contribute to this.

 

thanks Jim! no check engine light! the car drives perfect for its age, and idles perfect as I replaced the IAC valve. the original could not be cleaned. I will take a look at that idle article. I did have the throttle body heavily cleaned but dont believe the fast-idle valve was ever looked at. got new NGK spark plugs and Wires and also replace the ignition coil and complete distributor. there is no issue starting the car, but will take a closer look at the distributor for sure.

happy 4th, wave that flag!

bryan

 

ok, so both fans should be running on my v6? does each fan have its own relay? a relay either works or it doesnt right? I just drove the car and the air was cold and blowing nice on #2 setting, but then it goes warm and comes back cold. its happened in the past but have not had any issues recently. I ordered a A/C expansion Valve from Rock Auto. it was $30 with Fedex, Im trying to find out the right mechanic who specializes in A/C.

bryan

 

There's so many things different on a V-6 Accord, that I'm not sure about anything. I only ever owned 4-cyl.
But some things (like this) seem to be so "traditional" for Honda to design the same way.

 

is this correct for my LX 2.7L. the fan on the passenger side is for the radiator and the drive side for the compressor? if so, both fans should be running when the car starts with the AC on? as of now the passenger side is running when I start the car. should I replace the AC Fan Relay switch?

 

Both fans cool the radiator and a/c condenser. Both fans should turn on when you start the car and turn on the a/c.

The names of each fan are misleading. The a/c compressor fan has a short electric motor, where the radiator fan has the longer electric motor. They have their own relay. I think the radiator fan motor is on the driver's side on a V6 where the 4-cyl is on the passenger side.

The only time the radiator fan motor will turn on by itself is when the car is off, and the coolant gets to an elevated temperature due to heat soak. This prevents damage to the engine in this circumstance. Both fans should turn on when a/c or coolant temperature reaches ~199F when the engine is running.

For the idle, the FITV could be an issue. Just clean the valve and snug it down the housing. Hopefully this will resolve the idle issue.

 

thanks! so if only 1 fan turns on, its either a relay or an electrical issue with the fan motor? should I swap out the AC Fan Relay? I ordered a AC Expansion Valve after doing some research. can always return the part. I will go over the fans again tomorrow morning but I popped the hood, started the car and only the passenger fan was running. I will update tomorrow.

I will look into the FITV valve. maybe the only thing not replaced or cleaned on the car.

happy 4th, wave that flag!

bryan