AC blows warm at startup

[jim620]

Recently my AC has been blowing warm air when I first start the car. Seems like the AC unit is not engaged until after about a minute or so. After that the AC works fine. Pressing the AC on/off button does not change anything nor does pressing the recycle air button. Any ideas?

[glen e]

Is this diff than in the past?

Why would you think a/c should work immediately when starting?

It takes a few min to ramp up in any car I have owned....it's why they call it a compressor and condenser.....

[ZeroTX]

Originally Posted by glen e

Is this diff than in the past?

Why would you think a/c should work immediately when starting?

It takes a few min to ramp to ramp up in any car I have owned....it's why they call it a compressor and condenser.....

What he said.

[JDM809]

Isn't that how every car is.

It takes a while for the AC to blow the right temp from a cold start. Esp in warmer areas.

[drowned12]

a) The HVAC duct in the dashboard is probably hot to start with.
b) The condenser and evaporator take a second to get cold.

When I start my car the AC takes maybe 3 seconds to kick on. I pretty much immediately feel lower temperature, even with my car being 150 degrees inside.

[matt2005]

Yes it's normal for you for it to take a minute or two to get cold air in the cabin.Peak cooling also does not occur until around 1700 to 2000 RMP or typical cruising rpm.The kick down also has to raise the rpm as the compressor engages so you dont feel the added load at idle.
It's also ideal to drive a few minutes with the windows open to remove the hot air from the cabin.Finally turn off the A/C and select fan on high and vent a couple minutes before shutting the car off to remove moisture from the evaporator coil and reduce that moldy smell the next time you use it especially if your not using the car for a while.

[Tom 6-6]

I agree with what Matt said.. textbook AC operation ....

[jim620]

Before I would feel cool not cold air immediately. Now the air is warm like room temperature. The air feels like if you turn on the fan without the AC button on.

[Optimus Prime]

A minute is a VERY long time to have no cold air out of the ducts, something is wrong.

[Optimus Prime]

Originally Posted by glen e

Is this diff than in the past?

Why would you think a/c should work immediately when starting?

It takes a few min to ramp up in any car I have owned....it's why they call it a compressor and condenser.....

You come across as very defensive of the brand. Even the magical Honda breaks sometimes. I bet the op has used an air conditioner before and knows what to expect, why would you assume otherwise? Did you read what he said? "It seems like the compressor doesn't turn on for a minute or so..." I suspect that if he wanted to be told that he doesn't know how to operate his car he could go to any dealership and let the service writer tell him that!

[matt2005]

There is really only a few reasons I can think of that would cause an excessive delay.

Are the condenser fans cycling?

Compressor clutch failing.

Compressor clutch not engaging fully when actuated then coming up to speed(have someone turn on the a/c and watch the clutch,it should pull in and rotate at engine speed immediately.(may take a few seconds for the system to engage after the button is pressed)I will swap the a/c relay first in case the contact is not passing rated current see below.We sometimes remove the clutch shims on older cars as a band-aid solution and it often works for a long time.

A/C relay failing although this would generally not be consistent if the coil is bad but can be if the contacts are failing ,check your manual and swap relays (often there are other identical relays that can be swapped out in the panel)

A very slow actuating/sticky blend door,not sure if it's vacuum or electric on Honda's.Select defrost(cold) and see how fast if it switches over,your a/c should cycle on regardless of temp setting

It's not an refrigerant leak and unlikely to be a high/low pressure switch issue.

I also doubt it's the compressor valves from the symptoms

Thats generally all it comes down to.I would eyeball the clutch as it engages then go after the blend door checking the vacuum manifold/hoses for leaks if it's a vac system.Otherwise you have to get to the blend door which is no fun.