Honda Civic AC Not Working

Honda Civic AC Not Working (Potential Causes & Fixes)

If you have lately noticed your Honda Civic AC no longer works as before, this guide is for you. The A/C problems are quite common in Honda Civics, especially the newer models. The AC issues can range from not blowing warm air or cold air, to not working at idle, or not working at all, etc. Whatever your issue is, this guide will help you determine the culprit and fix it to restore your air conditioning system.

Honda Civic AC not working may be caused by many different issues below:

  • Low refrigerant levels or refrigerant leaks
  • Faulty compressor
  • Bad AC relay
  • Blown AC fuse
  • Blocked or leaking condenser
  • Blocked evaporator
  • Dirty cabin air filter
  • Clogged orifice tube
  • Jammed blend door actuator
  • Faulty blower motor

This article takes a more in-depth look at the above potential causes of your Honda Civic air conditioning malfunctioning. Plus, we’ll look at the best solution to consider for each of these problems to help revive your air conditioning’s functionality.

Why your Honda Civic AC is not working

If your Honda Civic no longer works as before, there are many potential culprits to consider as outlined below:

Why your Honda Civic AC is not working

Low refrigerant levels

The most common reason behind your Honda Civic AC system losing its cooling efficiency is low refrigerant levels.

The chemical inside your AC system is responsible for cooling the air inside your vehicle and it needs to stay at the recommended levels for your Ac to work efficiently.

This substance isn’t supposed to escape in a perfectly sealed AC system. However, it may still find its way out due to minor imperfections in the system e.g. faulty seals, stone-chipped condensers, worn lines, etc.

This explains why it’s recommended to give your Honda Civic AC recharge after every few years.

In some cases, the levels may fall low due to refrigerant leaks in the system. These could happen in areas like the condenser, evaporator, hose, etc.

If you recharge your system to the recommended mark but it still doesn’t improve its performance, there’s probably a leak in the system.

Honda Civic Low refrigerant levels

Solution: You’ll first need to verify whether your Honda Civic AC refrigerant is at the recommended mark. If the levels are low, you’ll need to refill the Freon on your AC system to the recommended mark.

If you suspect your system has a leak, diagnosing this one may not be an easy task for you, especially if the leak is small. Therefore, we recommend taking your car in to have the AC system inspected for potential leaks.

Once the leak is found, the technician will replace the faulty component to close the leak. Afterward, you can recharge your system to the recommended level.

Faulty compressor

This AC compressor is tasked with pressuring the refrigerant and then pumping it throughout your vehicle’s AC system.

This helps keep the inside of your car cool. Given the important role this component plays in your air conditioning, your AC system will start malfunctioning if the compressor goes faulty.

One reason why your compressor may fail is not turning on your AC for a long period of time. This will make it stuck and thus damage the compressor.

Inadequate lubrication may also make your Honda Civic AC compressor eat itself. This results in the production of metal chips as the component breaks apart.

These chips then spread out through your entire AC system and can result in catastrophic AC system failure! In this case, replacing the compressor will be futile as the chips will easily damage the new unit as well.

Honda Civic Faulty compressor

Solution: Damaged compressors cannot be repaired, leaving you with no other option but to replace them with new ones.

If your compressor had already started breaking down and produced metal shavings in the system, you’ll first need to have your system flushed of these chips by a professional.

This will help ensure your new compressor doesn’t get damaged as well.

The technician may also recommend replacing the entire AC system as cleaning may not eliminate all the metal chips.

Blocked or leaking condenser

A blocked condenser is another reason your Honda Civic AC system may be malfunctioning. The condenser sits at the front part of your vehicle where it facilitates the release of heat from your AC refrigerant into the surrounding air.

Unfortunately, the condenser position puts it on the receiving end for dirt, grime, bugs, and other tiny particles. These undesired objects will accumulate on the condenser surface and the gap between its mesh over time, reducing its performance.

The condenser won’t be able to release heat as efficiently; as before since less air will be flowing through its mesh—resulting in your vehicle overheating.

Honda Civic leaking condenser

Solution: A clogged condenser should be cleaned. This is an easy DIY task that you can do on your own. However, you’ll first need to get out the front bumper to access the condenser.

For the cleaning part, we recommend using a pressure wash set to a low temperature to ensure the best cleaning results without damaging the condenser’s delicate fins.

Dirty cabin air filter

The cabin air filter, which also goes by the name microliter or pollen filter, is an important component of your Honda Civic ventilation system.

It traps dust, pollen, and other airborne particles to ensure the air inside your vehicle is clean and healthy for you.

Unfortunately, this component may get clogged with dust and debris over time. When this happens, the internal ventilation will be affected as the dirt will affect the heating, cooling, and airflow inside your vehicle.

This combined impact can easily stress your Honda Civic AC system and even result in increased fuel consumption.

Honda Civic Dirty cabin air filter

Solution: If the filter is dirty, your first shot at it would be to clean it to see if its performance will improve. A compressed air system or vacuum cleaner can help you clean the system.

However, this method will only remove the large visible particle and won’t be able to get into the deeper layers of the filter.

Therefore, you might not notice a significant improvement in your air filter performance, leaving you with no other option but to replace it.

Check out this video on how to replace your Honda Civic AC cabin air filter:

Video:

Clogged orifice tube

The orifice tube (which may also go by the name expansion valve depending on your car model) is talked about controlling the pressure and flow of refrigerant before it enters the evaporator coil—ensuring optimal cooling performance.

Unfortunately, the tube is highly vulnerable to clogging due to contamination, e.g. from a failing compressor that’s breaking apart and releasing metal shavings.

A clogged orifice tube stops the refrigerant from reaching the evaporator, and this makes your system blow warm air only. If not repaired on time, the orifice tube condition will get worse with time.

Honda Civic Clogged orifice tube

Solution: If your orifice tube or expansion valve is clogged, the best fix is to replace it with a new one.

If your tube was contaminated, we advise you to have your entire system flushed before putting the new orifice tube in place.

However, if the contamination was severe, your mechanic may suggest replacing several components, including the compressor and condenser.

Blocked evaporator

It’s expected that your cabin air filter will trap most of the dirt and other little particles in the air. However, some of them may escape and land on the evaporator.

These particles will build up on the evaporator fins, blocking airflow through your evaporator.

A dirty or blocked evaporator will also significantly affect your Honda Civic AC system’s ability to cool your vehicle. It reduces airflow and affects heat exchange, thus resulting in reduced AC cooling efficiency.

One telltale sign of a dirty evaporator is choppy (non-smooth) airflow from your AC vents and an unpleasant moldy smell inside your vehicle.

Honda Civic Blocked evaporator

Solution: If you have a dirty evaporator, you’ll need to clean it to help improve your AC unit performance. However, cleaning this part isn’t an easy task.

You’ll need to remove the entire dash to access the evaporator. We advise you to let a qualified Honda mechanic do the cleaning for you.

Electrical issues

Various electrical issues in your Civic that are related to the AC system may also affect its overall performance.

These issues can range from a blown fuse to a bad Honda Civic AC relay damaged wiring, malfunctioning AC switch, etc.

A blown fuse will make your AC system stop working entirely. The dirty air filter fuse is more prone to blowing.

A faulty relay will affect proper electricity power flow and you may get no cool air inside your vehicle cabin.

Honda Civic Electrical issues

Solution: You can fix these electrical issues by replacing any blown fuses and relays, damaged wiring, or malfunctioning switches.

If you’re unable to diagnose your vehicle’s electrical problems, get a professional Honda mechanic to diagnose and fix any underlying problems.

Jammed blend door actuator

The blend door actuator’s job is to control airflow and temperature inside your vehicle cabin. Therefore, it’s a key culprit to consider if you’re having temperature problems in your car.

For instance, if you notice one part of your car is hotter or colder than the other, a jammed blend door actuator is to blame.

When this actuator stops working, you’ll likely start hearing a persistent clicking sound emanating from under your car dash.

This sound is usually more prominent for the first few seconds after turning on your AC or adjusting the temperature. If you adjust the temperature, the sound may change.

Honda Civic Jammed blend door actuator

Solution: A faulty blend door actuator cannot be repaired, so you’ll need to replace it with a new one.

The replacement process isn’t easy and involves recalibrating the new actuator. Therefore, it is best left to professionals.

Faulty blower motor

Your Honda AC blower motor failing will also affect your system’s cooling performance. This motor is prone to wearing out or becoming weak over time.

When this happens, airflow via your AC vents will drop significantly. An easy way to identify a bad blower motor is that it tends to make odd times when running, though not all times.

Solution: The best fix for a faulty blower motor is to replace it since it cannot be repaired. In case you install a new blower motor and it also fails shortly after, you may want to check a blown fuse as it could be the reason behind the motor woes.

Replacing the blower motor in your Honda Civic is an easy fix that you can easily do on your own from start to finish.

Here’s a video to guide you through the replacement process:

Video:

If your Honda Civic AC is not working as it should, it’s crucial to explore potential solutions. Similar to AC problems, other concerns might arise in your Honda Civic, such as an electric parking brake issue. Moreover, if you’re looking for insights into resetting the wrench light on your Honda Civic, our article on how to reset the wrench light on Honda Civic provides step-by-step guidance. For more specific issues related to your Civic’s electric parking brake, our article on Honda Civic electric parking brake problem can offer valuable insights. Understanding these issues and solutions will empower you to keep your Honda Civic running smoothly.

Conclusion

Your Honda Civic AC not working can be a result of many different causes. The potential causes to consider include low refrigerant levels, faulty compressor, blocked condenser, dirty cabin air filter, clogged orifice tube, bad blower motor, dirty evaporator, jammed blend door actuator, or electrical issues.

To fix your malfunctioning Honda Civic AC system, you’ll first need to identify the exact underlying issue. Check the unit for refrigerant leaks, clogged components, etc. Fix any issues you come across or get a professional to do it for you. Remember, timely maintenance of your AC system can keep away most of these AC issues.

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