my air conditioner blows hot air and my heater blows cold air

[Naylene]

my air conditioner blows hot air and my heater blows cold air. The heater will warm up after the engine has been running for awhile but when I turn the air conditioner on it takes power away from the engine but it still blows hot air. This happened all at the same time after I noticed a little tapping noise coming from the lower part of the dash.

Can anyone help?

 

[BucknutBob]

I'd say you're probably out of 134 (freon). The compressor is still kicking on, using power, but there's no chemical to make the air cool. Over the years, the gaskets on the pipe connections get hard (usually during the colder months, when you're not using the system, and therefore not circulating the oil in it), and the freon will leak out. Not sure what the tapping might be.

 

[SV_Dude]

I would be willing to bet that the tapping noise is coming from your blower motor. Does it only make that noise when your fan is on?

 

[Koz]

I'd say you're probably out of 134 (freon). The compressor is still kicking on, using power, but there's no chemical to make the air cool. Over the years, the gaskets on the pipe connections get hard (usually during the colder months, when you're not using the system, and therefore not circulating the oil in it), and the freon will leak out. Not sure what the tapping might be.

If you are out of refrigerant the compressor will not engage.

Sounds like a controls problem.

Koz

 

[BucknutBob]

If you are of refrigerant the compressor will not engage.

Sounds like a controls problem.

Koz

I stand corrected! Maybe it still has some left, but not enough to feel much difference in the temp.?

 

[Naylene]

I would be willing to bet that the tapping noise is coming from your blower motor. Does it only make that noise when your fan is on?

It makes the noise any time and I tried turning the whole heater off and the noise was still there, but sometimes the noise is gone and then starts up and stops randomly...