Greetings all!

On a long roadtrip recently, the AC started blowing so cold that it actually looked like there was smoke coming out of the dash. It did this on the first really hot day since I owned it (03 Protege). Anyway, it has since stopped blowing way cool air and now only blows 42 degree air (as tested by the dealer). *42 degrees is NOT really very cool and doesn't cool the car like it did before it began blowing the really cold 'smoke'.

Anyway, another mechanic I know told me that it was blowing the 'smoke' because there was something wrong with the system and that the dealer probably won't fix it. Unfortunately I can't really contact this mechanic that explained it to me so I can present the facts to the dealer. I looked like a royal idiot trying to explain what was wrong with my AC when I actually couldn't remember what the deal was). The dealer had the upper hand when I had thought that I had the upper hand and I left hanging my head after I made an **** out of myself. It was a pretty bad scene.

Please--if anyone can explain what it is that is not broken/not working/etc. as a result of the 'smoke' thing, PLEASE let me know!!

 

I think i have the same problem as you. On a warm muggy day a few weeks ago, my ac was giving really nice cool air and now I feel like it doesnt give me cold air the way it was before. I also noticed something where when our vents are set at one, they give the coldest air but takes the longest for it to reach anywhere, 2 gives somewhat cold cold air but not as cold as the first setting, 3rd gives cold but not very cold air and the strongest fan setting gives least amount of cooling. This is what I have experienced, is this what your talking about?

 

The 'smoke' you see is condensation. This usually means your a/c is doing a very good job cooling the initial very humid air. Think of the steam on your breath in the winter.
I recently noticed a lack of cool here in extremely muggy Arkansas (new big weather change). The output, with outside air (not recirculating) coming in, was about 45-50 degrees. I thought my system had crapped out too. Then I put it on recirculating, and the temp plunged to 34 F. I hit the selector bar for outside air again, and watched the temp climb by ten+ degrees, as well as noticing the increase in humidity in the car. Needless to say, I did my road trip with the recirc bar glowing orange, not green. Per the manual, I am within spec at 34, with the recirculation set, and the temp stabilized for a few minutes. I guess huge humidity is pretty hard to handle. Check out http://protege5.ugly.net for a/c specs, page 07-10-2, in the Refrigerant System section.
Another thing; our p5's have a black/charcoal interior, which really sucks up the heat from the sun. My experience is that the a/c doesn't seem to be doing much for the first few minutes 'cos there's so damn much "heat soaking" of all the interior bits. My thermometer has hit 124+ on numerous occasions after parking in the sun. The black dash may be 140+.
I plan to keep an eye on it, but it seems that the new '134' freon systems may not work quite as well as the old freon 12 setups from ten years ago.
Go to your local parts store and get an inexpensive probe type thermometer; they're made specifically for checking a/c systems. Put in in the left center dash outlet to check things out. You'll get a better understanding of your a/c's performance, and if there really are problems, you'll be able to hold your own against any jerks. Good luck.

 

olddognewtrks -- you're the dealer mechanic who told me there wasn't anything wrong with my air, aren't you! Rickenfricken, rackenfracken...

Does anyone know what I'm talking about--there is now something wrong since the condensation ('smoke') sin't coming out of the dash any more.

What is wrong now?

What was wrong when the condensation ('smoke') was coming out? --that is the real question, because the other mechanic told me that this meant that something was stuck or broken or not working correctly or whatever.

HELP!!!

 

I've noticed that the temperature is significantly cooler with the bar set to recirculated air. You can literally feel the change instantly.

 

c4crossfire: I ain't no stinking dealership mechanic! Never have been, and I look on most all of them with a jaundiced eye. (I'm smiling as I type this; let's all have a good time here)
Anyway; the condensation 'smoke' is only an occasional thing, in nasty humid conditions, and it happens with lots of different cars. Since I've only seen it a handful of times myself (anybody else can chime in here with their sightings) I suppose it takes a pretty particular combination of things for it to happen.
Maybe your system is OK, or maybe it's dying and the dealer twit is full of it. Get the inexpensive probe thermometer, see what happens, when, under what conditions. That gives you information, and information is power. Then you can take on the dealer twit, as needed, confident and loaded for bear. Good hunting!

 

Ive had "smoke" before in a couple different cars, and it happened intermitent. Sometimes it was there, others not. This to me was a sign that is was working well, and was probably a result of conditions. None the less, the system was not broke and I think the mechanic who told it was because of the "smoke" isnt very knowledgeable and you should seek a new mechanic in the future. FYI, the cars i had that did the "smoke" were Fords. I wish my mazda would blow smoke, my a/c is pretty weak.

 

olddognewtrks -- Yes, I was kidding!

Mach 1 -- your Mazda IS a Ford, sorry to break it to ya!

Thanks all for your input!

 

yeah i had the same problem with mine but i had the chance to change the speed from 1 when it was doing the smoke thing to 2 3and 4 and it wouldnt do it but the min i put it back on its slowest speed (1) it did it again well **** well im talking, anybody ever have the problem of condisation building up on there dash board right in fron of the 2 vents in the middle above your cd player cause i get it pretty bad at times and im afraid that the waters gonna soke down into my head unit and fry it or some ****.......some body help if ya got some info to put in......

 

Up here in North Dakota, it doesn't get humid enough to blow "smoke", heck it hasn't even been hot enough this "summer" yet to use the A/C anyway. Anyway, I drove the 1100 miles to Olathe, Kansas two weeks ago for college registration at MNU, and as soon as I got into Missouri, my A/C started blowing condensation. I almost started to freak out at first, but then I remembered a post that someone had on here a few months ago, and then I realized that was what it was. It only did it while I was there (forgot about setting the air selector to "recirculate.") and now that I'm home in "dry" North Dakota, it doesn't do that anymore. Best solution: Move to North Dakota, where you don't need to use your A/C, and when you do use it, it's too dry for condensation to form anyway. :-)

 

gotaphatprotege; I see you're from Florida, which I bet is the humidity capitol of the U.S.A., or second only to Louisiana swamps.(And I ain't making any great claims for my adopted state of Arkansas) . Anyway, try out 'Redirculating'; this lets in only minimal 'fresh' humid outside air. The majority of the air will be dehumidified in a few minutes as it makes multiple passes past the cooling coil. As I mentioned in my post about eight slots back, I noticed big humidity differences between outside air and when I used Recirculation. Hope this does it for you and eases your mind about your electronics.
Additional thoughts: When your fan is on 1, the air goes past the coils slower and so cools that 'chunk of air' better, thus the visible condensation. 2,3, and 4 push the air past faster, it doesn't get cooled as well, so no condensation is seen. Once your interior is dehumidified, you'll probably be able to run it on any speed you want with out 'smoke'.