AC Issues in Rain

[Wayne Bradby]

I'll start by stating that I love my 2018 Genesis G80 Sport! One of best cars I've ever owned with one exception.

This is probably the strangest (and most annoying car issue I've ever experienced). It's happened 3 times in the past year, so I've pretty much figured out when it will happen, but with 3 trips to the dealership, they have yet to come up with a solution.
I posted about this last year when it first happened and have video evidence of the issue. Despite calls to the corporate engineers, (they are currently looking at the issue, but so far no solution and I can't believe I'm the only one having this issue.

My car is normally garaged and the AC works fine. However, on two long road trips, after the car sat outside in the rain for a weekend while travelling, the AC will work normally until about an hour into the drive, and then something (a flap, a baffle, main AC vent, or something) freezes up and almost NO air gets into the cabin. As stated previously, you can hear the fan roaring somewhere deep in the bowels of the car, BUT NO AIR IN CABIN. The last time (3rd time) it happened, I had driven from my home and all was fine. It began to lightly ran and, in the course of an hour, the AC simply stopped delivering air into the cabin!

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this issue. Love the car, but don't want a car that I can't drive in rain or summer. I'm no AC expert, but surely someone out there can at least figure out this cause. The morning after each event, there is a ton of water on the garage floor (much more than normal) which would again indicated something in the system massively froze up. Of course, by the time it gets to a dealer, it's working just fine and they can't recreate. Thankfully video shows the issue. Genesis corporate engineers are working on it...just wondering if anyone else has had this issue.

 

[EdP]

I'll start by stating that I love my 2018 Genesis G80 Sport! One of best cars I've ever owned with one exception.

This is probably the strangest (and most annoying car issue I've ever experienced). It's happened 3 times in the past year, so I've pretty much figured out when it will happen, but with 3 trips to the dealership, they have yet to come up with a solution.
I posted about this last year when it first happened and have video evidence of the issue. Despite calls to the corporate engineers, (they are currently looking at the issue, but so far no solution and I can't believe I'm the only one having this issue.

My car is normally garaged and the AC works fine. However, on two long road trips, after the car sat outside in the rain for a weekend while travelling, the AC will work normally until about an hour into the drive, and then something (a flap, a baffle, main AC vent, or something) freezes up and almost NO air gets into the cabin. As stated previously, you can hear the fan roaring somewhere deep in the bowels of the car, BUT NO AIR IN CABIN. The last time (3rd time) it happened, I had driven from my home and all was fine. It began to lightly ran and, in the course of an hour, the AC simply stopped delivering air into the cabin!

My guess is the dealer does not have a really good AC guy.
Did they check the pressures of the AC when running? If the charge is low the evap coil can run colder than normal. if the refrigerant is low, it will expand more in order to cool and actually lower the temperature.

Did the check the leaving air temperature over the evaporator coil? Is the cabin filter clean?

Low air flow, lower than normal coil temperature and moisture can cause freeing of the coil. This is for home AC as well. It may be marginal under other conditions but rain and high humidity can be adding to the problem. Check also to see if the drain is operating properly. Since you have water on the floor is is working, but may not be working as it should.

If you were out of warranty I'd suggest taking it to a good auto AC guy, but
genesis has the obligation to fix it. That said, ask for specifics. Did they put gauges on it? If so, they can tell you what the pressures are. If they don't have a good AC guy I'd ask them to take the car to a shop that knows what they are doing at their expense. It is a specialty.

I had a Buick Regal. After the third trip to the dealer for the AC I picked up the car and the AC stopped working on the 1 mile trip to home. I turned around and had the salesman, the dealer owner, the service manager shaking their heads. No idea why it died. When I asked if they check the evap coil they just said "oh, they never leak". Next day they put in a new evap coil.

 

[bubbaG80Sport]

Please clarify/provide more detail. When the HVAC system is set to cool (i.e. A/C compressor is running) and the malfunction occurs...
Q1) Is there no/reduced airflow and/or is the air not "cold".

Q2a) If you increase the temperature (turning off the A/C compressor) does the airflow increase/resume?
Q2b) If you change the air output (e.g. dash vent -> floor vent) does the issue go away.

Q3a) Do you see a puddle of water under the car on the ground after the A/C has been running correctly (interior A/C drain)?
Q3b) Do you NOT see a puddle of water or less under the car on the ground after this malfunction?

Depending on answers above the issue could be.....
I1) Blocked/disconnected/plugged A/C drain
I2) Internal heat exchanger is icing up blocking the flaps that route the air through the car. The moisture that collects when it rain is freezing/blocking the HVAC vent flaps. This is a malfunctioning A/C system (incorrect "freon" pressure/level, malfunctioning A/C valves, dirty heat exchanger, etc.)
My money is on I2.

You'll have to rely on the A/C dash light to determine if the A/C compressor is running. Most cars I've owned you can feel the A/C compressor kick in (mild bump/lose of power when compressor comes on). The Genny has enough power that you can't feel this.

 

[Wayne Bradby]

Thanks for the response....you're the first person (Genesis, dealer, etc) that has provided what I've long suspected is the issue. Moisture is somehow creeping into the system and some type of flap, baffle, or something else is closing and not allowing air into the cabin. Huge amount of water on garage floor both times which would indicate something that froze thawed out overnight...I just don't have the time or patience to stop in the middle of a road trip for my car to thaw out! (nor should I have to!)

So only after the car has been in the rain (or it's raining) and after running just fine for an hour or so, the system suddenly stops sending most of the air into the cabin. (a little does trickle in) You can hear hear the fan motor spool up and blow to the max, but very little to no air is getting into the cabin. So frustrating to actually hear it blowing as I drove 6 hours in 85 degree weather with basically no AC. The next day (and as long as it's not raining), there is absolutely no issue! It works just fine, so I'm convinced it is a blockage issue, but the dealer, even speaking with Genesis engineers, have been unable to diagnose this issue. As much as I love the car, this is the third road trip in less than a year with the same exact issue and I'm about ready to tell them to come get it and replace it.

I'm passing on your post to the dealer and hopefully they can look at this. They've apparently checked freon levels, checked evaporator coils,etc and, as mentioned above, it all checks out. I'm leaving the car with them until it rains and hopefully they can recreate it then.

Thanks again!

 

[bubbaG80Sport]

When the issue occurs again test using heat at "full blast" for a few minutes to possibly melt the suspected icing (kinda like defrosting the freeezer ).

Do be careful about running the fan when this occurs. If there is an airflow blockage in the ducts you could burn out the fan motor and possibly cause a fire under the dash.

 

[Wayne Bradby]

When the issue occurs again test using heat at "full blast" for a few minutes to possibly melt the suspected icing (kinda like defrosting the freeezer ).

Do be careful about running the fan when this occurs. If there is an airflow blockage in the ducts you could burn out the fan motor and possibly cause a fire under the dash.

Yup, tried the heater as well, thinking it might melt whatever obstruction was happening. No effect. (and also not fun to run heat when it's 85 degrees!)
Good point on the fan motor. Strange thing is you can clearly hear it blowing full blast somewhere in the console. I assumed by engine compartment was nice and cool!

 

[bubbaG80Sport]

Good point on the fan motor. Strange thing is you can clearly hear it blowing full blast somewhere in the console. I assumed by engine compartment was nice and cool!

That's a bubba engineered intercooler for the G80 3.3TT turbochargers

 

[StarPower]

Is air coming from the defogger vents below the windshield? These cars can automatically switch to defog mode if the sensor detects fogging on the windshield. You can disable auto defog from the climate screen. If it's staying on when the windshield isn't fogged up, there may be an issue with the sensor.

 

[Wayne Bradby]

Is air coming from the defogger vents below the windshield? These cars can automatically switch to defog mode if the sensor detects fogging on the windshield. You can disable auto defog from the climate screen. If it's staying on when the windshield isn't fogged up, there may be an issue with the sensor.

There was NO (or very little air) coming in to the cabin at all! (from any vent) But I think you are on to something. After having the car in 4 times in less than a year (for almost a month total) they finally mentioned this as a possibility this week! They "think" it has something to do with a feature that no one at the dealer had a clue about. Their suggestion was to just turn it off. Seriously? If it's not working properly, wouldn't a replacement be in order? Still working with Genesis national to resolve (they've been great) as the local techs are pretty worthless. One suggested I had the vents closed in the video I took of 2 of the 3 times it happened. So this idiot thinks I'm gonna take a 7 hour road trip in 85 degree weather and just suddenly turn off the vents and then bitch about it?? That tech should be re-trained or fired!

 

[EdP]

There was NO (or very little air) coming in to the cabin at all! (from any vent) But I think you are on to something. After having the car in 4 times in less than a year (for almost a month total) they finally mentioned this as a possibility this week! They "think" it has something to do with a feature that no one at the dealer had a clue about. Their suggestion was to just turn it off. Seriously? If it's not working properly, wouldn't a replacement be in order?

There should be a way to test it. Of course if should be replaced if not working properly but they don't know if it is. I would think they can find the procedure to test it and then do so.

You are probably correct, some training is in order.

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[WhiteFang]

Did they figure out what the issue was?

 

[Wayne Bradby]

Did they figure out what the issue was?

They are now claiming it's a feature that no one, in 3 trips to two dealers and themhaving my car for over a month, has ever mentioned. Apparently, in all of the wonderful tech in this car, is a feature that when humidity is detected in the car or window is about to fog up, will re-direct air from cabin to the window area. So while I feel we are closer to getting to the bottom of this, (the good news that they at least identified a potential issue and the conditions under which it would occur (high humidity/rain and air not flowing to cabin) were present each of the 3 times this has happened) I'm again not convinced this is the actual issue. First, if that was correct, I would think I would have felt some air coming from the window area. I did not. Second, one would think that after 7 hours (first incident), that humidity/foggy condition would be eliminated and normal operation would resume at some point! Third, it does not explain the larger than normal river of water under my car the next morning.
So basically we decided I would turn off this "feature" (I'm perfectly capable of turning on a defrost switch manually which I've done all of my life!) I'm going to give it one more shot to see if this is really the issue. If not, we'll be speaking to them again.
I will say that Genesis national has been extremely helpful in helping resolve this issue. The issue lies at the local dealership and I won't go into separate issues there. Suffice it say, it is certainly not up to Genesis or luxury brand standards. This needs to be addressed (yes, I know there will eventually be a split with Hyundai) or they will lose customers.

 

[Hammy]

I'll start by stating that I love my 2018 Genesis G80 Sport! One of best cars I've ever owned with one exception.

This is probably the strangest (and most annoying car issue I've ever experienced). It's happened 3 times in the past year, so I've pretty much figured out when it will happen, but with 3 trips to the dealership, they have yet to come up with a solution.
I posted about this last year when it first happened and have video evidence of the issue. Despite calls to the corporate engineers, (they are currently looking at the issue, but so far no solution and I can't believe I'm the only one having this issue.

My car is normally garaged and the AC works fine. However, on two long road trips, after the car sat outside in the rain for a weekend while travelling, the AC will work normally until about an hour into the drive, and then something (a flap, a baffle, main AC vent, or something) freezes up and almost NO air gets into the cabin. As stated previously, you can hear the fan roaring somewhere deep in the bowels of the car, BUT NO AIR IN CABIN. The last time (3rd time) it happened, I had driven from my home and all was fine. It began to lightly ran and, in the course of an hour, the AC simply stopped delivering air into the cabin!

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this issue. Love the car, but don't want a car that I can't drive in rain or summer. I'm no AC expert, but surely someone out there can at least figure out this cause. The morning after each event, there is a ton of water on the garage floor (much more than normal) which would again indicated something in the system massively froze up. Of course, by the time it gets to a dealer, it's working just fine and they can't recreate. Thankfully video shows the issue. Genesis corporate engineers are working on it...just wondering if anyone else has had this issue.

OMG, Yes, I am experiencing the exact same thing, same car, G80 Sport. I have had two dealers take a look and they haven’t found anything. They can’t duplicate the problem so hard for them to diagnose. I get that but this is very frustrating.

Did you contact Genesis directly or through the dealer? Let me know and I will raise the issues more vocally.

 

[Hammy]

It’s at least making some sense now. I have also noticed that if we stop and turn off the car for 1/2 to an hour, it starts working again. So that would point to something freezing and blocking the vents and then melting during the stop.

 

[WPB]

Have you checked all the drain holes in or near the air intake? If one or more are plugged, you may be getting water sucked in with the air and it's more than the evaporator coils can handle. Another possibility is the evaporator drain system.

 

[ctrcbob]

Evaporator under Dash freezing. Once Ice melts, a/c works again.

High humidity will do that.

 

[WPB]

Yes, but OP writes its mainly associated with rain. Pretty sure they have high humidity in Georgia most days of summer.

 

[Barry45RPM]

Check the refrigerant level with guages.

 

[PLavee]

I have the same exact issue. Unquestionably the AC evaporator freezes over. Heat does not help - the heater core is downstream from the AC core, I was told. Dealer ran all tests (including the thermistor I pointed to, and all checks out ok - gas pressure, temperature drop, etc., etc.

So, purpose of this post is to identify a very simple workaround - on days of high humidity AND low temperatures (70’s or less), I simply leave the AC in auto mode but with “Recirculate” on. This way the air circulated is already dried up by the AC on previous pass, so there is less humidity to freeze over. Tested multiple times over long drives and it works every time.

You just have to watch that button status, because it times it will revert back to outside air (I think this is due to the function that detects CO2 and pollutants in the car (the “Ionization sensor”) and turns the air intake back on.

On warm days my AC system never freezes. Hope this helps.

 

[WPB]

Just and idea, though I can't tie it to rain I can tie it to long trips. Has the expansion valve been checked ?
A wide open expansion valve can cause an evaporator to freeze up. Sometimes the clue is frost blowing out the vents in the early stages of the freeze up.
Used to see this in another vehicle routinely - the frost not the freeze up. When idling the flow of refrigerant through the evaporator wasn't much so the expansion valve was wide open. Then when you came up to full power for takeoff it took several seconds for the valve to adjust the increased flow down to the correct level. In the meantime lots of tiny frost particles blowing out the vents. The vehicle was an F14A Tomcat.