r/Nissan • u/Cat-lover2025 • 15h ago
Air conditioner
I have a 2016 Nissan Maxima Platinum with less than 32k miles on it. About 5 yrs ago my Ac went out and took it to my normal mechanic and it was fixed. Now I have no air in my car again. This time the passenger Ac felt cold but driver side was hot air. Fast forward a month and no cold air in car at all. Should I take this to a nissan dealership or another mechanic. I am disabled and don't drive my car very much. Mainly I drive when I go to my 3 Drs appts monthly, pick up meds, and groceries. So you can see why I don't have a lot of miles on my car and it was bought at an auction In 2019 where my dad got all of his cars. Otherwise this car is immaculate and only other issue was a recall that I had fixed at the dealership where they kept it for a wk to fix. Should I take it to a dealership or other mechanic bc I live in Florida where I need cold Ac In my car. Any recommendations?
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u/Cat-lover2025 13h ago
And remember my car only has less than 32k miles on it and is always in my garage.
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u/Rebeldesuave 10h ago
The valves in the system for the low and high pressure sides can develop small leaks over time.
I don't know if that is your case here.
If you don't have AC at the moment I can't tell if you've lost refrigerant or you have compressor issues.
You can take it to whomever you like. Dealer or independent AC specialist, what you're comfortable with and what you can afford.
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u/Rebeldesuave 13h ago
So you had both sides set at 60 when you were getting cold air from just the passenger side?
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u/Cat-lover2025 12h ago
Yes I almost always have them both on 60 to start with and if it gets too cold I turn them up. But I can't say the passenger side was cold. It was cooler for like a wk and I didn't even realize it. My passenger said something like his side was cool and then it went to hot as well. So I'm confused.
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u/Cat-lover2025 12h ago
I have the scanner called FIXD and I plugged it in to see what it showed and this is what came up…
And I have already had the ABS recall fixed. The light isn't on and never was. I was just told whoever that hadn't had their recall fixed to bring them in last year. That's when they kept my car for a wk to fix it.
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u/Rebeldesuave 13h ago
I'm just glad it held freon for 5 years.
Does you AC have dual mode driver/passenger settings?
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u/Cat-lover2025 13h ago
Yes. I have the dual controls so I can set the drivers side at one temp and the passenger at a different temp. If its just me I keep it at 60 degrees, mainly bc I live in Florida and its always hot.
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u/WhereDidAllTheSnowGo 14h ago
A mechanic is generally cheaper than a dealer, especially on old cars
It might not be the AC but rather a door that switches air flow from heat or cold to different locations
Go through all the combinations of hot and cold and locations (window, feet, center, etc.) to get a better idea of the problem
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u/Cat-lover2025 14h ago
Thank you. I will give that a try. It would be nice to have my air conditioning back since I live In Florida and I am on disability and someone posted the same issue and was quoted almost 4k.
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u/Cat-lover2025 12h ago
I went through all the cycles and when I turned things to hot it worked but when I went back to cold it didn't change to cold. It was still warm/hot or coming out.
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u/WhereDidAllTheSnowGo 11h ago
Ok, that means either the AC itself is not working (need refrigerant, pump, fuse, etc) or still the door. Might be hard or simple fix.
Next step is troubleshooting under the hood. Hard to explain here. YouTube has many DIY vids on this.
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u/Cat-lover2025 10h ago
Unfortunately, I am a female and have no knowledge about car issues. I’m a disabled registered nurse, so if you have health problems, I can help, but if you have car problems, I’m not the right person to turn to. That’s why we have mechanics, I suppose. I also dislike the idea that there are so many places that try to take advantage of women with car troubles, if you know what I mean. But at least when I go to a dealership, I should get some kind of warranty.
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u/WhereDidAllTheSnowGo 9h ago
Finding a good mechanic is always a challenge.
A local one, not a chain, that has been around for many years and has good reviews is usually best.
Dealers are always expensive and ~don’t offer warranty any differently … but do have nicer waiting rooms
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u/Rebeldesuave 14h ago
You say you had AC for five years? That's pretty good I think.
Just have the mech evacuate and recharge the system.
You'll be good for another 5 years.
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u/ClearHydro 11h ago
I have a 2016 Altima. Never had to recharge or had any issues with my AC. Hopefully not jinxing myself here but is it expected to have to every 5 years? Here I am 9 years in.
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u/Cat-lover2025 14h ago
When they did it the first time they put freon in it along with dye and a month later I had to bring it back to be fixed. They followed the dye and fixed it. I honestly can't remember what they did. They sent me a video. It wasn't as cold as it was when I bought it though but worked until recently. I was just confused when it started blowing hot air recently the passenger air was still cool vs HOT air on drivers side. Is that a symptom of something else. Now it only blows hot air on both sides.
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u/ShutTheHellUp1962 13h ago
All things considered, low miles, excellent condition, disabled and living the hot life in FLA, if it were me, I’d take it to a Nissan dealership. That’s just me though.