If your AC is weak, make them check for a leak

[clockwork crane]

I got my R1T in September of last year, in the middle of a heat wave. I noticed even at delivery that the AC seemed a bit weak, but I figured it was probably just fighting 100F+ external temps.

Over the next couple of months I kept noticing that the AC wasn't doing a very good job, and after November or so it was just not doing anything. When I brought my truck in a couple of months ago for other repairs (including a non-working air vent), I asked them to take a look at the HVAC and refrigerant also. They noticed it was undercharged, and recharged it.

At this point I started to get suspicious; why would the refrigerant be undercharged? Was it leaking somewhere? Sure enough, over the next month or so, the AC started to weaken again. When I brought it back in last week for another fix, I told them to take another look at the refrigerant. And sure enough, they found a leak: there was a "rolled o-ring in the evap sensor"; they replaced the O-ring and the sensor too.

AC seems to be working fine now, though time will tell. Got a road trip to Arizona planned later; that will definitely test it.


So, if the AC in your Rivian is weak, and especially if it gets weaker over time, that's not normal; I suggest you get the SC to inspect it for refrigerant pressure and leaks. And in addition to wanting cabin comfort, it's an environmental issue: most automotive refrigerants are awful greenhouse gases, so the less they leak into the atmosphere, the better.

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[911.1 Guy]

If refrigerent leaks out, you have a leak that has to be fixed. Filling it will only be temporary.

 

[SRO]

If refrigerent leaks out, you have a leak that has to be fixed. Filling it will only be temporary.

I don’t think the glass roof helps.

 

[clockwork crane]

If refrigerent leaks out, you have a leak that has to be fixed. Filling it will only be temporary.

That's why I took it back in as soon as I realized that the AC was getting weaker again. I still can't figure out why they didn't check for a leak the first time, since it would be weird for the refrigerant to be undercharged at the factory. Possible, I guess, with Rivian's build validation issues. But weird.

 

[EVTrukHog]

I got my R1T in September of last year, in the middle of a heat wave. I noticed even at delivery that the AC seemed a bit weak, but I figured it was probably just fighting 100F+ external temps.

Over the next couple of months I kept noticing that the AC wasn't doing a very good job, and after November or so it was just not doing anything. When I brought my truck in a couple of months ago for other repairs (including a non-working air vent), I asked them to take a look at the HVAC and refrigerant also. They noticed it was undercharged, and recharged it.

At this point I started to get suspicious; why would the refrigerant be undercharged? Was it leaking somewhere? Sure enough, over the next month or so, the AC started to weaken again. When I brought it back in last week for another fix, I told them to take another look at the refrigerant. And sure enough, they found a leak: there was a "rolled o-ring in the evap sensor"; they replaced the O-ring and the sensor too.

AC seems to be working fine now, though time will tell. Got a road trip to Arizona planned later; that will definitely test it.


So, if the AC in your Rivian is weak, and especially if it gets weaker over time, that's not normal; I suggest you get the SC to inspect it for refrigerant pressure and leaks. And in addition to wanting cabin comfort, it's an environmental issue: most automotive refrigerants are awful greenhouse gases, so the less they leak into the atmosphere, the better.

i had the same pinched O-ring and A/C problem within 35 days of getting my truck last fall. This is a thing on some builds.

 

[nc10]

Mine has been in the SC twice to fix a leak. I'm concerned it is failing again, but hard for me to tell for sure in cool weather

 

[av8or]

Mines going in in a couple weeks for AC repair as well.

 

[madgrey]

And sure enough, they found a leak: there was a "rolled o-ring in the evap sensor"; they replaced the O-ring and the sensor too.

"A rolled o-ring" is the same issue attributed by the SC advisor about my suspension leak. There seems to be a cack-handed person or robot putting these things together.

 

[clockwork crane]

AC seems to be working fine now, though time will tell. Got a road trip to Arizona planned later; that will definitely test it.

Update:

Air conditioning performed well for the entire road trip, no more issues.

I have also noticed that the truck can now maintain DC fast charging at higher kW for longer and at higher states of charge. On previous trips I would sometimes hit DC charge rate limitations with the message "Limited while battery is cooling", even in relatively cool weather (40F-55F). Now with the AC fixed, I haven't ever seen that message again, even after fast charging multiple times in one day. There are of course the usual station-related problems (thanks EA!), but the truck itself is performing well.

 

[BooneRiv]

I had the exact same issue. The Atlanta SC found this right away. They didn’t attempt the band-aid fix of only recharging it.

 

[shift4]

My truck struggled in the heat,
Like a desert in the backseat.
I brought it to service the next week
So they could take a peek.
They noticed the cooling was deplete,
So they filled it back to complete.
I thought the problem was obsolete,
But alas, the cooling was still meek.
The situation looked bleak,
But a solution I was determined to seek.
Once more to service, refusing defeat.
Again, they gave it a tweak,
Finding an o-ring that had been beat.
So if your AC is weak,
Make them check for a leak!

 

[ADKR1S]

My truck struggled in the heat,
Like a desert in the backseat.
I brought it to service the next week
So they could take a peek.
They noticed the cooling was deplete,
So they filled it back to complete.
I thought the problem was obsolete,
But alas, the cooling was still meek.
The situation looked bleak,
But a solution I was determined to seek.
Once more to service, refusing defeat.
Again, they gave it a tweak,
Finding an o-ring that had been beat.
So if your AC is weak,
Make them check for a leak!

 

[prestapost]

Anyone know if a non-Rivian service place can recharge or check for a leak? Mine worked last summer, but appears to be dead now. Service center is 300 miles away.

 

[Riviot]

I learned today if your fan pressure is low, and you don't want recirc, you can crack a window and it'll blast instead of pressuring your damn ears.

 

[Christopher]

Anyone know if a non-Rivian service place can recharge or check for a leak? Mine worked last summer, but appears to be dead now. Service center is 300 miles away.

Doubt it's something a mobile service can do but worth asking. Did it slowly get worse? Any local shop to diagnose and fix HVAC system is going to make a 300 mile trip worth it. They'll need to evacuate the system, perform a pressure test, if that fails then find the leak and fix it, then recharge. Not cheap! And if it's not even a leak they won't have access to Rivian parts.

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