Weird thing.,...

[dutch]

Second time this has happened. Went thru auto car wash today and as soon as I enter the tunnel, my a/c stops cooling. Blower still works but does not cool at all. Today it was almost 100 here in KC and my temp gauge also went up a little past center until I came out of the wash tunnel. Drove a few miles back home and all was well including a/c.
Going to ask the car wash next time if some sort of device shuts down electric inside the tunnel.
My Jeep has never run hot!

 

[tommudd]

LOL
no if going through a " tunnel " with very limited air flow and water spraying everywhere of course its going to get hot

 

[dutch]

LOL
no if going through a " tunnel " with very limited air flow and water spraying everywhere of course its going to get hot

This is a new car wash and they had a $10 a month special with unlimited washes. I usually go to one nearer my house and this has never happened at it.

 

[Michael Noland]

Our truck overheated in -20° F weather. The guys from Montana told us that tiny ice crystals block the air filter and make it run lean. Maybe tiny water particles did the same thing.

 

[04Liberty]

Second time this has happened. Went thru auto car wash today and as soon as I enter the tunnel, my a/c stops cooling. Blower still works but does not cool at all. Today it was almost 100 here in KC and my temp gauge also went up a little past center until I came out of the wash tunnel. Drove a few miles back home and all was well including a/c.
Going to ask the car wash next time if some sort of device shuts down electric inside the tunnel.
My Jeep has never run hot!

LMAO......if some sort of device shut down electrics while you were in there, the WHOLE vehicle would've shut down. You were in an enclosed space that basically had recirculated air and your one lonely electric fan was having issues keeping up, especially with the A/C on. That was number 1 reason right there for wanting to install the tow package; you come to a stop in a Libby and your A/C slacks off til you get moving again.

 

[tommudd]

Best answer is to not go through those type of car washes at all
In all of my 53 years of driving never have I used one
And Im very particular about keeping any vehicle clean

 

[JeepJeepster]

Ive got to wonder if the same thing happens if you just stop and let it idle the same amount of time you would if you were sitting in the carwash.

 

[Deb'nKJ]

Interesting point, but how long are we talking about - 3 or 4 minutes tops I'd have thought; no longer than it can take to get across a busy, light controlled intersection.

Must admit my initial reaction was "just another reason not to use those car washes" - so nice to know I'm in good company.

 

[tommudd]

Lots of difference sitting in the street compared to some of these car washes
HUGE difference , like apples and cucumbers difference

 

[Deb'nKJ]

It wasn't me that brought up the time factor but, really, how long can you spend in a drive-thru car wash?

We used to have ones very similar to those I'd seen in the States (& used once - in 2006!) but they're pretty much dead in the water now, with the advent of hand washes & self-service pressure washers so perhaps you've continued to develop them beyond my knowledge of such things.

 

[Techdad]

Check your belt and tensioner. If your belt is glazed or the tensioner is weak, there can be enough slippage to allow a wet belt to slip around the A/C pulley without turning the compressor. The car wash is spraying hot soapy water in the grill and possibly from underneath to wash the underside. As soon as you drive away the belt will sling the water off and once again gain traction on the pulleys. You will see this most often with the compressor, alternator or water pump pulley.
As a test, bring the Jeep up to operating temp with the A/C running. Pop the hood and spray a lite mixture of water and dish washing liquid onto both sides of the belt. You don't need a lot of soap. Maybe 10:1 or so. The kind of mix you would use to locate an air leak on a tire. Watch to see if the compressor stops turning. Could be the belt slipping, could also be a wet clutch. Now spray clean water on the belt to rinse away the soap. Don't spray the engine, just rinse the belt. As the belt slings the water off, you will see the compressor start turning again.
If this test is positive, it does not mean the belt or tensioner need replacing now. Determine the health of the belt or tensioner seperately from the soap test.
But... it does happen (more) when they are worn than with a tight new belt. And it might happen in a thunderstorm or water puddle splash. Long belts don't like water. Flat belts can hydroplane just like a tire.
Older Dodge Caravans were bad about the belt popping off in the rain. The solution was an aftermarket kit with grooved idler pulleys and a belt with grooves on both sides.
Another thing to remember is this... metal expands when it gets hot. But a rubber belt contracts when it gets hot. So if the belt gets sprayed with water, the temp of the belt will drop fast. Thus it gets a little longer and less traction. And the tensioner gets a little less wound up too. A few fractions of an inch is enough to make a difference. Ever drive an old car where a cold V-belt squeals until the engine warms up?
Check your belts and tensioner health.

 

[JeepJeepster]

Lots of difference sitting in the street compared to some of these car washes
HUGE difference , like apples and cucumbers difference

Must be different carwashes in other states. The car washes around here are no different than my garage, except they're open on both ends instead of just one. If anything, I would think the shade and water blasting on the vehicle from 360 degrees would cool the engine down.

Tachdad may be on to something. If the carwash has the underbody spray, it may be blasting right on the belt and causing it to slip. Be an easy test to recreate.

 

[tommudd]

Must be way different car washes in the rest of the world then
I have seen many that are at the very least 90 foot long or more
vehicle goes in and sprayed, goes a bit further and soap is sprayed, moved on a bit and scrubbers start around, goes on etc etc
You are in an area with water coming from every direction for several minutes
There are hard sprays, way worse than any thunderstorm/ hard rain I have ever been in
have rode through a few with a couple of friends who were too lazy to wash their own vehicle
oh well , I never use them

 

[dutch]

Must be way different car washes in the rest of the world then
I have seen many that are at the very least 90 foot long or more
vehicle goes in and sprayed, goes a bit further and soap is sprayed, moved on a bit and scrubbers start around, goes on etc etc
You are in an area with water coming from every direction for several minutes
There are hard sprays, way worse than any thunderstorm/ hard rain I have ever been in
have rode through a few with a couple of friends who were too lazy to wash their own vehicle
oh well , I never use them

To those that don't like the tunnel car washes, I would have agreed with you a couple years ago, but at 78 years old and bad back (have to walk with cane) it's just another thing I hate about getting old!
Until a couple years ago, I had never had anyone but myself change the oil in my vehicles. I love keeping my cars looking sharp and get compliments all the time on them.
The tunnel washes around here surprised me and like some of you I had never used one and was pleasantly surprised with the way they cleaned the Jeep.
Have used it since and everything worked fine with the a/c off. The gal there did tell me it was 15 degrees hotter in the tunnel.

 

[Deb'nKJ]

90' - wow!

If I've seen one of those I'd not recognised it for what it was.

I do sympathise with Dutch though, 'cos I really can't be bothered with something as humdrum as cleaning a car anymore; not when I can pay £6 for 1/2-dozen Romanians to descend on it & do the job for me.

 

[tommudd]

At 68 , well in a couple of weeks, I still do and will wash mine by hand
When I get too old to do it myself, hopefully Ill find a neighbor to wash it by hand
Seen too many things ripped off, destroyed by those automatic type car washes

 

[JeepJeepster]

Often times I will stop and use the self serve spray in the middle of winter, just to get the salt off the underside. I don't spray the paint though. I know the owner of the car wash and verified they DO NOT reuse any of the water. Most car washes MUST recycle some of the water... Cant get much worse than blasting your vehicle with high pressure salt water.