As predictable as the sun raises everyday, my a/c will not cool after I go through a car wash. Sounds silly, but it's true. It will blow warm moist air.

And it will take hours before it engages again. Even shutting down the engine and waiting doesn't solve this one.

I decided to check all the plugs and connectors leading to the compressor and the freon container ( not sure what you call it - the one with the sight glass) and wiped down the connectors and prongs. They were all moist and dirty. Since then, the a/c is cooling better than before. But I have not yet driven it through a car wash to test it out.

Any ideas on what may be the cause? Did I pinpoint it by cleaning the connectors?

Peter
'93 300 E 2.8
140,000 miles

I don't think that there's any question that it is water getting on your serpentine belt and causing slipping which will shut down the compressor. The first thing that I would do is shut off the car while it's in the car wash -- this will reduce the amount of water being sprayed into the belt area via the grill (no fan assitance, in other words). Then, keep the A/C off for a few miles and then turn it on. If it does not come on, restart the car. Repeat if necessary.

Richard Easley
Waco, Texas

Thanks for the reply Richard. Your solution sounds logical when you consider that I have also found the insides of the connectors and plugs to be damp.

Peter