[Mark_]

My 2019 Jeep Cherokee Latitude + is having AC issues. When I turn it on at any setting, it will run for a little while. During that time, the air blows strongly and then weakens; it alternates between these. Then, the air completely stops blowing but the AC system is still on. Any ideas? It's way too hot in New Mexico to be driving around with no AC.

Hi there,

When you say 'Then, the air completely stops blowing but the AC system is still on', what does that mean exactly ? I mean how can you tell it is still 'on' if the fan stops blowing ?

One possibility with the air blowing strongly then weakly could be the system going from normal to recirculate, to normal, etc... Mine does that when it's really hot and it is designed to work that way. Recirculate allows quicker cabin cooling, and it blows harder than in 'normal' mode.
But you mention it stops blowing, which is never normal...

Either way, you'll need a dealership or competent A/C shop to look into this, these newer systems are not DIY-friendly, so don't even try to recharge it yourself..

 

[Mark_]

Betcha 20 bucks your AC system is low on refrigerant, causing the evaporator to freeze (ice-up), blocking the flow of air. I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but I have had this exact thing happen more than once.

Like @Mark_ says, don't try recharging it yourself, unless you know what you are doing.

Oh right... I had this happen with my Cherokee too. Ice build-up on a low charge. What I remember about that was... loud blower noise but hardly any air coming out of the vents. And then... I had ice chunks flying out of the vents (no s**t) ; family members were... impressed... Shut the system down for 10 minutes to let the ice melt (on the evap coil) and got the system to work for the rest of the trip. When we got back, had the system checked and indeed the charge was low (leak).