Radiator hose leak affects A/C????

Recently checking on a car we were looking to purchase. My wife called the dealership who had been servicing the car and got good feedback on everything EXCEPT.... the previous owner mentioned that the AC was not cooling well. The diagnosis was a coolant leak from an upper radiator hose.

This alarms me on a couple of levels. First, are these systems so related that a warmer than usual coolant temp would cause the AC not to cool well?

Second, it's scary to think that this car overheated. Could this really affect the AC performance?

Mike

If it overheated, it could have warped the head. I'd have a mechanic check it out before you committed to buying it.

On my 00, the AC struggles against the heater because the cable for the temperature adjuster keeps slipping and it doesn't close the flapper from the heater core all the way (so it's sending a mix of hot and cold air through). Maybe that's what they're talking about?

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Originally Posted by HawkGT650

.... the previous owner mentioned that the AC was not cooling well. The diagnosis was a coolant leak from an upper radiator hose.

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So was it fixed and did it solve the issue??

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Originally Posted by goofygrin

On my 00, the AC struggles against the heater because the cable for the temperature adjuster keeps slipping and it doesn't close the flapper from the heater core all the way (so it's sending a mix of hot and cold air through). Maybe that's what they're talking about?

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That cerainly makes more sense in terms of how the coolant affects the AC.

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Originally Posted by POS Racing

So was it fixed and did it solve the issue??

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The tech advisor told my wife that the customer declined repair because he had an aftermarket radiator and that he was going to return to the shop that installed it.

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Originally Posted by sammm

If it overheated, it could have warped the head. I'd have a mechanic check it out before you committed to buying it.

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Are there other things beside the head that I should check? Is the NB engine like most others, in that a warped head might show up as coolant in the oil or compression gas bubbling into the coolant?

Unless it has a low low price maybe it is time to look at a different Miata. ;-)

if your car is over heating the ac will blow hot. my 02 split a water line going to the throttle body and as soon as the temp needle started to move the ac started blowing hot air. not sure if the car turned off the AC when the water gets to a temp over a set amount or the water was so hot in the heater cored that it couldn't cool the air.

you could always tell them you think there car has been over heated and you want it tested

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Originally Posted by jeff_man

if your car is over heating the ac will blow hot. my 02 split a water line going to the throttle body and as soon as the temp needle started to move the ac started blowing hot air. not sure if the car turned off the AC when the water gets to a temp over a set amount or the water was so hot in the heater cored that it couldn't cool the air.

you could always tell them you think there car has been over heated and you want it tested

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I just called the service advisor myself. Apparently there is a bypass or some other switch that shuts off the a/c when the coolant is low. Never heard of it before, but it does make sense I suppose...

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Originally Posted by HawkGT650

I just called the service advisor myself. Apparently there is a bypass or some other switch that shuts off the a/c when the coolant is low. Never heard of it before, but it does make sense I suppose...

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What?? Coolant?? I'm thinking the Service advisor is full of crap or is he saying it is low on refrigerant?

Coolant and refrigerant are two totally different systems.

Are you in the DFW area? You need to take it to one of the 2 Miata specialists in town and have it looked at before you buy this car.