My 2003 HCH1's A/C does not have much cooling capacity. On a warm day, say 80F, it can keep the car cold, but on a hot day, like today's 105F, the best it can do is to make the car slightly less hot, perhaps 95F. This is in suburban driving, no idea what it does on the highway under these conditions. It has been like that since I bought it used many years ago.

Is this typical? I had always assumed it was the result of the 1.3L motor not having enough power and the A/C having been scaled down to match. If others are seeing real cooling I may take it in for service. (It is going to be 110F tomorrow!)

The car came with a bunch of mashed in radiator fins, some of which I straightened at one point, I have not looked at them since:

http://www.cleanmpg.com/community/in...threads/42351/

 

The A/C in mine works like a champ. In the Tucson heat I have had a few 100+ days this year and the A/C cools great. I think you are either low on freon or your condenser is not working properly so it cannot dissipate the heat the freon is building up.

 

+1 to FLTENG. Pics of condenser would help. Every Honda I have owned (5) has leaked refrigerant and needed topping off every few years.

Since you don't have the hybrid compressor, you can use whatever, but I recommend you get a cheap set of manifold gauges and a couple $5 cans of straight R-134a from Walmart and check it out yourself.

 

The HCH-1 doesn't have a "scaled down" compressor, it is of normal size. Auto air looses a bit of "freon" every year, a tiny bit, but it can add up and after many years you can lose enough to dramatically alter the cooling ability of the system. Best you have the system evacuated and topped up, then determine if you need to go further. My 2004 Civic Hybrid cools great, now that I fixed the clutch engaging issue (remove shim).