Honda CR-V Climate Control Problems [Plus Solutions]

In this post, I’ve covered the common climate control problems you may encounter in your Honda CV-R and how to go about them.

First off, here are the causes of climate control problems in a Honda CR-V:

A leaky condenser.
Loose low-pressure AC hose.
Broken compressor.
A dirty evaporator.
A bad blower motor.
Faulty blend door actuator.

Table of Contents

Common Problems with Honda CR-V Climate Control

1. AC doesn’t blow cold air

One common climate control problem in Honda CR-V cars is that the AC only blows slightly cool air, no matter what temperature you set it to.

If your AC doesn’t blow cold air, your condenser might be leaky.

The role of the condenser is to collect refrigerant gas from the compressor and convert it into liquid. This liquid is then used to transform warm air into cold air.

If you have a leaky condenser, most of the refrigerant gas may escape from your AC before the condenser can convert it to liquid. The little juice the condenser extracts from the gas will be insufficient to cool the warm air in the AC.

To fix this issue, you’ll need to replace the condenser in your AC. Your condenser is located in front of your vehicle’s radiator.

Another reason your AC may only blow slightly cool air is a loose low-pressure AC hose. The role of the low-pressure AC hose is to collect left-over refrigerant from a previous cooling process and pump it back into the compressor.

If the low-pressure AC hose is loose, the gas in the hose may leak out completely before it pumps the gas back into the compressor.

You can resolve this problem by changing your low-pressure AC hose. Search for this hose between your evaporator and AC compressor in the engine compartment.

2. Noisy AC compressor

If you keep hearing a loud noise from your AC compressor, your climate control system is faulty. An AC compressor makes strange noises when the system is broken.

Your AC compressor produces a grinding noise when it pumps refrigerant gas from the AC. If the compressor is in good shape, the grinding noise will be low. This is because the system doesn’t use much effort to pump the gas.

But over time, your compressor will get weak. As such, pumping the refrigerant may put a strain on the system. The stress your old compressor faces while pumping gas is what produces the loud noise you hear.

You can resolve this problem by changing your AC compressor. Your AC compressor is located at the front of your car’s engine.

3. Climate control gives off a moldy smell

You can tell that your Honda CR-V climate control system is problematic if you keep getting a moldy smell from the system. This problem is often caused by a dirty evaporator.

The purpose of the evaporator is to absorb heat from the air in your AC, thus making it as cool as possible. Whereas the refrigerant may have cooled the air, the air might still contain some heat. The rest of this heat is absorbed by your evaporator.

But if your evaporator is clogged, it might be unable to extract this heat from the air flowing through your vents. As such, the humidity may accumulate around your car and start giving off a foul scent.

To eliminate this issue, you’ll need to clean your evaporator. Search for your evaporator at the front of the engine compartment in your vehicle.

4. No airflow from vents

Another way to detect a climate control problem in your Honda CR-V is to check if the vents are blowing air when the AC or heat is on. If you aren’t getting any air from the vents, your climate control system is malfunctioning.

Usually, a climate control system stops blowing air because you have a bad blower motor. The blower motor is the component that distributes air around your car. This motor gets a signal to blow air immediately after you turn on your climate control system.

But since your blower motor is bad, it might not receive a signal when your AC/ heat is on. This is why no air is flowing through your vents.

Your vents should start blowing air once you change your blower motor. You’ll find your blower motor under your passenger’s side dashboard.

5. Climate control produces a knocking noise when coming on

If you hear a knocking noise whenever you turn on your Honda CR-V climate control system, there might be a problem with the system. This noise may sound like someone is tapping lightly on a door near you.

The knocking noise from your climate control system might be a warning that your blend door actuator is shot. This actuator ensures that your climate control releases air at your preferred temperature.

If you ignore the knocking noise for a long time, your AC may start producing hot air instead of cool air. Likewise, your heater may release cool air.

To avoid this issue, change your blend door actuator as soon as possible. The blend door actuator in a Honda CR-V car is located beside the gas pedal.

Honda CR-V Models with the Most Climate Control Problems

Here are the Honda CR-V models with the highest number of climate control problems:

2014 Honda CR-V
2017 Honda CR-V

According to carcomplaints.com, the 2017 Honda CR-V has the most climate control problems among all Honda CR-V models. About 56 users of the model reported issues with their vehicles’ climate control systems.

Another notorious model for climate control problems is the 2014 Honda CR-V. This model received 24 complaints about AC/heater issues.

Honda CR-V Models with the Least Climate Control Problems

The Honda CR-V models with the fewest climate control problems are the following:

2020 Honda CR-V
2021 Honda CR-V

Carcomplaints.com states that the 2020 and 2021 Honda CR-V models only got two complaints about climate control problems.

How Much Does It Cost to Fix Honda CR-V Climate Control Problems?

It costs between $258 and $327 to fix a climate control problem in a Honda CR-V.

Tips to Prevent Honda CR-V Climate Control Problems

Don’t ignore any strange behavior in your climate control system.
Recharge your AC once every year.
Change your air filters monthly to reduce rust.
Wash your car daily.
Try to always park your car under a shade.

You may also like to read about Toyota RAV4 and Chevy Traverse climate control problems.

Wrapping Up

Follow the tips in this article to resolve the climate control problems in your Honda CR-V car. If you need to replace a part, and can’t detach it from your vehicle, contact your mechanic.