Honda CR-V: How to Reset Air Conditioner? And Other Fixes

You may have heard that many problems in modern cars are solved by simply resetting the malfunctioning unit. This comes from those cool relaxed guys who always ask: "Did you try turning it off and then on again?" to any question about why a certain thing doesn't work. Well, sometimes it really makes sense!

Car software settings problems highlights

• Howcommon:very common
• Main reasons:hard-to-operate software, glitch, hardware issues
• DIY diagnosis:possible
• DIYrepair:possible
• Solutions:resetting, learning how to set, asking for professional help
• Can you drive?yes
• Price in dealership:$150 - $250

When will you want to reset a CR-V air conditioner?

When it's hot outside, the last thing you will want your vehicle to do is blow in hot air from the vents. But this day will most likely come and you will experience this disgusting feeling of hot air in your car instead of refreshing cold wind from the vents. What's wrong? Is your CR-V asking for some bad repair? Well, maybe. But let's check first whether you can solve the problem by a simple reset.

Your AC system in the CR-V is controlled by several electronic modules and it may fail to start just because these modules are faulty or the software went crazy. In these cases, the simple reset should help you get the AC back into action.

Here's when it's worth trying:

• your climate system stopped working suddenly, without any symptoms or errors;
• the climate control block is working and showing that everything is OK;
• the compressor under the hood of your car may or may not start depending on the reason for the problem;
• there are no error codes and the check engine light is not flashing on the dash of your Honda;
• the fan is working just the air is not cold and refreshing;
• you can still set the temperature in your climate control unit but nothing changes, only the temperature figures on the screen.

If you experience these issues, most likely, your climate control module went crazy and needs restarting. You can't reset it just by turning the engine off and then on again. The climate control module has its own memory and the settings are connected to the separate electronic block that needs proper restarting if failed once.

Very often, this may happen after air conditioner repair, a long time with no power from the battery, after the limp mode because of some engine problems, or just after you haven't used the AC for a long time. Let's see what you should do, in this case.

How to reset the Honda CR-V AC system?

So, it won't take a lot of time to reset the air conditioner in your CR-V. Also, you will not need any special tools or experience. Just follow the simple guideline below to complete the reset and try to get your AC back to life.

Here's what you should do:

1) Turn off the engine and take the key out of the ignition cylinder.

If you have the push button start, just turn off the vehicle and wait for several minutes. For a CR-V with a traditional key ignition cylinder, turn off the engine and take the key out. Wait for some minutes.

2) Turn on the accessory mode

In a push-button-start car, you will need to press the button once shortly or follow any other instructions on how to turn to ACC mode. For the key cylinder, you will just need to move the key to the position too which is the ACC position. The engine will not start, but your car accessories will get power from the battery.

3) Now locate the AC OFF button and the DEFROST button

The button that turns off the conditioner usually says AC. The DEFROST or DEFOG button will have a pictogram of a windshield on it. Also, the DEFROST button has the light that you need to be able to see after you press that button.

4) Press those two buttons simultaneously

Now, press the AC OFF button and the DEROST button and hold them pressed for some time. You will see that after a couple of seconds, the DEFROST button light will blink 5 times. This means that the AC control unit is reset.

5) Depress both buttons and turn off the ignition

When the light has blinked 5 times, depress the buttons simultaneously and then turn off the engine. After a minute, you will want to turn the engine on and see if your air conditioner is working now.

When you are done, the air conditioner should be working from scratch. All the settings will be lost but this gives you the chance that the AC will be able to work again. After you successfully reset the air conditioner, you should start the engine to let the compressor work and set the AC to the lowest possible temperature. Then turn on the fans to let the cold air come through the vents.

In less than a minute, you will feel cool air coming in through the vents. Don't feel that? Then, most likely, your air conditioner is broken and the reason was not in just some settings. Now, we'll try to quickly list some of the major problems that affect the work of your air conditioner.

What can lead to AC problems in your Honda CR-V?

The problem with the air conditioner in the Honda CR-V is not uncommon. People report a lot of issues and they may have different reasons. Sometimes, finding out the reason and repairing your AC is only possible with some professional equipment.

Here are the most common reasons why the AC is not working in your CR-V:

1. Limp mode

The ECU will turn to limp mode anytime the engine experiences abnormal conditions or loads. This may happen when some sensor is faulty or the engine is misfiring heavily. When the engine goes to limp mode, the ECU turns off the power to most units like AC, radio, etc. You can also feel that the power of the vehicle has dropped significantly and you can only drive slowly.

2. No freon in the AC system

The AC system is pressurized and once the pressure drops because of some leaks, it stops working completely. You will only get warm air if there is no pressure and not enough freon. This may happen because of the leak, but this may also be the natural process of pressure drop in the system. Have your AC checked and charged with freon if the system is still pressurized.

3. Climate control block malfunction

It's not uncommon for the CR-V to have a problem with the climate control unit. You may have spilled some coffee or water on it or it's old enough to just malfunction without any reason. When this happens, your AC may still work well but you just can't turn on the needed temperature because the AC unit is not sending the signals to the control module and eventually to the compressor and fans. The only way to solve the issue is to replace the faulty unit.

4. Faulty AC compressor

The task of the AC compressor is to ensure that the freon in the system circulates under the needed pressure. Otherwise, the coolant will not do its job. If the compressor is not working or is malfunctioning, you will not get enough cold air in your vehicle. If everything else is working properly, just have the compressor checked by a specialist.

5. Cabin filter issues

Your car has a filter that prevents dust and particles from getting into the car from outside. This filter is often forgotten and it may not be changed for years. This leads to filter contamination and clogging. So, the air will not get at all from the outside and the AC will not work. Just get the filter out and try if the air conditioner is working without it.

How to prevent your Honda CR-V AC from failing?

Your air conditioner in the Honda CR-V needs proper maintenance, just like any other unit in the vehicle. Have the AC tested each time your SUV is on regular maintenance. For maintenance, it's enough to check the pressure, add some freon if needed, check the compressor, and also change the cabin filter once every two years or so.

If you notice that the air conditioner gradually loses its efficiency and blows in warmer air than expected, have it inspected immediately. Also, try all those DIY methods we were talking about in this article to locate and solve the problem. But if DIY methods don't work, just go to the dealer or to the trusted repair shop and have the AC inspected properly.