My air conditioner works well for a while, blowing very cold air. Then, suddenly the compressor seems to shut off & only warm air is emitted. This seems to happen especially on hot days (sometimes on cooler days too) and especially if I am in stop and go traffic or waiting at a light. If I accelerate to a higher speed, like when on the interstate, the compressor seems to kick back in. I can do this 5 or 6 times. Eventually, even that fails. Then I have to turn off the system and let it rest. About 10 minutes later I can restart the air conditioner, and it cools perfectly. I recently had the freon refilled and the system checked for leaks by mechanic but no leaks were found. Then it happened again and that mechanic had it for an entire day but said they could find nothing wrong with it. So I finally gave up and took it to Subaru - they said it's both head gaskets leaking and that I should have then replaced plus they recommended replacing the timing belt and the water pump at the same time at a cost of $2800. I can't find anything about leaking head gaskets causing a/c troubles and I've read on some other sites that other Forester owners have the exact same trouble even after replacing the head gaskets so I am not sure if I trust that the dealer is telling me the truth about this. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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forget what the dealer said. they are trying to sell you stuff that has nothing to do with your ac problem.
the system is icing up and shutting down. you need a good ac shop. they will evaluate the pressure readings and advise you from there.
Roy
Thanks Roy!