Airconditioning Issue
 

I have a 2004 Saturn VUE, 3.5 L, V6 (212 CI), AWD, with 164,000 miles that I purchased used in Michigan from a GM Dealer about a year back.
The air condition on this VUE works great as long as the vehicle is moving on the road. When in idle and parked, the cooling performance appear to get reduced and soon it will blow not so cold air until the vehicle start to move and gradually the performance will get better and perform well.
Is there anybody out there had this issue and if so how did you get it resolved?

Sounds like it probably has a leak. Have you checked the Freon level?

I don't know diddly about a/c, but would suspect that it's just low on 134. Have a REPUTABLE shop check it for you unless you just want to go to Walmart and get a do-it-yourself can with the gauge on it. I've used them. They're not too expensive and easy to use. If you have a leak, it will have to be repaired and that ain't cheap.

Thanks for your inputs goaliemo & Rubehayseed. I had this issue from the day I purchased the VUE 2013. So my assumption is that there is no refrigerant leak. When I first noticed the problem, Thinking that there may be a leak, I consulted a mechanics I’ve been using for about 35 years. He confirmed that there is no leak and the pressure is where it should be. He also quoted $400 to diagnose and fix. As I mentioned on my previous post. As long as I am driving, the A/C performs great even in the 90°F Florida weather. The performance appears to reduce while I wait at traffic signals or parked for an extended time which I seldom do. I was curious as to if anyone else experienced this issue. I never come across this issue in my past 55 years of driving various other vehicles including a 1957 Desoto.

Ya got me, George. I hope that maybe UncleJon will see this. He's an older fella with some experience and he lives in AZ. It gets hot there, and even though it's not muggy like here or FL, the a/c is still much needed and appreciated.

I'll be honest guys, unless I have a passenger, I won't use my a/c. I know it doesn't really affect gas, but I tell myself it does. I have windows for a reason. And I live in Louisiana.

I've been to Louisiana, Billy. That's all the more reason to have working a/c as far as I'm concerned. The humidity there sucks as much as is does in Tennessee in the summer.

I guess I'm weird. I hate the wind, but the breeze with all the windows down is nice.

If it ain't got a/c and it is not working, I don't want one! That said. I am a back yard A/C mechanic and frankly have never had a full set of diagnostic tools for it.
I have to go along with Rube's answer.
The simple test is to go ahead and buy a can of 134 with a gauge on it and hook it up according to the simple instructions on the can and see for your self what is going on.
Here is my problem with the answer you got from your A/C mechanic.
He said pressures were correct?
And he wants $400.00 to diagnose and fix?
Fix what?
He just got through saying there is nothing wrong with it.
I got a deal for you!
Send me $400.00.
I have converted all cars I have owned over the years from Freon to R134. In part because as the systems aged and needed repairs, if they were Freon based, you could not get Freon short of the national debt.
At that time R134 was $2.00 a can. I noticed last week it is now $9.00 a can. While that appears to be highway robbery, it is still less than $400.00.
A car converted to 134 and doing nothing more than removing the Freon and adding 134, and yes that can be done just in case some one insists that it can not be done, will characteristically start to warm up a bit at a stop light and as soon as the car is rolling, get cold again. The Condenser for Freon is not as efficient when being used with 134 but it will work reliably. And for some strange reason when the temperature is hotter than 110 degrees, it actually works better. Don't know why and don't care.
Your A/C symptom sounds as if it is not fully charged.
It is a simple manner to charge it up to the simple gauges supplied with a Can of R134 and certainly worth he about $15.00 (now) you are going to have to pay for the part and the R134.
And beats the heck out of saying my 1957 Desoto worked, simply because the Desoto is not part of the problem or the mechanic telling you nothing is wrong but it is going to cost $400.00 to fix it.

Thanks for your inputs goalimo, Rubehayseed & uncljohn on this A/C issue.
I purchased this vehicle used in 2013 with about 164K miles. There was couple of other issues (Not related to A/C) that I was trying to find answers to. I posted those issues on this forum under “grinding noise during cold mornings”. As I mentioned on that post, I found a small shop in Cape Coral who gave me the proper diagnosis and fix for about 25% of what a GM dealer quoted with absurd incorrect diagnosis.
I took the VUE to this same shop in Cape Coral and asked them to check the refrigerant pressures. After a test drive the mechanic came back checked and informed me that the high side of pressure was 150 psig and the low side of the pressure was 70 psig. He said that the pressures should have been 200 and 35 respectively. He then presented me with a written quote of $1800.00 for what he claimed to be the proper way of fixing this A/C Issue. He said that the compressor is shot and needs to be replaced along with the dryer and expansion and proceeded to pointed to a small 1/8” dent at the bottom of the condenser coil and said that the quote included replacing the condenser coil as well even though it is not leaking and never leaked. Ever since I discovered the A/C issue I have been monitoring the properties of the discharge air at maximum A/C, max air flow and with recirculation. The worst case scenario at an ambient temperature of 90°F, while moving, it reached 57°F and 45% RH. While waiting at a traffic light, the temperature and humidity increased slowly and gradually. I was getting close to these readings consistently.
Since the A/C system is performing fine while vehicle is on the move, I guess I’ll hold off until I discover the real reason for this issue or wait until the system fails completely before considering any further repair approach.