'02 Outback overheats when A/C is on

Car is my coworkers:
195,xxx miles
2002 Outback Sedan
Stock

He's having overheating issues when the A/C is on. Ben and Brian have worked on this car and I cannot remember the situation of the headgaskets. It doesn't overheat unless the A/C is on. Can a broken A/C unit cause that?

Thanks,

Ryan

 

Check for a plugged (airflow) radiator and condensor.

 

^^^^^^^^this

 

+1000

 

Best way to check for that to have a coolant flush? Sorry for the newb question but I've never dealt with this before.

 

u can first try by felling the hoses. hose on the bottom should be cooler than the hose on top rada/condensor. also check the hoses for the heater core.
also make sure that there is nothing that is infront of the rade/condensor. like some plasic/carboard that got picked up while driving on the roads. make sure the fins ont hem are also not bent

 

If you have noticed that its been "snowing" in your area check the front of your condenser. All those cottonwood seeds build up on your condenser and don't allow air through I've been dealing with it daily as I work in the HVAC field

 

no, clogged for airflow. not internally. Just get down in front of the car with a flashlight and make sure the condensor/radiator isn't caked with crap.

 

Get down with your garden hose and start spraying the condenser see how much **** comes out of it.

 

Thanks! I'll send my coworker to town with it. He's been watching this thread.

 

Russ' answer makes the most sense. It there was something (crap, cottonwood seeds, or small children) blocking the airflow through the radiator the engine would overheat all the time, not just when the A/C is on. The fans do kick on as soon as the A/C is turned on even when the engine is cold. When the A/C is being used, there is a higher heat load being dissipated in front of the engine radiator which will cause it to cool less efficiently. The other clue would be if the engine does NOT overheat when the A/C is on AND the car is travelling at highway speed. The air flow moving through the radiator should be enough to keep it cool regardless if the fans are running of not. I suspect the engine overheats because it is being driven at low speed in-town and the fans are needed to keep the radiator cool.

 

Ac works an engine harder, it could be the straw that broke the camel's back, Ive seen it before.