Hi my 2001 S type 3.0  doesn't blow cold AC until 15-20 minutes after engine starts from cold. I've noticed this in the morning and if I  leave the car off for more than 4-5 hours.   Once the AC starts blowing cold, its very effective. I checked refrigerant level and also extracted the old refrigerant and re introduced with new oil. Still the problem persists. It's usually not an issue in the morning. But its a damn nuisance if I park it in the sun for several hours and start again. What can be the issue?

Edited October 27, 2025Oct 27 by V.Randeny
forgot to add unit of a figure

To be honest, 15-20 mminutes doesn't sound too bad. What part of the world are you in? If it's a hot climate, it could reasonably take longer than normal.

19 minutes ago, LairdScooby said:

To be honest, 15-20 mminutes doesn't sound too bad. What part of the world are you in? If it's a hot climate, it could reasonably take longer than normal.

Hello sir , I'm in Sri Lanka. This is my first Jaguar. I've had Mercedes before. Never encountered such a delay before. So basically, what you're saying is that its normal ?

It does take time for the refrigerant to cycle through the system cooling as it goes, yes. You may be a little low on refrigerant or perhaps the pollen filter is blocked, both of which will slow things down. Also if your TXV (Thermal Expansion Valve) is blocked or lazy this will slow things down further. However the work required to change the TXV is a lot so you'd have to consider the possible gains against doing the job.

When i was working on brand new cars 30 years ago, the usual figure was at least 10 minutes before the AC started "pulling down" - that's in the UK so in the warmth of Sri Lanka, i'd expect another 5-10 minutes.

The AC hasn't worked in my S Type since getting it so i can't offer a comparative figure but hoping to get it sorted fairly soon.

Thanks a lot for the explanation. I did top up the refrigerant and do full service including pollen filter change at the local jaguar dealership. Still the issue persist. But I suppose its normal then. Thanks gain. 

Dear Friends, I finally managed to track down the problem. It was actually two issues , the exterior temperature sensor and  AC compressor clutch which my mechanic found was "weak". After replacing both, the AC starts cooling within 2-3 minutes and does a good job even after parked in the hot sun.  

Thanks for letting us know and glad you got it sorted! 👍