2016 Explorer Turbo 4 cyl no a/c when it's hot outside

[Gallenfam]

We have had our 2016 Explorer with the 4 cyl turbo since October 2015. This is the first summer in Az for it. We crossed the desert last week when it was 109 degrees outside. We had already been having problems with it cutting out anytime it sat in the sun and we first started it up. Whenever we climb a hill or accelerate quickly, the a/c cuts off. The fan works, but no cold air. Well, we took it to California across the I-10 last week with record heat. We had no air one the outside temp hit 109. We stopped at a dealer in Blythe, Ca and were told that it's a safety switch built into the system to protect the motor if it's under too much stress. Essentially we were told we were using the buttons wrong and should not use the max a/c. They sent us on our way. The a/c worked fine at a slow speed until we got back out on the highway and then it shut back off. I found that if I accelerated to around 100 mph and then coasted, the a/c would come back on for about 20 seconds. This is how we survived until we reached Oceanside where it was 65 degrees out and then the a/c began working fine once again.
Has anyone else had this same experience?

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum Gallenfam.
As soon as I read the part where you stated it (A/C) cut out going uphill or accelerating quickly I though of a 'cut-off' switch. I think that the A/C load and the fact it is a 2.0L turbo is a bit too much for it to handle. That's just a guess though. No one else has reported this particular issue similar to this that I can recall. I would still have it checked out by another dealer just to be sure. Reminds a bit of the '55 Buick we had once. Every time you stepped on the gas a bit harder than normal the wipers would stop. They were vacuum controlled.

Peter

 

[Gallenfam]

Welcome to the Forum Gallenfam.
As soon as I read the part where you stated it (A/C) cut out going uphill or accelerating quickly I though of a 'cut-off' switch. I think that the A/C load and the fact it is a 2.0L turbo is a bit too much for it to handle. That's just a guess though. No one else has reported this particular issue similar to this that I can recall. I would still have it checked out by another dealer just to be sure. Reminds a bit of the '55 Buick we had once. Every time you stepped on the gas a bit harder than normal the wipers would stop. They were vacuum controlled.

Peter

Thanks..I agree. I think they released the turbo too soon. How can you possibly manufacture a car in 2016 that has a/c that doesn't work when it's hot outside??? They have had it at our local dealer since Tuesday and "cannot duplicate the problem". That was Wednesday. We have had no communication since then. We told them when we dropped it off to fix it or write us a check for a refund.

 

[Flatplane]

Gallenfam: I am not exactly sure what is causing your concern of no cooling of air on your hot days. I am quite sure the PCM or powertrain control module does control the operation of the A/C compressor. The PCM looks at several inputs that will regulate whether the compressor comes on but will also regulate how hard the compressor will work. Your vehicle has what is called EVDC or electronically variable displacement compressor. The feature regulates the function based on engine loading, ambient temperature, driver input, vehicle speed to name just a few. Algorithms are written to the software of the PCM to control that function so as to protect against such things that might happen like engine overheating, lost fuel mileage and providing available horsepower during acceleration. The concern may be very hard to duplicate and conveying all the pertinent information to the servicing dealer is paramount. I would suggest that you find a competent dealer that will understand all the parameters involved and work very closely with you to resolve your concern. I once discovered some "hidden" programming in a vehicle that was installed at the factory to prevent fuel overheating after driving for two hours with ambient temps above 95 degrees. It was programmed to operate that way. The "fix" was simply shut the vehicle off to the reset the two hour internal timer and it would function normally again. I am not saying this is your "fix" but it may be something simple along those lines. Good luck with your search for cool air. I will monitor to hear of any COOL developments

 

[Gallenfam]

Gallenfam: I am not exactly sure what is causing your concern of no cooling of air on your hot days. I am quite sure the PCM or powertrain control module does control the operation of the A/C compressor. The PCM looks at several inputs that will regulate whether the compressor comes on but will also regulate how hard the compressor will work. Your vehicle has what is called EVDC or electronically variable displacement compressor. The feature regulates the function based on engine loading, ambient temperature, driver input, vehicle speed to name just a few. Algorithms are written to the software of the PCM to control that function so as to protect against such things that might happen like engine overheating, lost fuel mileage and providing available horsepower during acceleration. The concern may be very hard to duplicate and conveying all the pertinent information to the servicing dealer is paramount. I would suggest that you find a competent dealer that will understand all the parameters involved and work very closely with you to resolve your concern. I once discovered some "hidden" programming in a vehicle that was installed at the factory to prevent fuel overheating after driving for two hours with ambient temps above 95 degrees. It was programmed to operate that way. The "fix" was simply shut the vehicle off to the reset the two hour internal timer and it would function normally again. I am not saying this is your "fix" but it may be something simple along those lines. Good luck with your search for cool air. I will monitor to hear of any COOL developments

Thank you so much for this information. It definitely feels like what you are saying. Something is programmed in but it functions erratically. It also has been getting worse with time. We left Oceanside at 63 degrees and headed East across the desert. We decided to see what would happen if we didn't make a single change to the a/c. It was set at 70 degrees and about 3 on the fan. We made it all the way to Quartzite and it stayed the same. No problem at all. We stopped for gas and within 10 miles of being back on the road, we lost cool air. We didn't get it back for an hour or so. We took the turnoff to Prescott. It seemed we were climbing most of the way but even on level road, we had no cool air. So there must be something electronic protecting the engine and I sure hope they find it. It's now the weekend and no car and no news from the dealer. Very frustrating. I will show our dealer your post and see what they have to say. Thanks again.

 

[Flatplane]

Be careful what you show the dealer. Some of those techs get very defensive when it comes to accepting "forum help".They have a resource called "hotline" that will in most cases help them diagnose the concern. Your problem is an inability to recreate the concern at will. That is why it is most important to convey as much information about when where why and what for that the concern does happen. Again good luck

 

[613GT500]

Not normal to say the least.
My 15yr old 4banger can drive all day without a/c cutting off.

 

[Stic-o]

In my experience, any 4 banger I have owned the A/C sucked. Or the motor would have very noticeable lag or almost stall when running. My '99 Explorer and f250 A/C both work awesome however

 

[Gallenfam]

Well, we got the car back after a week at our local dealer, Jones Ford, and they found the problem. Something called a transducer connector. Replaced it and now works perfectly. So the first dealer, Larry Green Ford in Blythe, with all their "you're not using it correctly" and "it's to protect the engine" talk was just bs. Why would they put us through all that? Did they just not want to deal with us? Glad for a happy ending nonetheless.

 

[Halwg]

Welcome to the Forum Gallenfam.
As soon as I read the part where you stated it (A/C) cut out going uphill or accelerating quickly I though of a 'cut-off' switch. I think that the A/C load and the fact it is a 2.0L turbo is a bit too much for it to handle. That's just a guess though. No one else has reported this particular issue similar to this that I can recall. I would still have it checked out by another dealer just to be sure. Reminds a bit of the '55 Buick we had once. Every time you stepped on the gas a bit harder than normal the wipers would stop. They were vacuum controlled.

Peter

Absofrigginlutely NOT!. First of all it's not a 2.0L turbo, it's a 2.3L. Secondly, this engine will handle everything you throw at it. What you have is the dreaded vacuum leak on the door that controls the HVAC. I had it happen in 2 of my previous explorers and also on 2 others that the company owned.

If you are lucky they can fix it without removing the dash. If not it requires removing the entire dash. Then you can have real problems, squeaks, rattles, etc. Been there, done that, and it's NOT fun.

 

[sheltonfilms]

Absofrigginlutely NOT!. First of all it's not a 2.0L turbo, it's a 2.3L. Secondly, this engine will handle everything you throw at it. What you have is the dreaded vacuum leak on the door that controls the HVAC. I had it happen in 2 of my previous explorers and also on 2 others that the company owned.

If you are lucky they can fix it without removing the dash. If not it requires removing the entire dash. Then you can have real problems, squeaks, rattles, etc. Been there, done that, and it's NOT fun.

New explorer actuators are electrically driven, not vacuum driven. Were your previous explorers 95-01 models?

 

[Flatplane]

Well, we got the car back after a week at our local dealer, Jones Ford, and they found the problem. Something called a transducer connector. Replaced it and now works perfectly. So the first dealer, Larry Green Ford in Blythe, with all their "you're not using it correctly" and "it's to protect the engine" talk was just bs. Why would they put us through all that? Did they just not want to deal with us? Glad for a happy ending nonetheless.

Glad it is well again. It is nice to know that there are good people out there that will help with a concern. I would agree that the problem found is believable. Continue to monitor it's function as well. I have seen many problems related to wiring concerns as they have noted. Please leave good feedback reports on the survey if you get one related to that visit. Slam the first dealership if you should get a survey from them. Good luck on your ownership.