AC not working, and now i know why, HELP!!...

[FordExplorerGuy]

Okay, a few months ago my friends dad decided he was sick of his Explorer, so he gave it to me. He was pissed that i didn't run or when it did it would over heat. So i know own it. I am 15 years old with about zero prior knowledge about anything.
Well lately i've been trying to figure out what i wrong with the AC cause it wouldn't kick on. Well now i know that on the round peice the belt connects to, theres a peice missing that pulls in and locks in place.....if you know what im talking about, can you give me an estimate on how much it would cost? Or if it would just be as good to go pick the peice up at a junkyard?

--andrew--

 

[Goober]

Your talking about the clutch. If your system is low on freon or out of freon altogether that will cause the clutch not to engage. You might also just have a blow fuse ( #11 - 10Amp, I believe). A reconditioned compressor will be a little over $200, junkyard - probably half that. If you plan on keeping the Ex, get yourself a Chilton or Haynes manual. Good luck.

 

[ahhjaws]

If it is the freon, which was my problem a while ago, you have to take it to a mechanic because it needs to be pressurized to the right amount. But they will probably want to check to see if the hoses are leaking and replace as nessesary.

 

[FordExplorerGuy]

Thanks for the advice guys, but i dont think i explained it good. Okay, where the belt connects to they pulley, theres a round peice that is supposed to pull in and out to engage the AC. I will take a picture and put it online.

 

[BAYDOG]

The guys are right... there is a round "wheel" that moves in and out when the ac runs. Kinda makea a clicking noise when it enguages. This is called the ac clutch. If you freon is low, it will not work because it senses no freon. Go to Wallyworld, get a recharge kit, read it well, and save yerself 100 bucks . It is the simplist thing to do. The kit is like 15. If that don't work, then ya may have a leak in the system. Then I would have it looked at.

 

[FordExplorerGuy]

Okay, my fault for leaving this crucial detail out. The round peice that will pull in and out to engage it, its not there, when they gave me the explorer they said they had to take it off for some reason, well hes a drunk so that reason is still lost in space.
So, the clutch isn't there. Can you just replace that peice or do i have to get an entirely new unit?

 

[mrboyle]

It depends on why they removed it in the first place. Most likely its because either the clutch or the compressor failed and someone removed it to prevent the clutch from dragging and squealing the belt. Being 15, I would forget about the A/C for a while and concentrate on getting the rest of the vehicle up to shape first. Even if you go with a wrecking yard compressor, with all the parts and labor involved in attempting to fix the A/C could run you as much as $500 or more.