Chirping noise when AC is on, safe? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

Chirping noise when AC is on, safe?

galbre

Active Member
Joined
April 24, 2007
Messages
56
Reaction score
0
City, State
New Jersey
Year, Model & Trim Level
2002 XLT V8
Hi,
My 2002 Explorer (4.6 v8) recently started making a chirping noise every few minutes when the AC is on while driving. It doesn't seem to do it when the AC is off. I changed the drive belt with a Motorcraft replacement but the noise is still there. My brother has to take it on a 1500 mile road trip in a couple days. Do you think it is ok to drive with this issue? It has 174kmiles.
Thanks,
Gregg
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





There's a TSB on this from Ford.

The AC clutch has worn down and the air gap is now out of spec.
The chirp is the clutch engaging. From too far a distance. It's engaging just as often, you just hear it now.

You can use a long square shaft screw driver to hold the clutch still via its rivets and remove the nut. Then pull the clutch off. IF, you are lucky, you'll find 2-3 shims behind the clutch. I found only one. I was able to get some shims from 4 seasons and set the proper air gap. You'll need a feeler gauge to set the gap. .24 to .60 I think. I set mine to .30 I believe (metric.)

Didn't help on mine though. I think the clutch material is too far gone and needs replaced.
The short of it is, the clutch friction material will wear faster and soon the clutch will not engage, which means no ac. How long? I've been going for about a year so far. I'll look for a used clutch at the wrecker as it's a quick R&R.

Edit: hoping for multiple shims so you can remove them until you get the proper gap. If you have just one, you'll have to get an assortment from Ford.
 






Ah, let'er go till it start shooting sparks out.
 






Ok, so it sounds like this can wait till my brother gets back and he is ok to go at least for this issue :)
Thanks.
 






I had a Aerostar that started making a chirping sound when the air conditioner was on. A few days later the compressor seized up.
 






The compressor seizing up is exactly what I was concerned about. I had a compressor seize on a 1995 Explorer I had and it shredded the belt. That was years ago and I don't remember if it chirped beforehand.

Some more things I've noticed:
1) I don't hear it when parked with the AC on either in the car or when I go out and pop the hood.
2) While driving it happens a couple times a minute.
3) It doesn't happen when the AC if off.

Now I'm not sure if I should let him use it or not. I don't want him getting stranded.
 






I doubt the Aerostar issue has any correlation. Would be interested in what year it was. I doubt they use the same compressor.

When you are parked, or at a stop light at idle, you have less air moving across your condenser, this will change the pressure in the AC system and shut it down, or it will activate less. This is why you don't hear it when parked or when the AC is off.

When you are driving, the air flow across the condenser allows the AC system to function efficiently and the compressor will engage / disengage far far more often.

Again, if you took some feeler gauges and checked your air gap, you'll find it's too wide, causing the chirping sound when it strikes and slips a bit when engaging.

http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/fordguy4u/2010-01-27_183130_A1.pdf

You don't need to remove the compressor or the refrigerant to fix this issue as the TSB states. It can all be done on the car without opening the system.
 






Does it chirp once every minute or so (probably more like 20-30 seconds), or is it a mechanical, constant chirping?
 






I have this issue with my explorer also, and it has been 2+ years and ~15,000 miles of it chirping with no ill effects. If it is not making a constant noise, it would most likely be the clutch.
If you said it just started happening, maybe you can do the TSB and save the clutch.
 






It chirps once very twenty or thirty seconds. Well, my brother took it and drove 500 miles yesterday without any trouble and ran the ac most if the way. When he gets back I will do the fix as suggested by Number4, thanks to all!!
 






I've counted mine, can chirp as often as every 7 seconds.
I've also recently evacuated and refilled my system, so it isn't low.

The noise is beyond irritating.
 






I've counted mine, can chirp as often as every 7 seconds.
I've also recently evacuated and refilled my system, so it isn't low.

The noise is beyond irritating.

Its the clutch. No biggie. You may only have to replace the clutch plate (the part you see). Its held on by a single nut. You don't even have to take the belt off to do it. I'd take it off and inspect both surfaces for wear.
 






Its the clutch. No biggie. You may only have to replace the clutch plate (the part you see). Its held on by a single nut. You don't even have to take the belt off to do it. I'd take it off and inspect both surfaces for wear.
thank you the spec on the new clutch was 0.010 - 0.024 mine is 0.018 no chirp
 






My 04' 4.6 dose this too, the only difference is that it sounds like a ticking but very fast and only when the a/c is on, I know 100% that is coming from it, still has Ice cold ac, it's just annoying when I stop somewhere or idle and It sounds like every one of my lifters is going bad, how hard would it be to replace it with a new on? Thanks!
 






My 04' 4.6 dose this too, the only difference is that it sounds like a ticking but very fast and only when the a/c is on, I know 100% that is coming from it, still has Ice cold ac, it's just annoying when I stop somewhere or idle and It sounds like every one of my lifters is going bad, how hard would it be to replace it with a new on? Thanks!
it took me an hour buy a new clutch .....link.....http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/2004/ford/explorer/climate_control/a-fs-c_clutch.html how to fix
 












Thank you, now I'm having issues with cooling, as in drivers idea is hot/warm damn air mix servo!
hmm i am not sure if that servo is vacuum or electric on the 4.6
 






Thank you, now I'm having issues with cooling, as in drivers idea is hot/warm damn air mix servo!
its electric here is a good vid it may help you
 









Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.











Back
Top