A/C questions regarding a ranger

[deviant mercury]

posted in this section due to it is a '94 in the next gen. too on accident ...
Bought my daughter a '94 ranger..nice truck, low mil 4x4 new paint..even has the A/C dealer retro fitted to the newer style-so I can use the stuff to recharge from my local shop myself...."just needs a charge'" uumm hmm. Charged it today and the compressor came on then off then on but started to blow some nice clod air. Then I hear pressure releasing ...looked and see everything going out the pressure relief valve on top of the compressor. Thought well maybe it had a charge and the low pressure switch is bad. I jumper'ed the switch and the compressor did come back on and stay on as long as the jumper wire was connected...after a minute pressure started coming out of the relief valve again and no more cold air...suggestions? I only paid 2200 for the truck so want to stay cheap! taking it in won't be I am sure...

 

[mr cribb]

You've got a leak, either in condenser (in front of radiator) rocks and debris could puncture something there, or an o-ring has shriveled up.

When you jump the switch, it engages the a/c clutch, same happens when there is enough freon in the system.

A pack of o-rings is less than 10 bucks, at any auto parts store.

Try this option if you don't want to tear into the a/c system. At walmart (cheapest I've seen it) in auto section, get a white can of a/c pro (unsure of name)- oil, freon, stop leak.... it costs $30 in Oklahoma, get the one with the hose on it. Follow the directions. I used this stuff in my neon and I have a cold a/c. For my car it took one and a half of these cans. For the second can you can just buy a refill can which is less than $25 here, save your hose/ gauge thing though, so you can use it on refill can.

So for less than $50 you could possibly fix it yourself.... if this stuff don't work explore into it further. Leaks are most of the time caused by shriveled o-rings. The stuff I mentioned above is supposed to expand them.

On a side note the a/c in your ranger was 134a from the factory. Ford tinkered with it in 93, and in 94 all auto makers had to have 134a systems.