AC Not really cold

[jaydez]

So with the recent heat wave in CT I noticed that my AC is kinda lacking in performance. When I start my truck in the afternoon it takes a good 2-3 minutes before my AC is actually cool. It will blow warm air for quite a while and the far passenger side vent really never gets cold. I need to set it on Max AC with the fan on 4 to cool the truck down and it really only gets cold after about 15-20 minutes of driving at highway speed then warms up again when I get off the highway.

I'm coming from an 06 Fusion which had the best AC of any car I ever had and my 05 explorer is kind of disapointing me.

Does it sound like I'm just low on freon? If so, does it get low ever time or could I have a leak ($$$$) somewhere?

If it's just low, how do I check it and can those kits a Autozone be used to reliably refill it?

 

[matt0248]

In theory your AC system should never lose freon. In the real world they can and do lose some over time. The only method to exactly know how much freon is in your ex is to have it completely evacuated and recharged with the ccorrect amount of freon. You can add an ounce or two with those aftermarket kits, but unless you have gauges and know what you are doing, you could do more harm that good. Overcharging you system can ruin your compressor.