air conditioning question help!

[stevetimleck]

i have a 98 sport 4.0 i recentley took it out of storage after 6 mos and the a/c was not cold
a mechanic refilled it and put some dye in it and it was fine for 2 weeks now the temperature of the air is fluctuating from very cold to not so cold especially during highway driving
any advice is welcome

 

[mrboyle]

Sounds like you have a leak. The tempature fluctuation is is caused by the system cycling due to low pressure.

 

[IgotTwo]

97 SOHC
I am also having A|C problems. My A\C was working fine yesterday BUT not today (only cause it just got pukey hot.) No cold air. I doubt I had any mass coolant leak.

So I checked under the hood and the clutch is not engaging. Fuse checks out OK, but something tells me it the A\C Cycling Swicth. I am going to jump the switch to see if I can get the A\C clutch to engage and\or see if I can find any thing else that is going on, but :

A Question: If it is the A\C Cycling Switch, when that is removed does it evacuate the coolant system? Its right up against the shreader valve on the accumulator\drier.
If I have to remove the switch, I don't need any surprises. Better said: at least I have a heads up what I'm in for.

As to Steve's problem:
I think a problem with the A\C Cycling Switch can also cause rapid temp fluctuation as long as you have proper coolant pressure.

Any thoughts or comments appreciated

 

[stevetimleck]

today i noticed way more moisture on the ground than usual

 

[IgotTwo]

Well I'll answer my own post and it may be more info for Steve.
For what it is worth:
The A\C recyling switch does come right off without lost of coolant. So after jumping the switch I got fooled cause the compressor clutch engaged. So I put in a new recycling switch.

Wrong!
After reading the fine print, (never read the instructions first) I'm pretty sure the switch won't let the compressor clutch engage when there is insufficent coolant.
-5 points for me. On to "insufficent coolant"

Hey! Thats what happens when you're going up the learning curve. Sometimes you get the bear...... and sometimes the bear gets you.

Lesson learned : Don't gunk the engine so much, I may have washed away the clues of a leak.

 

[jemail]

I have had the same problem for the last two months. So I took it into the local A/C specialist and they have determined that the compressor is about to grenade.

Has anyone replaced this themselves??
How long can I have the new compressor on before I need to take it in to get the system filled with Freon??
As long as I have the clutch power plug off, can I drive my X around??

Thanks

 

[TDG]

You can drive your ex around forever without having the AC system charged, if there is no charge the compressor will not cycle even if you try to turn on the AC unless there is something else wrong with the system . And you will have nothing to worry about and you dont need to pull any wires.

Stevetimleck, if they added dye when they charged it any leaks should show up depending on the type they used.

 

[jemail]

Thank you again TDG

 

[IgotTwo]

Don’t take this the wrong way, but I am always a little skeptical when the soultion comes out to be “one of the more expense repairs" .i.e. “replace the compressor “.

This very well may be the case and your A|C specialist may be the best in the world (who knows, maybe even a best friend.)

But if you have any doubts..... and before you go for the “big bucks”, why not throw some of freon, oil and some leak detector in that thing? See if you can spot anything. Its not an expensive gamble. With a pressure gauge you can get some indication if the compressor is the culprit. Who knows? maybe it will hold a charge. And if it goes off like a grenade, you were already advised of that possibility.

 

[01EB5.0]

My A/C never gets as cold as I think it should unless the temp is under 80 degrees. I brought it to ford and they said it's a pound low, but that there are no leaks in the system. They said $188 to evac. the system and recharge. Why can't someone just add an extra pound instead of evacuating the system?

 

[Robert]

You can if you want to. I did. I would definately invest in a $6 can of refridgerant before paying the dealer $188 for what will probably amount to the same amount of cooling. For $6 it's worth the gamble.

 

[IgotTwo]

fix

"Why can't someone just add an extra pound instead of evacuating the system?"

?

Two words - "Capitalism"

If you owned the shop what would you do?
Go for the $200 or say "It can be fixed for $10."

How is this senerio:
"We had to replace the compressor but we found a few other parts that also had to be replaced. The extra $20 part could have been the real problem but you sprung for a compressor.

Who would know? Its a major flaw in the system.

but I'm sure we all know that
AND
" that why someone just can't add an extra pound instead of evacuating the system"