Little to no AC at idle. Gets cold above 2K rpms | Ford Explorer Forums

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Little to no AC at idle. Gets cold above 2K rpms

ronpapworth

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Joined
June 7, 2007
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Year, Model & Trim Level
03 EB
I thought the car just had low r134 so I put about 12 oz into the system (brought the low side up to from 30 to 45psi) and now the air blows much colder, but still only above 2000 rpms! Wondering if that is a symptom of something clogged or failing. Oh, this is on an 2003 EB 6cyl with rear air.
 






Could be a sign of a failing fan clutch. It may not be drawing enough air thru the condensor at idle speed to cool the refrigerant sufficiently. When you rev it up slightly after it's been idling for a while, do you hear the characteristic "WOOOOOO" of the fan?

When the engine is stopped, see how much resistance is felt turning the fan blade. You should feel some drag.
When the engine is idling, you should feel a decent amount of air being pulled by the fan. If you can do it, at idle, the fan should draw enough air to hold a shop towel to the condensor. Raise the engine RPM, and it should suck it right tight to it.

Lots of times, the low side pressure isn't totally indicative of the state of charge of the system. I had a Durango mislead me that way...Low side read perfect, but it was 1.5 pounds low when I had the system totally evacuated and recharged.

If the low side is low to normal, but the high side is high, it could either be a fan problem like I mentioned earlier, or an expansion valve (H-valve) that has a problem. I'm not sure if the Explorers use an orifice tube or not...Typically that was a GM thing, but a clogged orifice tube can also lead to low cooling at low RPMs, due to restriction in the system that the pressures overcome when it's turning faster.
 






It also can just be gunk caught in the fins of the condenser as well. Dirt and other debris can clog the openings. Using a high pressure stream of water to clean it out may help if the fan checks out. Also be sure that the rubber seals between the condenser and the radiator are intact along with the plastic peace up top between the condenser and radiator is there. If any of those are missing it will suck are around it and not through
 






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