MY A/C STOPPED WORKING!

[TUCKTIM]

I own a 1996 Ford Explorer and I love it. it is the big V-8 and it runs great, easy to work on and never lets me down (280,000 miles!) but yesterday the A/c just stopped working....I don't mean it stopped cooling, it stopped functioning altogether. no fan, nothing...the heater doesn't even work. Obviously, an electrical problem. checked A/C fuse(18) and under the hood relay. All okay. Disconnected the battery in an effort to reboot system...nothing. One minute it was working, the next it was dead. Help....it is HOT in North Carolina!

 

[koda2000]

Do you have the manual HVAC controls or the automatic controls (EATC)? I suspect that your blower resistor (blower module if EATC) has burnt out, or perhaps your blower fan motor finally died after nearly 300,000 miles.

 

[TUCKTIM]

Do you have the manual HVAC controls or the automatic controls (EATC)? I suspect that your blower resistor (blower module if EATC) has burnt out, or perhaps your blower fan motor finally died after nearly 300,000 miles.

I have manual controls

 

[koda2000]

I have manual controls

Well, the good news is that the manual control ballast resistor is less expensive then the EATC blower module, if that's the issue. You need to test the blower motor electrical connector to see whether the motor is receiving power. Sometimes (not always) if you tap on the motor with a hammer it will start spinning, but at your mileage I'm guessing it's just worn out.

 

[chefduane]

RA has the Motorcraft blower motor resister for about $20. More good news is that it's relatively easy to get to on the passenger side engine compartment mounted to the blower motor box. When I did mine I went ahead and replaced the resister (bad) and the blower motor (good but tired) for about $50 total. The wheel itself just needed a good cleaning, And blow the box out with some compressed air - lots of crud can accumulates there after 200k miles!

 

[bobflood]

Mine just started to do the same thing on an intermittent basis. '97 EB with EATC; 295K miles. Right now it works more than it doesn't, so I'm going to wait until it fails completely before trying to troubleshoot. I would like to know what the OP finds out was his problem. Thanks.

 

[bobflood]

Well, that didn't take long to become a permanent fault!! Troubleshooting reveals a blower motor resistance of 1500+ ohms, so got a new blower motor and squirrel cage on order. Looks like a pretty easy replacement - have to move the cruise control servo and radiator overflow tank out of the way, then motor should slide right out. Famous last words!!

 

[koda2000]

Well, that didn't take long to become a permanent fault!! Troubleshooting reveals a blower motor resistance of 1500+ ohms, so got a new blower motor and squirrel cage on order. Looks like a pretty easy replacement - have to move the cruise control servo and radiator overflow tank out of the way, then motor should slide right out. Famous last words!!

I think the blower motor is pretty easy to replace. It might no be easier to remover the passenger side inner fender for access. Going that way might allow you to r&r the motor without having to mess with the coolant/washer fluid tanks and the CC servo. IDK if that's much less work... (?)

 

[bobflood]

Thanks, Koda. It doesn't look like inner fender removal will help. The motor and squirrel cage has to pull straight out horizontally from the air box. You have to move the CC actuator and reservoir to pull it out far enough. I'll see Saturday; new blower motor due Friday.

 

[chefduane]

I did mine all from above. The reservoir and airbox (IIRC) have to be moved and/or taken out. Once you get that done tho, the motor and resistor are pretty straightforward.

 

[CDW6212R]

Good input here, thanks. The 98 Limited I bought recently had no air(just a whiff) driving it home. I replaced the module for the blower because I had it new for my Mercury(wasn't the problem with that).

So that "made it work" for a few days driving, but then it became mostly non operable. I think it's time for the blower motor itself, 158k miles and 19 years is a high enough level to replace anything related to a problem.

 

[bobflood]

Blower motor done - pretty much a piece of cake. One plug and one 10mm screw - move CC servo out of the way. Unbolt and move WW/coolant reservoir; two 11mm nuts and two 10mm screws - also needed to move top of air cleaner box out of way, then unbolt hood security sensor (10mm) to access one of the reservoir screws. Unplug motor, remove small air hose on side of motor, remove 4 screws (8mm), pull motor and squirrel cage out. Installation is the reverse; motor came with a foam seal that you have to stick on before you install. Working now - hope it got rid of the intermittent failure.