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Suggestions for AC Diagnostics

tomcat1986

New Member
Joined
November 18, 2014
Messages
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City, State
Las Vegas, NV
Year, Model & Trim Level
2002 Explorer 4x4 XLT
This morning while I was getting on the freeway to work I noticed a strong burning smell that died down slowly. There was road construction in the area so I kept driving thinking nothing of it. As i kept driving i noticed that the Air Conditioning had stopped blowing cold air. The temperature gradually got warmer and warmer until it was blowing air the same temperature as outside (95 degrees thanks to lovely Las Vegas weather).

I have done a few repairs on my rig courtesy of this website, but I've never tampered with the AC. I looked through a few write ups but they all seemed to be case specific. If someone could give me a starting point to begin the diagnostics or direct me to a write up that gives a few items I can check on. Any help is greatly appreciated, this forum is the best! :chug:
 



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you need an ac manifold gauge to properly diagnose your ac.
initially you need to check if your ac clutch is working when you switch to AC.
if not you could be low on refrigerant and a recharge will help (ac shop for $100 maybe) or if you want to risk it buy one of those DIY bottle in the store with a gauge (not recommended).
hope it's not the ac compressor locking up because it seems to be a common issue.
 






Is there anything special i should do to test and see if the AC clutch is working?
 












If your AC went out, it wouldn't cause a burning smell in the cab.

Unless you sprung a leak in the evaporator and the 'burning' smell was your redridgerent escaping into the cab.
 






A/c

I went to recharge mine and it came steaming out of the exhaust pipe.

How could that possibly happen?
 






I went to recharge mine and it came steaming out of the exhaust pipe.

How could that possibly happen?

It can't. You either have a head gasket issue or the car was just recently started?
 






Yes there is a burning smell

If your AC went out, it wouldn't cause a burning smell in the cab.

Unless you sprung a leak in the evaporator and the 'burning' smell was your redridgerent escaping into the cab.

when the compressor locks up, the clutch is still engaged/disengaged and you get a strong burnt rubber smell from the serpentine belt sliding against the locked pulley until the clutch releases and the smell stops.

I've had this happen multiple times on compressor lockup and it smells exactly like you think it would.
 






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