how to refill ac compressor on ford explorer

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inetquestion - 01 Jun 2006 03:14 GMT

I've got a 98 ford explorer which appears to need a refridgerant
recharge due seapage. The stuff I'm adding has a sealer which I'm
hoping will slow the process for at least a few more seasons. From
other posts out there describing the cycling on/off of the compressor I
would guess this is my problem as well. However the compressor isn't
on long enough while the car is parked and idling for me to get any
amount of coolant in the system. Thus far I've spent about 20 minutes
trying to press the trigger as it cycles on for ~1sec. This seems
quite odd to me and isn't working. Sometimes while I'm driving down
the road the system will kick on and remain that way for 15-20 minutes
and is very cold during this time. However when I pull over its back
to the on/off cycles which do not allow me to perform the refill. Does
anyone have any suggestions for things I should try to do myself?
Could the sensors on the high/low side be faulty? Is there anyway to
trip them so I can perform the refill?

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Don - 01 Jun 2006 03:57 GMT

>I've got a 98 ford explorer which appears to need a refridgerant
>recharge due seapage.

That is only a guess.
No way to tell without gauges at the very minimum.
A restricted expansion valve/tube will mimic a low refrigerant charge,
incidentally.

> The stuff I'm adding has a sealer

Sealers in AC systems are BAD NEWS! They can destroy the valves etc.
in recharging stations. I recently bought a $3000 recharging station
and it came with all sorts of explicit warning that there was NO
WARRANTY whatsoever for damage caused by attempting to service systems
polluted with sealers. I bought a special trap to use when I
suspected the presence of sealers in a system. The trade magazines
and MACS (Mobile Air Conditioning Society) constantly publish warnings
about the use of sealers in automotive AC systems.

Leaks should be repaired if big enough to be a problem. They can be
located by adding a dye to the system that shows up brillianty under
UV light. There are other means but I find the dye the most
trustworthy.

> which I'm hoping will slow the process for at least a few more seasons. From
>other posts out there describing the cycling on/off of the compressor I
>would guess this is my problem as well.

Could be a bad cycling switch on the accumulator. A restricted orifce
tube will cause this also. Sometimes the restriction is
intermittently caused by the tube icing up due to moisture in the
system. This can be remedied by replacing the accumulator/drier and
putting the system under vacuum to purge of air and moisture before
recharge.

> However the compressor isn't
>on long enough while the car is parked and idling for me to get any
>amount of coolant in the system.

This is not normally a problem just because the system is low. When
you charge the low side the low side pressure goes up enough to keep
the system cycled on, if everything else is right.

> Thus far I've spent about 20 minutes
>trying to press the trigger as it cycles on for ~1sec. This seems
>quite odd to me and isn't working. Sometimes while I'm driving down
>the road the system will kick on and remain that way for 15-20 minutes
>and is very cold during this time.

This would indicate that the system is NOT low on refrigerant. If
seriously low on refrigerant it would never work well.

> However when I pull over its back
>to the on/off cycles which do not allow me to perform the refill. Does
>anyone have any suggestions for things I should try to do myself?

STOP!!! The system needs to be properly diagnosed. While I applaud
your initiative and desire to learn, there are some things that it is
simply not a good idea or safe to do without the necessary equipment.

>Could the sensors on the high/low side be faulty?

Yes -- and the system might not even NEED a recharge.

> Is there anyway to
>trip them so I can perform the refill?

You should NOT attempt to fill a system without first diagnosing
what's wrong with it and determing its present state of charge. For
all you know you will be overfilling it at the risk of considerable
damage to the system to say nothing of the further damage from the
sealer. You could even burst the high pressure hose and get a face
full of refrigerant if you overcharge the system with the high side
pressure switch bypassed. AC service requires gauges and a vacuum
pump at the very minimum. But that alone will not allow you to
reclaim the refrigerant before evacuation and forces you to illegally
vent the refrigerant into the atmosphere. The proper method involves
recycling equipment where the refrigerant is reclaimed and weighed,
the system is put under vacuum to purge it of moisture and then
recharged with the proper measured amount of refrigerant. The
Autozone cans with a hose hanging off just don't cut it.

Don
www.donsautomotive.com

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inetquestion - 01 Jun 2006 13:03 GMT

I tried again later in the evening and was able to add about 3/4 of a
14oz can. The system now cools continously without the on/off cycling
it was doing before. Thanks for your feedback and suggestions.

-Inet

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Shep - 01 Jun 2006 14:19 GMT

Again seconded, ac repairs of this nature are not for a dyer!!

>>I've got a 98 ford explorer which appears to need a refridgerant
>>recharge due seapage.
[quoted text clipped - 81 lines]
> Don
> www.donsautomotive.com

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