2001 Ranger A/C problem

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kenb - 19 Sep 2006 01:09 GMT

Hello group,

I'm experiencing some unusual behavior from the A/C on my 3L 2001 Ranger,
and I'm wondering if anyone may have encountered this issue. I bought this
truck a month ago, and I noticed this behavior for the first time within the
last few days. The A/C was functioning perfectly during the hot weather back
in August, and it still seems to work just fine when I turn on the A/C now.

I first realized that something was amiss when I parked the truck after
driving to work the other day, and I noticed a puddle of condensate running
along the ground from behind my right front wheel about wheel twenty minutes
after I arrived. If I had actually been using the A/C within the last three
weeks this wouldn't be considered a problem, but this has been happening
every time I drive it recently, even if I have the heater controls set to
the "off" positon.

At first I suspected that I had a leaking heater hose, but the hoses look
brand new and show no evidence of a leak. Further inspection revealed that
the A/C lines were very cold, with an even coating of condensation (unfrozen
water droplets) all over them. Once this had my attention, I noticed that
the A/C compressor is engaging and dis-engaging every thirty seconds or so,
even when the system is delivering heat in any of the heat or defrost modes
inside the cab. This condition remains constant throughout the entire range
of the temperature control knob on the dashboard heater controls.

I suspect that I have a relay or switch problem somewhere that is engaging
the compressor intermittently whether I want A/C or not, so I thought I'd
ask if any of you folks had seen this issue before.

Cheers,

Ken

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Whitelightning - 19 Sep 2006 01:31 GMT

> Hello group,

I am not super familiar with the AC controls on this model, but if you are
running the defroster, the compressor and ac system is running.. For good
reason, the air goes across the evap, and is "dried" then the air goes
across the heater core. Warm dry air defrosts better than warm moist air.
Does your truck have a button for ac? a lot of new vehicles have ether a
button for the ac, so it can blow in any vent position, or they have a
recirculate button. If yours has the ac button is it off when you don't
want ac running?

Whitelightning

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kenb - 19 Sep 2006 02:01 GMT

"Whitelightning" wrote in message

> I am not super familiar with the AC controls on this model, but if you are
> running the defroster, the compressor and ac system is running.. For good
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> want ac running?
> Whitelightning

Hello Whitelightning,

Thanks for the quick reply! My system has three rotary knobs,
consisting of the fan speed control knob on the left, temperature control
knob in the center, and the mode control knob on the right.
Since this is the first vehicle I've ever owned that's newer than a 1990
Ranger (in which the A/C never worked), I hadn't even considered the
possiblity that the compressor would ever be called upon to run in any other
mode other than A/C or Max A/C.
I think the wording in the manual confused me a bit, as it states that
the A/C compressor "can" run in other modes, but it didn't specifically
state that it probably "will run" in other modes such as defrost. Once you
brought it to my attention, I can see the obvious benefits of drying the air
out first by passing it through the evaporator coil before heating it and
delivering it to the windshield and other heating modes.
So.... I guess I got myself worked up over nothing, and my system is
working just as it was designed to work. It'll be much easier for me to
deal with the condensate puddle on the ground from now on.

Thank you very much Whitelightning, for welcoming me into the 21st
century of automotive design!

Cheers,
Ken

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