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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Cars / February 200701 Taurus AC Cycling
My 01 Taurus has an AC problem. My AC was slowly getting less cool, until finally it just didn't cool at all any more. In fact it was blowing warm air, warmer than ambient temperature. I took it in, figuring it just needed a recharge. They ran an leak test and identified a small leak in the hose coming out of the accumulator or drier. Fair enough. They put in some more refrigerant with some leak stop stuff in it, and sent me on my way. Over the winter I didn't use the AC. Now that it's getting warmer I tried out my AC, no dice, just blows warm air. I decided to get some refrigerant to fill it myself. I hooked up the can to the low side and the pressure was very high, about 110psi. Needless to say I didn;t add any refrigerant. In addition to that my compressor seemed to cycle on and off every 3 or 4 seconds. Still just blew warm air. What am I looking at for solutions here? I don't mind getting a new accumulator and hose assembly for $110, but could it be the compressor instead? Thats significantly more pricey. >My 01 Taurus has an AC problem. > >My AC was slowly getting less cool, until finally it just didn't cool >at all any more. In fact it was blowing warm air, warmer than ambient >temperature. I took it in, figuring it just needed a recharge. No offence, but they don't never "just need a recharge", 'tho that'll sometimes do in the short-term. There's always a reason they are losing charge. >They >ran an leak test and identified a small leak in the hose coming out of [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Now that it's getting warmer How much warmer? >I tried out my AC, no dice, just blows >warm air. I decided to get some refrigerant to fill it myself. I [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >accumulator and hose assembly for $110, but could it be the compressor >instead? Thats significantly more pricey. Doesn't sound like compressor, but I lack info. You might wanna consider: a.) Get specs on lo, hi side pressure. b.) Measure same to see if in tolerable range. The repair shop might've overcharged the system. If it has a hi- pressure switch, you might just need to evacuate some refrigerant or somesuch (best case scenario). Could maybe jumper hi-pressure switch for quick/dirty test, but I wouldn't leave it like that for more than a few seconds ... Cheers, Puddin' "Life is nothing but a competition to be the criminal rather than the victim." - Bertrand Russell > >My 01 Taurus has an AC problem. > [quoted text clipped - 47 lines] > than the victim." > - Bertrand Russell I have the service manual for my car, so I perused the AC section. I went out and depressurized the low and high sides. Then I hooked a jumper to the compressor switch so that it would remain on instead of cycling. I then refilled the refrigerant and what do you know, it's cold. Looks like a bad compressor switch. Thats a hell of a lot cheaper than a new compressor. Thanks for the suggestions. >> >My 01 Taurus has an AC problem. >> [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] >> Cheers, >> Puddin' >I have the service manual for my car, so I perused the AC section. I >went out and depressurized the low and high sides. Then I hooked a >jumper to the compressor switch so that it would remain on instead of >cycling. I then refilled the refrigerant and what do you know, it's >cold. Looks like a bad compressor switch. Thats a hell of a lot >cheaper than a new compressor. Thanks for the suggestions. Near as I can tell, you didn't need to depressurize to do the jumper test. I thought of the compressor switch and likely should've mentioned it, but I hadn't heard of any of 'em failing. You have a proper pressure gauge-set? You get readings within tolerable range? This is important. I wouldn't leave it jumpered long, even if pressures are OK. If you're sure it's the switch, replace it ASAP and be done with it. Hope you nailed it. P "Life is nothing but a competition to be the criminal rather than the victim." - Bertrand Russell > Near as I can tell, you didn't need to depressurize to do the > jumper test. No, he didn't. As it stands now, there's no way to tell what the actual system charge is. > I thought of the compressor switch and likely should've mentioned > it, but I hadn't heard of any of 'em failing. They don't fail very often. Just often enough for you to forget the last one and chase your tail until you figure out it's cycling out of range. Not that it's ever happened to me....<cough..cough>. I see about 5 per season here in Ohio. They usually just go open, but they sometimes cycle at the wrong pressures. > You have a proper pressure gauge-set? You get readings within > tolerable range? This is important. Yep, Puddin, very important. The "tolerable range" on modern R-134a systems is much narrower than on the old school R-12 systems. > I wouldn't leave it jumpered long, even if pressures are OK. > If you're sure it's the switch, replace it ASAP and be done > with it. Absolutely. > Hope you nailed it. Me too. He'll know for sure once the ambient temp gets into the 80s-90s. It will either not cool well due to undercharge, cool just right, or the compressor will disintegrate due to being overcharged and/or air in the system. > P Hey Puddin', for a guy that says things about himself like <paraphrasing> "My po li'l ole self ain't too bright sometimes", you did pretty good on this one. A lot of DIYers don't know AC beyond "... it probably just needs recharged..." C'mon, admit it! You've been paying attention to the stuff you read here. ;) Regards, Tom > "Life is nothing but a competition to be the criminal rather > than the victim." > - Bertrand Russell ... >> I wouldn't leave it jumpered long, even if pressures are OK. >> If you're sure it's the switch, replace it ASAP and be done [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >either not cool well due to undercharge, cool just right, or the compressor will >disintegrate due to being overcharged and/or air in the system. -If- he leaves it jumpered or otherwise buggered. > Hey Puddin', for a guy that says things about himself like <paraphrasing> "My po >li'l ole self ain't too bright sometimes", Hmmm. I don't 'member going quite that far ... :-) >you did pretty good on this one. You are a kind soul, Mr. Tom. >A lot of >DIYers don't know AC beyond "... it probably just needs recharged..." C'mon, admit >it! You've been paying attention to the stuff you read here. ;) It's true, I listen hard. Lots to learn if one knows what to lend credence to. But mostly I've just fought the AC wars: have been blessed with several semi-functional R-12, R-22 systems in the last 30 years. Had I not learned certain basics, I coulda been sweatin' like a horse for decades. :-) Cheers, Puddin' "Life is nothing but a competition to be the criminal rather than the victim." - Bertrand Russell > But mostly I've just fought the AC wars: have been blessed with > several semi-functional R-12, R-22 systems in the last 30 years. R-22?? now yer gettin outta cars and into home appliances.. LOL Only auto a/c's I have seen were R-12 and R-134a systems.. Now I have seen HFC-236, R-22, R-12, and R-134a used in home appliances as well as stationary industrial equipment.. Ford Tech >> But mostly I've just fought the AC wars: have been blessed with >> several semi-functional R-12, R-22 systems in the last 30 years. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >R-22, R-12, and R-134a used in home appliances as well as stationary >industrial equipment.. R-22 could work in cars, I'd have to get out the charts and look to see if there are any good reasons why you couldn't use it. It's medium temperature like R-12, and mineral oil compatible... There are a whole raft of refrigerants out there that are perfect for some jobs but lousy for others. They've done crazier - people put Propane in their car AC as a 'replacement' refrigerant for R-12, and commercial systems have run on Ammonia for decades... --<< Bruce >>-- >> But mostly I've just fought the AC wars: have been blessed with >> several semi-functional R-12, R-22 systems in the last 30 years. > >R-22?? now yer gettin outta cars and into home appliances.. LOL Just garden-variety residential central AC for po' me ... >Only auto >a/c's I have seen were R-12 and R-134a systems.. Same here. >Now I have seen HFC-236, >R-22, R-12, and R-134a used in home appliances as well as stationary >industrial equipment.. More'n I've seen, but I don't get around that much (retired). The basics are all the same? Evaporator device(s), compression device(s), lines, refrigerant(s), supporting elec. systems, etc? Prost, Puddin' "Life is nothing but a competition to be the criminal rather than the victim." - Bertrand Russell |
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