This just started happening this afternoon. For the last couple of days it has been windows down weather in Houston - no need for A/C. But today it is running about 82F - time for the A/C. I go to turn it on and it starts up as usual. About 3 seconds later it completely shuts off. Another 3 seconds - back on. This on/off continues untill I get back to work. I let it sit for 15-20 minutes to see if it would reset and act right, but with no luck. I'm not talking about the condenser turning on then off, the entire system is electrically shutting off. Anyone else have this happen? If so what was the fix? I have already scheduled my maitainence for tomorrow morning at the dealership, but I have a weekend road trip scheduled for Friday and I really need this fixed in a timely manner. Any clues or suggestions I can give the service manager to put them quickly on the problem would help my piece of mind that this can be done in one day.

By the way it is the climate control system on the Lariat package. Mine is an 04.

 

sounds like it's cycling too quickly because the refridgerant is low in the system... i'd check that first.

 

I agree. When the refridgerant gets to low there is a saftey cut off to prevent damage to the system. My guess they will just install new freon and a dye to check the system and send you on your way.

 

That would be super cool.... figuratively and literally. Sure hope you guys are right.

 

I'd be willing to bet they are. I need to take mine to the dealer to have them check the level also. I'm not sure of the details but a few of our (2004+) trucks have been known to have low refridgerant levels coming from the factory.

 

If thats the case they will just add some and get you out of the dealer in less then an hour. If there is a leak then need to vacuum the system down (which will take 2 hrs done right) repair and refill. The refill takes minutes.

 

Yeah, I seem to remember hearing about that too. I just didn't realized it would result in that kind electical behavior.

Seems like a warning in the messaage center wouln't be too hard to engineer??? But then again, I am a salesman and not an engineer... anything is possible in my world - someone else just needs to do it!

 

IMO if its that low there has to be a leak. Its an 04 so its not like he hasn't used the AC before. If they just put freon in it it will leak out again. If its under warrenty have them find out where the leak is and fix it. If you waite it may be out of warrenty when you have to fix it again. I went through that with a 99 Ram I had. They basicaly had to replace everything to fix it, but they did fix it eventually. If its out of warrenty just add a little a long until you have to fix it.

 

There doesn't necessarily have to be a leak for the system to be slightly low. As ambient temps heat up and cool down, and as the refrigerant swooshes around in the lines and does it's thing, over time you will lose a little refrigerant. Enough to make the system cycle short? Maybe. Of course, it might have a leak. But then again, it may have been undercharged from the factory. My truck was about a half a pound low, it didn't cycle rapidly, it just didn't cool all that well.

 

I had the same problem. Try the button for upper air flow, see if that doesn't fix it.

 

Dropped it off at 8 this morning and just got a call from the dealership. The A/C Controller Head is bad. They have one in stock and will have me fixed up in just a while. I don't know exactly what the Controller Head is, but I'm guessing it is the main electical unit in the dash. Don't really care, it is under warranty. I wonder how much that gizmo would cost if I had to buy it?

I had posted last week about banging my side mirror and had the dealer give me a quote on replacement. $250 installed! I asked how much for the parts themselves and he said $171. From what I've seen I can get the mirror for $85 at fordparts.com. I politely told him what I could get it for and that he could shove the $250 price up his azz. Looks like I'll be making that repair myself.

 

My 05 did the same thing after it sat outside in the rain. Took it to the dealer and they stated that they could not find anything wrong. I don't know if the rain leaks in, but it has not happened again.