My A/C just doesnt seem to be as cold as it used to be. I put a guage on it and my uncle tested it at idle and at 1500rpms and it was within spec, with the exeption of it not being very cold at the vent, I told the service guy and they supposedly evacuated and recharged the system, but it still feels warm. My brother has a 2003 F150 with a v6 and his A/C will freeze you out of the truck and ice the windows in the summer heat, and we live in florida. What is the deal you think? Why wont my truck get that cold? the reason I am asking is because my warranty will be up soon and I want to get this taken care of before then.

 

Your A/C compressor coils might have an issue. OR your EVAP core might have an issue. OR your drier is bad.

 

so what exactly should I tell my service guy? just that or do an A/C performance test?lol

 

Well, not being too much of an A/C expert, I can rule out the compressor being bad.

I can only think it has to be the drier or the EVAP core... but I think it might be the EVAP core has debris stuck in it.

I'd ask them if they could clean it out well. You'd be surprised as to how much junk gets into it from the road.

 

I think Manual might be on track. try using a pressure washer on your evaporator...it'll cost you about $1.50 to do. and won't hurt a thing

also, do you use the recirc? that can make a huge difference

 

My A/C is fridged in panel with the A/C on. When I put it on recirc... it's like being in a freezer or the north pole... maybe worse.

But I think that is your best option.

Also, if your fins are bent on the EVAP core, there are things called radiator fin combs...

Here's come good advice:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2188870_use-radiator-comb.html

 

should I use any type of cleaner along with the preasure washer( i own one so it wont cost me a 1.50)

 

Engine degreaser won't hurt... just make sure when you spray it with the pressure washer that you don't mess the EVAP core fins up.

I accidently got too close with my pressure washer and I had to manually comb them out... took me about 2 hours without a stupid radiator fin comb.

 

so if this doesnt work it must be my drier? I dont think it is my compressor cause I can hear it kick on and off. Its almost like if I am moving it will get kinda cold but if I sit a red light or in traffic for very long you can kiss the coldness goodbye. It also takes a considerable ammount of time to even get kinda cool compared to my brothers truck. you can go out to his and crank it up and within 10 to 15 seconds his is blowing ice cold and my dads 04 F250 is just like my bros.

 

lucky

cleaner will be fine. just make sure to blow it out from front and back. If all this doesn't fix it, then it's pretty much narrowed down to the dryer or compressor...doubt it's the compressor, but stranger things have been known to happen

 

The evaporator is inside the truck, inside the plentum case, the condenser is the one outside in front of the radiator.

And comparing the A/C performance of these trucks to an '04 Heritage or older isn't really fair. '04-'07 have the same size evaporator as the previous generation trucks, with more glass and interior volume to cool. Additionally, if you're parked outside in the sun all day, that's a lot of heat for the A/C to displace...it's gonna take a while to cool.

For comparison's sake, in the summer here temps reach around 95-100 degrees with 90%+ humidity. At work, if I leave my truck outside in the parking lot all day, my A/C won't cool very well on the way home, maybe about 55-60 degrees at the vents is all I'll get. Conversely, I have a bridge that runs over the shop so I park under it as often as I can; my A/C almost immediately starts cooling when I leave in the evenings, to the tune of about 40-42 degrees at the vents - plenty cold. Interior and exterior colors come into play as well - my truck is black on black, it absorbs a lot of heat instead of reflecting it like lighter colors.

Additionally, take care taking a (real) pressure washer to your condenser...I've melted plastic door mouldings and tore paint off with those things before. The condenser is aluminum, it wouldn't take very much to ruin it. I'd recommend a garden hose and a soft bristled brush.

 

Couldn't it just be freon? Seems like the best first step to me.

 

That's what I was thinking condenser.... Like I said, I'm no A/C expert... but I had a feeling of what might be the issue.

But Quintin, let me ask you this... a buddy has a '05 F150 with the Scab and his is white, with a tan interior. He's got the 5.4l Triton, and his A/C is not cold at all. He's brought it by the dealer I go to, and everything checks through fine.

I'm beginning to wonder if it is engine heat that is causing this?! No?

The reason I say this, is it might be because the bigger the engine, the more heat that is trapped up under the hood.

Also it seems as if the v6 idles a bit higher than the 4.6l/5.4l v8s contributing to better airflow.

The A/C in my '99 and '07 are very cold even if I park it outside in the middle of the summer when it is 100F inside the truck, windows closed, and the A/C is immediatly cold. I should measure it sometime.

But like Quintin said, I think that a pressure washer *might* be to harsh on the condenser.

I regularly clean it out with 4" wide soft paint brush... then I wash it out.

 

His uncle tested it. It checked out OK.

FYI it is not freon.. it's R-134.

 

Mine did exactly as you described here. Would not blow cold at idle but would blow cool when driving. I had my front seal replaced and it is ice cold now. just a thought