How many miles can I expect from my A/C compresor on my '97 F150?

Or, to put it more accurately, if I buy a high-mile F150, say, over 100k miles, can I expect to replace the A/C compressor in pretty short order?

 

The more it was run, normally the longer it lasts. I had 200,000 + on mine and was stillvery quiet and cold. Sitting under the hood vibrating and cooking without working seems to be the worst for them. (sitting is hard on any component) If you live in a warm climate and A/C is necessary then you can prob. expect a good long life from your compressior

 

Thanks,

I guess the condition of the A/C compressor should be one of the least worries if I buy used, as long as it's working.

 

I would say as long as it is not making any major noises and your A/C is good and cold you should be in good shape. Look around the system especally at the diffrent connectios and see if there is any signs of leakage. Fortunately the system has oiln in it and when a fitting or component has abit of a leak it get oily and attracts dirt. Makes it pretty easy to spot.

 

My compressor lasted 100K. I live on a dirt road and I am in Florida so it sees harsh duty.

The final problem with the comp was the front seal, which wore out due to dirt.

However the compressor was unable to produce the necessary pressure at idle for a few years. Using my Snap On gauges,, I would see about 50PSI on the suction side at idle and about 125 on the high side. Once the engine RPM's increased, the pressures (and performance) would be normal. So the internals wore out before the seal.

Chris

 

Thanks for the info.

So I guess if the internals, or the efficiency of the compressor is going south, you'd maybe only see that while using the A/C? Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm no A/C wizard, but doesn't the compressor kick on when you hit the defrosters or panel heat? Since I use the A/C function very little, how would I see a degredation in efficiency in a non-A/C mode?

 

110,000 miles=7 years. still cold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

When defrost is kicked on the a/c evaporator coil is in front of the heat coil and what it does is dry out the air before the air is warmed(much more efficent that way) and prevents the fogging on the windows

 

I've had AC in cars and trucks since early 60's and have only had to replace one compressor in all those years.

 

In reality, I only noticed that the compressor was getting weak in mid august, and even then only at idle. Any other time of year and the air was plenty cold.

As I mentioned, my truck has a very hard life.

Chris

 

mine lasted about 180k miles, and i live in houston, basicaly ac on 9 months out of the year, every day.

 

About 6 1/2 years of medium usage. 160,000 miles until mine was replaced.