i have a brand new 2005 screw with only 3500 miles on it. the temp today reached a heat index of 98 (washington, dc area) and the a/c in my truck didnt seem to be working to well. it wasnt blowing really warm, but it wasnt cold enough to make the truck comfortable. once i drove the truck for about 15 minutes, it started to cool down.

since im new to the f150, is this normal for this truck ? it seems to me that a brand new vehicle, no matter what kind, should blow ice cold.

any thoughts are appreciated.

 

I have the auto climate control, but according to my owners manual if you dont: There are two positions on the dial. A/C and Max A/C. A/C uses air from outside to cool the inside, Max A/C uses cool air inside the cabin, also the most in gas savings...If not the case, then it looks like time for a dealership...

 

if it humid out it will take longer to pull the car temp. down because a a/c system removes moisture from the air as it cool and the more moisture it needs to remove the longer it will take to cool down

 

Or get a remote starter. Have your truck nice and cool before you get in...

 

i like the remote starter idea. thats even a better idea for winter

however, my truck is equiped with climate control. your point about the humidity is very valid. it has been around 85% humidity here lately. maybe i'll give it a little while, and do some more testing before visiting the dealership.

thanks for the advice.

 

Mine's been doing this the last few days, and it has less then 500 miles. Seems the AC blows outside (hot) temperatures into the cab after sitting at a light for 15-30 seconds. It doesn't cool down until I drive away for a half block or so. I don't think it did this when I first bought it, and I don't think it's a humidity issue. It has been rainy here lately, but none of my other vehicles (non-Ford) are experiencing this problem. Is it possible the truck might be leaking refrigerant, and as a result is no longer able to sustain the AC at idle speed?

 

Many people here are of the opinion that Ford undercharges their AC systems. You may want to spend $20 on a fill hose with a gauge and check it. don't bother going to the dealer, your warranty means nothing unless something is completely non functional. They will only tell you it's "normal". I have a 98 and just charged mine for the first time. It blows colder than I ever remember now. When it was new, the compressor cycled every few seconds, way to often. The grease monkeys at my local dealer said it was "normal". After charging, it cycles much less than it ever did. I believe it was undercharged.

Also, American cars and imports are different in their AC settings. I had to re-learn too. You MUST set it on Max AC (recirc in imports) to get cool and even maintain cool in hot humid states during the summer. Fresh air setting is for winter and spring.

 

I think a lot of people do what my girlfriend does and turn on the a/c at full blast with the windows up. I found out that if I run with the a/c on and the windows down for about 5 minutes, then roll them up, it gets cooler inside. You have all of that hot stuffy air in the cab that you need to get out and if you don't, it will take forever to cool it down. Just my 2 cents.

 

The last part about the windows down in the way the manuals say to do it.

 

It's HOT here. My 04 Screw's air sux!! Basically, it only cools if you're going above say 30 mph. If you're at high speed it's fine, but if you pull into a drive thru - the temp changes dramatically. Also, someone mentioned the remote starter. Mine could sit at idle all day and not cool down!! Bought a 1988 Chevy Silverado new and kept it 15 years and that sucker would blow cold from the time you turned the key! I like my Screw, but the air is a disappointment. Guess I may try to re-charge. Are there any other suggestions?

 

Hi, my truck also wouldn't blow cool air and i went to the local dealer and had the system recharged and they told me it was down on r-134 a directly from the factory. It is much better now (but )not as good as it should be as my 1997 audi cools much better-and faster. hope this helps.

 

Not always is adding refrigerant the problem. There is a certain amount of refrigerant needed to do the job and anything more is just going to cause mechanical failure even though it seems colder. Yes, adding refrigerant may make it colder but overchargeing will just short'n the life of your A/C system. Did you know that over 70 percent of major automotive A/C repairs are made because of an owner or un-trained mechanic overcharging his/her A/C when that wasn't the problem. Of those vehicles that needed recharged 99% of them had leaks, an undercharge was less than a whopping 1%.

Keep in mind that sitting in traffic the A/C isn't going to be as efficient because there is less air moving across the condensor to remove heat from it. Moving down the road the air moves across the condensor removing heat from it. E-fan mods have an advantage here. I am not saying that some may have a low charge but if you want to find out the real source of the problem just don't stick a low side gauge or gadget on and make your diagnoses. Put A/C on Max. Connect a good set of gauges (not those discount stores like wally world) to your system. Take a temperature of the air comming out of the duct. Take an ambient temperature reading then a diagnoses can be made, not a guestement.

Example: A buddy, lets say, said his A/C wasn't blowing cold went to discount-store-are-us and bought a kit to put "freon" in his truck. He put a can in it an know it blows cold air. Fixed Right? Next season he calls and tells me his A/C started blowing warmer air and he puts in another can. It still doesn't work he asks, " should I put in another can". Short story conclusion. After I looked at it the oil became sludge because he didn't purge his hose and added air/moisture in the system the year before and the oil broke down and the orfice tube was now restricted. A system flush, new oil, virgin refrigerant and a charge got him running. How much hidden damage? We will find out as time goes on. The original problem was leaves on the face of the evaporator restricting air flow. You couldn't feel the lack of air but by taking a temp reading of the suction line I was able to find the problem. I cleaned the evaporator after fixing the damage he caused.

You have a problem. It doesn't blow cold, but charging it may not be the problem. I am not trying to be a know-it-all, I am just adding another perspective to the equation. A/C repairs can be done by owners but do a little research first before just sticking that can in. It may save you a $ now by not taking it to a pro but it will cost you quadruple later on if you are wrong or use improper procedures. Research it and do it yourself right or take it to an A/C shop.

Oh, if needs juice it has a leak.