Ran into an A/C problem that everyone might want to check for in their vehicles.
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Joined: May 2006
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Ran into an A/C problem that everyone might want to check for in their vehicles.
Of course this happened to me today, which happens to be the hottest day of the year so far. This is a 2003 F-150 with a 5.4.
I made a couple of short trips throughout the day with the A/C working correctly, then all of a sudden I get in and I have hot air coming out. Strange I thought, never touched any controls or anything. The last time I had the truck started it was blowing good cold air, what could have happened that was so sudden? Well I'll tell you. One of the lines that go to the compressor was rubbing against a sharp edge of the plastic inner fender probably since this thing was made. It finally wore through today. No more A/C. Now I am going to have to fight with the dealer over this since it is JUST out of warranty by 3 months and 2,500 miles. Depending upon how they handle this LATEST problem, I will either keep it or trade it in for another make.
This is not coming from a casual Ford buyer, but from someone that has a Ford drag race car in his garage, a garage full of Ford parts that date from the mid sixties to the present, and has owned nothing but Fords during his entire adult life. I am fed up now though and understand why Ford is in such big trouble.
If it wasn't the lousy power, it was the lousy gas mileage, or the thing sounding a death rattle every time it starts, or the rearend screaming so loud it about drives you nuts, or the 4 sets of brakes I've had to put on this thing in less than 40,000 miles, or the nearly $300 right front wheel bearing assembly that went right after the warranty was up, or the left one that is going now, or the right tie rod end, or the fact that it burns a quart of oil every 900 miles or I could just go on and on about this piece of junk.
I traded in a 1992 F-150 with 145,000 miles that at the 145,000 mile point I had WAY less trouble than I have had with this one in only about 38,500 miles or so. Heck, that 300 straight six STILL got 18 miles to the gallon, and did not use a single drop of oil in a 4,000 mile oil change interval even with that many miles on it. My first brake job on that truck was at 50,000 miles, the second was at 88,000. I thought I was going to step up in reliability, I guess I was wrong. Now I am going to look at another make of truck, which I NEVER thought would happen.
Sorry for the rant, but I work in a shop that gets 100+ degrees inside of it in the summer, it sure was nice to crank up the A/C on the way home to cool off a bit. Now as the latest problem with this thing the A/C is gone. I am not going to pay a single cent to fix this latest problem. Either Ford fixes it or I make a trip to a competing dealership and trade it in!!
I made a couple of short trips throughout the day with the A/C working correctly, then all of a sudden I get in and I have hot air coming out. Strange I thought, never touched any controls or anything. The last time I had the truck started it was blowing good cold air, what could have happened that was so sudden? Well I'll tell you. One of the lines that go to the compressor was rubbing against a sharp edge of the plastic inner fender probably since this thing was made. It finally wore through today. No more A/C. Now I am going to have to fight with the dealer over this since it is JUST out of warranty by 3 months and 2,500 miles. Depending upon how they handle this LATEST problem, I will either keep it or trade it in for another make.
This is not coming from a casual Ford buyer, but from someone that has a Ford drag race car in his garage, a garage full of Ford parts that date from the mid sixties to the present, and has owned nothing but Fords during his entire adult life. I am fed up now though and understand why Ford is in such big trouble.
If it wasn't the lousy power, it was the lousy gas mileage, or the thing sounding a death rattle every time it starts, or the rearend screaming so loud it about drives you nuts, or the 4 sets of brakes I've had to put on this thing in less than 40,000 miles, or the nearly $300 right front wheel bearing assembly that went right after the warranty was up, or the left one that is going now, or the right tie rod end, or the fact that it burns a quart of oil every 900 miles or I could just go on and on about this piece of junk.
I traded in a 1992 F-150 with 145,000 miles that at the 145,000 mile point I had WAY less trouble than I have had with this one in only about 38,500 miles or so. Heck, that 300 straight six STILL got 18 miles to the gallon, and did not use a single drop of oil in a 4,000 mile oil change interval even with that many miles on it. My first brake job on that truck was at 50,000 miles, the second was at 88,000. I thought I was going to step up in reliability, I guess I was wrong. Now I am going to look at another make of truck, which I NEVER thought would happen.
Sorry for the rant, but I work in a shop that gets 100+ degrees inside of it in the summer, it sure was nice to crank up the A/C on the way home to cool off a bit. Now as the latest problem with this thing the A/C is gone. I am not going to pay a single cent to fix this latest problem. Either Ford fixes it or I make a trip to a competing dealership and trade it in!!
Last edited by capriracer351; May 29, 2006 at 07:37 PM.
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Joined: May 2004
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From: Georgia on my mind...
Want some cheese with that whine? I ain't denying the past problems you've had with your truck, but I got a pretty good feeling that you're gonna be fighting a losing battle over that A/C repair under warranty.
Your dealer may elect to offer you after warranty assistance at their discretion, where either they'll foot part of the bill with you, they'll cover the whole bill. Although this is normally reserved for loyal customers (people who get their services done regularly, bought a few vehicles from that dealer, etc.) and it's most often reserved for high end repairs, like engines and transmissions and stuff.
On something like a manifold line, I think you're gonna be SOL for warranty coverage after the fact.
Sounds like the vast majority of your beef is prolly more with your dealer than the manufacturer itself. All those problems are fixable, and somehow I get the feeling that they didn't all show up all of a sudden 2000 miles after you run out of warranty.
And FWIW, I've got a '97 F250 LD with a 5.4 liter that's quiet on start up, gets 15 mpg with worn out spark plugs and O2s, and doesn't burn or leak a drop of oil at 174K miles. And I've never had to repair anything related to the A/C on it.
Your dealer may elect to offer you after warranty assistance at their discretion, where either they'll foot part of the bill with you, they'll cover the whole bill. Although this is normally reserved for loyal customers (people who get their services done regularly, bought a few vehicles from that dealer, etc.) and it's most often reserved for high end repairs, like engines and transmissions and stuff.
On something like a manifold line, I think you're gonna be SOL for warranty coverage after the fact.
Sounds like the vast majority of your beef is prolly more with your dealer than the manufacturer itself. All those problems are fixable, and somehow I get the feeling that they didn't all show up all of a sudden 2000 miles after you run out of warranty.
And FWIW, I've got a '97 F250 LD with a 5.4 liter that's quiet on start up, gets 15 mpg with worn out spark plugs and O2s, and doesn't burn or leak a drop of oil at 174K miles. And I've never had to repair anything related to the A/C on it.
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 80
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From: Orlando
I feel your pain man, and I understand completely about the feeling of (thinking you are) purchasing reliability and the thing dumps a rainstorm of problems on you. Best of luck in your battles for a Ford, and not a "****ed-Over-Rebuilt-Dodge". 
