A/C warm in city, cold on highway?
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Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 134
Likes: 0
From: Warner Robins, GA
A/C warm in city, cold on highway?
Hi gang,
I have a 1993, F150, 2WD with the 302/5.0 engine.
My a/c blows kinda warm in the city, but if i get some speed up......say 40+ it starts blowing nice and cold.
Someone mentioned to me cleaning the condesor coils and something else (maybe the fins?). I am not sure exactly where that is so if someone could help me out i would appreciate it. Also, what should i use to clean this stuff up with? Hopefully its something i can get at my local autozone or similar store.
Thanks!
-Glade
I have a 1993, F150, 2WD with the 302/5.0 engine.
My a/c blows kinda warm in the city, but if i get some speed up......say 40+ it starts blowing nice and cold.
Someone mentioned to me cleaning the condesor coils and something else (maybe the fins?). I am not sure exactly where that is so if someone could help me out i would appreciate it. Also, what should i use to clean this stuff up with? Hopefully its something i can get at my local autozone or similar store.
Thanks!
-Glade
Senior Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 198
Likes: 1
From: Arizona
This is the easiest/cheapest possible solution to the issue, so it is a good place to start.
The condensor is right in the front of your truck. It sits right in front of your radiator and right behind your grille. The "fins" are parts of the condensor. They are the openings the air is supposed to pass through. Leaves and rocks and stuff can get lodged in there and restrict air flow. Take a look at it through the grille, see what it looks like. A strong flow of water from a garden hose can dislodge most stuff in there. If there is still stuff in there, you can resort to picking it out manually using a thin, stiff piece of wire or a soft-bristled brush but make sure to move vertically not horizontally and be careful not to bend or damage the fins.
Once you clean it out, see if it made a difference. If not, or if there is no visible debris to begin with, something else you might look at as a cause of the problem is a weak fan clutch. Does the temperature gauge also go lots higher on a hot day when sitting at idle versus moving down the road? This plus the AC issue you mentioned is a classic symptom of a weak fan clutch. The clutch engages the fan, to draw air over the radiator and the condensor. A weak fan clutch won't fully engage the fan, so there is less air flow than there should be. Less air flow= higher engine temps and less A/C. When you're moving, the motion of the car pushes air through there, so there is no problem.
I had the same problem on my 95, and a new fan clutch solved it. If you do end up needing one, go to the dealership and get an OEM one. It costs a little more (about $90 I think) but the aftermarket ones are crap, have a tendency to fail early or never really work right in the first place.
The condensor is right in the front of your truck. It sits right in front of your radiator and right behind your grille. The "fins" are parts of the condensor. They are the openings the air is supposed to pass through. Leaves and rocks and stuff can get lodged in there and restrict air flow. Take a look at it through the grille, see what it looks like. A strong flow of water from a garden hose can dislodge most stuff in there. If there is still stuff in there, you can resort to picking it out manually using a thin, stiff piece of wire or a soft-bristled brush but make sure to move vertically not horizontally and be careful not to bend or damage the fins.
Once you clean it out, see if it made a difference. If not, or if there is no visible debris to begin with, something else you might look at as a cause of the problem is a weak fan clutch. Does the temperature gauge also go lots higher on a hot day when sitting at idle versus moving down the road? This plus the AC issue you mentioned is a classic symptom of a weak fan clutch. The clutch engages the fan, to draw air over the radiator and the condensor. A weak fan clutch won't fully engage the fan, so there is less air flow than there should be. Less air flow= higher engine temps and less A/C. When you're moving, the motion of the car pushes air through there, so there is no problem.
I had the same problem on my 95, and a new fan clutch solved it. If you do end up needing one, go to the dealership and get an OEM one. It costs a little more (about $90 I think) but the aftermarket ones are crap, have a tendency to fail early or never really work right in the first place.
Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 76
Likes: 0
From: NH of course
ac working better on highway
If you don't have debris in the condenser, the way to test the fan clutch is to turn off the engine while watching the fan. If after turning off the engine the fan freewheels more than 3 revolutions change the clutch. If the clutch is OK check for radiator or othe cooling system blockage or issue. BTW previous post is right about cheap parts house clutches like auto zone and checker. But there are good clutches from many cooling parts outfits that are not OE, NAPA works OK on American vehicles.
