I have a 1999 Expedition and the air conditioner does not cool at all. Its not hot air it blows but it is slightly cooler than the outside. I live in SC and I thought I could tough it out for a few more months but life is too short to be riding in a hot @ss truck all day.

I took it to Pep Boys. They hooked it up to the machine and said it was over charged so they let some freon out and according to the technician's reports "cools fine". Dumb me I left before letting the AC run for a while. I dont know what the tech was smoking but it doesn't cool any better after letting the freon out. There were no leaks in the system. Another fun ride home with a crappy AC.

Was makes it worse is my wife's Saturn view will freeze your tail off in a matter of minutes.

I long for the days that my truck would cool as good as her Saturn does. Maybe its a pipe dream.

Dammit I am not going down without a fight. I am tired of dealing with incompetent AC technicians. I am not afraid to work on the AC myself. If it takes replacing the whole AC I will do it. Are there aftermarket AC I could install?

What do I do?

Any ideas??

Please Help!

 

The first thing to do is to list all your observations. For example, is the accumulator sweaty and "beer can cold"? Does your system get colder when you're riding on the highway at 55 MPH? Does your clutch engage? If you have no clue what I am talking about then you need an ASE mechanic

 

There are 3 parts the evaporator, condenser, and accumulator correct.

I did feel one line that was very cold but sweating some.

The AC does not get any better whether I am on the highway or idling and both max and AC are not cold. The compressor cycles fine I guess. I put the gage on the low pressure side. It was at 45 psi, then the compressor cuts on a reduces the low side pressure to 25 psi (this was with max AC full blast) the compressor is turning.

There is a big canister by the firewall with the low pressure fitting. Is that the evaporator, condenser, or accumulator? There is also a smaller canister by the oil fill.

One note is that of course pep boys didn't find any leaks so I was thinking maybe a clogged orifice tube? Also I dont think its a stuck blend door since I can turn the temperature **** and it changes the temp.

Thanks Again!!

 

littlet- That is complete nonsense- I had a '99 F-150 and it would absolutely freeze you out. I realize the Exp. has more interior room to cool down but in the front with the air blowing on you it should feel the same way. May I ask you, why do people take their car to Pep Boys to be worked on? I wouldn't take a broken down bicycle to them to be worked on much less a car. You really need a complete set of gauges to test the system properly- also some knowledge about A/C. I'm betting you blend door in the A/C housing is broken and letting hot air in from the heat side and that there isn't anything wrong with your A/C. At least that is the FIRST place I would look. There is no need to replace the whole system, and don't even think about putting an after market system in- that is not the answer. And for god sake STAY AWAY FROM PEP BOYS. Good luck and let us know how the blend door thing went. Good luck.

 

Brief update. Bought a cheap thermometer today. In my wifes Saturn Vue on max AC I got 39 degrees F.

When I took garbage this afternoon in my truck I got.......ready for this...

93 degrees F!!!!. The SOB is not cooling at all

I gave the AC more credit than it deserved.

I question about the blend door... I thought I read that the blend door wouldn't matter on MAX AC, cause mine doesn't cool either way.

Were can I get a good set of gauges to test the AC?

 

littlet- 1st. things 1st. If you had a set of gauges you could tell if anything was clogged because your high side will go real high and your low side will drop real low. Before you go and buy a set of gauges that you may not need- I still think you need to adress the blend door more. Do you have dual heat and A/C? It looked in the pictures like you might. Find the heater hose that comes from the engine to the heater and use a pair of vice grips and a paint stir stick cut in 2 cross ways to protect the hose and clamp the heater hose coming from the engine to the heater. Since you're not positive about the blend door that will eliminate that issue (of heat entering the cabin via a broken blend door) in another way. I still think that's what's going on. Kinda hard to diagnose from 3k miles away. Try your heat after it's warmed up to make sure there is no water getting through the heater. (no heat) Then take it for a ride and try your A/C. (A/C's are not terribly efficient when the vehicle is setting still, especially on a hot humid day). Let us know how that goes. If you feel you have to have a set of gauges, Harbor Freight has about the best price on gauges- less than $50. most of the time, but I think you need to know a little more about A/C's before you need those.

 

Look at the compressor clutch and see if it engages or not, first.

If it does, then proceed with clamping off the heater hoses and checking for cooling.

If it doesn't diagnose the clutch failure.

Steve

 

I suspect the blend door.
I'm having issues with mine.

 

Thanks guys.

I am working on borrowing a set of gauges from my buddy. On the compressor, it cuts on cause I can see it turning and I can watch the low side pressure drop from 45 psi to 25 psi.

I will investigate the blend door this afternoon to see what I come up with.

Dumb statement here: I assume I have "dual heat and AC". Its just the standard AC and heating that you would find on a truck though mine had another set of controls for the backseats.

How to I locate the heater line to block it? Do you see it in my previous pictures?

 

I'm a little puzzled how you know that your lowside dropped from 45 to 25 PSI if you don't have a set of gauges. If you are using the gauge on a refrigerant can from the auto store then forget that. However, if I assume that the 25 PSI reading is legit and the fact that one of your suction lines is very cold then I would guess the problem is as described is other posts......the blend door. I would follow the suggestion of clamping the hoses off and check the vent temps. While I don't actually see your heater hoses in your pictures you should be able to locate them by feel.....they are very hot and run through the firewall and should be about the size of a typical garden hose...black; not green.

 

Basically, if I spin the dial from Red to Blue or vice versa, with the fan on I get no temperature change.

Hard to eplain but, I 'work it' over.
If it's on Heat, I push while turning a little at a time, then ease up the pressure on the **** go back to Heat a little and 'Push Turn' again, working it over with pressure, backing it without pressure.
I can feel the air getting colder as I do this.
Takes four or five passes to get cold.

I work my temperature **** twice a year and then I don't touch it.

 

You busted me. I was using the refridgerant can for my readings but your saying it may give me bad reading eh.

The heater hose comes off the motor correct? Does it then go directly into the firewall?

 

If the low side hose is getting cold and sweaty at the compressor and the high side hose is warm to hot then the charge is in the ballpark. Maybe not perfect and certainly should be checked and charged to specs but it should at least get colder than 93*. My money is on the blend door thing.
The heater hoses will probably be close to where the a/c lines go through the firewall.

 

Another little update....

On the way to work this morning I stuck the thermometer in the vent.

On max AC, 3/4 fan speed I got 51 degrees F

On regular AC, 3/4 fan speed I got 64 degrees F

Ambient outside temp was 76 degrees F and humidity was high.

Sooooo what does this sound like? Obviously the AC should work better when its cooler out which it did. Now I Just have to replicate this performance during 95 degree heat.

What temp should I be looking for out of the vents? Maybe 40 to 46 F??

I will attempt to track down the heater hose tonite.

 

Clamped the heater hose tonite...


No change in temperature so I have officially eliminated the blend door.