A/C problems

[JK II]

My a/c is crap right now. When I turn it on its like having the heat on but its all the way to the left. Its not cold anymore and being in constant 97 degree weather its unbearable driving with the windows down. I'm not sure where to start looking so I figured someone here might know.

 

[Jeff C]

I had that problem. It was fixed under warranty and the sheet said they replaced the "plenum" (sp?). So, maybe have Ford look at it if you have any warranty left.

 

[Nelson Atwell]

Check the fuse. You may also see if the belt has come loose under the hood (forgive me, but I don't know if everything is connected to one serpentine belt or not, and I don't want to look under the hood in the rain to find out). :unsure:



Pretty ironic that your e-mail includes the word "iceman".

 

[Todd Z]

Nelson, yes 1 serp belt for everything

JK Turn it on max, and fan on high... Open the hood and look if the AC compressor is clicking or spinning.. IF not the 134A is low and you have a leak and need a re charge or there is something electrical...

You could just got buy the can of 134A that has the hose on it and try to fill your self, But this can be dangerous if there is other problems..

Todd Z

 

[Nelson Atwell]

:unsure:



ple·num (plē'nəm, plĕn'əm) pronunciation

n., pl. ple·nums or ple·na (plē'nə, plĕn'&#601.



1. An assembly or meeting with all members present.

2. A condition, space, or enclosure in which air or other gas is at a pressure greater than that of the outside atmosphere.

3. The condition of being full; fullness.

4. A space completely filled with matter.



[Latin plēnum (spatium), full (space), neuter of plēnus.]

 

[Todd Z]

Well we knew Jeff was filled with air!!! HAHAHAHAH :lol::lol::lol:



Wounder why they call it an intake plenum, when the pressure never goes over atmospheric unless you have some type of forced injection....

Todd Z

 

[Jeff C]

Least my skull's not a vacum Todd.

 

[Nelson Atwell]

Wouldn't it be cool to have a plenum of all ST owners?



Good luck with your A/C JKII.

 

[JK II]

Thanks for the replies. I'll check it out in a bit.



Yeah Nelson it is pretty ironic lol. I might have to change it to Extremelyhotandsweatingman.

 

[Travis Munday]

Plenum, when used in air delivery systems (HVAC, intakes, etc), means a common air chamber where air is then drawn or delivered to where it needs to go. The intake has a plenum, then the runners go from there to the heads. In HVAC systems, the a/c unit pumps cold (or warm) air into one place, then it is ducted to where it needs to be, autos and homes are all the same in this regard.



John-

I'm guessing you're low on R-134a, but I'd check for leaks first by getting some dyed coolant...it has red dye in it that can be used to help locate leaks...just be very careful to not burn yourself with the coolant, a face shield and gloves are a good idea when visually looking for leaks.

 

[Richard L]

Recharging your AC unit with cans is not a very good idea unless you intend to sell the truck real soon.



The problem is, when the refrigerant is low, it means there is a leak in the system which needs to be repaired or the refrigerant will leak out again. The other more serious problem is that when the refrigerant leaks out, so does the compressor oil which is a vital lubricant to the compre$$or. Also, when refrigerant leaks out, air leaks in and air contains moisture which is not good inside the AC unit.



If you just add refrigerant (R-134A) without fixing the leak, purging the air out, or replacing the lost compressor oil, you are setting yourself up for big $$$ AC repairs in the not too distant future. Over time the compressor will fail, the Orfice tube will become clogged with ice and other contaminates from air leaking in. If the compressor fails it often sends debris through the system requiring the replacement of not only the compressor, but frequently the evaporator, and condensor cores, accumulator, orfice tube and pressure control switches. That usually cost $1000-$1500 or even more.



...Rich

 

[Tommy VanNess]

Awww Rich, I wish you would have posted this about a month ago.

 

[Scott Tanner]

Or, it could just be a loose vacuum hose to the actuators... happened on mine at ~5000 miles... same symptoms

 

[POJ Irving]

Hi JKII,



Last June I had a similar problem with my AC. ST is now 3 years old (02). Started not cooling as it use to, suspected something was wrong so I went to my Ford dealer, technician said it was ok but I knew different. I am fortunate that I have been Blessed with a bit of mechanical skills so I am not afraid to tackle things. (NOT A PRO ). Long story short, I bought the AC kit from Advance Auto Parts,and did a few checks and determined it had little refrigerant, the clutch was coming in too often. Anyway my problem turned out to be the condenser, that was leaking the refrigerant. St was under warranty so ford dealer replaced the condenser, problem solved , ice cold and thankfully just in time for the Florida heat wave.



Now for all you ST owners and others out there, here is a web site sponsored by Advance Auto Parts that can truly help you visualize things, and if you are a DIY person like me and dont mind getting your hands dirty. Here are some quick money saving tips.



http://www.advanceautoparts.com/english/specials/videoclinic.asp



There is one clinic there for repairing AC as well.



Much Love.