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97 windstar a/c pronlem


goldslaugh
05-25-2007, 07:01 PM
i bought a recharge kit and charged it. but still not blowin cold air. Do i have to bite the bullet and take it in to get fixed or could it be something simple?

97 windstar 3.8L 104k

twistedtech
05-25-2007, 07:15 PM
Either you have a massive leak or an electrical issue.

wiswind
05-25-2007, 09:12 PM
You are best off to take it to a shop and have a proper diagnosis done.
I took mine to an independant shop, and they used a "sniffer" (my term) to try to detect any signs of leakage, and could not.
So they added a bright green dye to the system and told me to come back in a week or so (was not very warm out at the time).
This gave the system time to leak.....and the dye showed them where the problem was.....so they did not throw parts at it without being sure.
In my case, the leak was in the evaporator coil.......which is a very expensive (due to the labor involved) repair.....as they have to remove the coil from up under the dashboard.
This is the ONLY time my A/C has failed on my '96.....and at 183K miles.

FORD has re-designed the unit since 1996.....and so the OEM part would be to replace the complete box.......about $450 plus labor, and my shop was able to replace just the coil, with an aftermarket brand, for only about $125......plus labor.

It is possible that the system charge is off.....or that one of the sensors is acting up......or that the relay that pulls in the compressor clutch is defective.....
A diagonsis by a technician with the proper tools should be able to get to the root of the problem.

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