Hot Air from AC

I have a 1996 Windstar GL and I have a problem with the AC. When I turn it on, it will only blow out warm-mid hot air instead of cold air.Got any ideas??Wanted to get some info so I could possibly fix myself rather than sending into garage.

Thanks
D'

Is it the front A/C or rear?
Do you have Rear A/C?
I assume the temp is set to cold and the A/C button is pressed and the indicator lamp is illuminated. (assuming yours is the same as my 99)

Could be the blend door.

Just got my 97 back from the shop. I have not had air for 3-4 years since the first shop I went to, told me that it was a valve behind the dash that was blocked and it would be approx 700.00 to fix it. I rolled the windows down and never looked back. We'll I decided this summer to let my dealer check it out and sure enough, it was a capacitor that went bad. This part tells the compressor when to turn on and off. My final bill was around 250.00. That's much better than 700-800. Now it blows ice cold and I love my van again. Good luck.

It has only Front Ac, no Rear AC. As far as I can tell, it should be working. I have no indicators for it, just the air flow knob and the Min/Max AC knob.

Will check this out when I finish work today. I have my meter at home. Where is this capacitor located??

Me Again!! I was talking to a fellow worker and he had mentioned that it could be the Low Pressure AC Switch.He also said that it is common to replace them several times throughout the life of the van.What feedback do you have about this?

He is correct. That would be the "capacitor" mentioned in an earlier post, it is more accurately described as a low pressure cut-off switch. It is there to prevent the compressor from running when there is not enough refridgerant in the system, which would quickly destroy the compressor.

If everything works ok, you can just purchase this switch and change it yourself, there is NO NEED to discharge the A/C to replace it. There is a small "schrader valve" where it screws in that seals the system off as you remove it.

You could also really have low charge, or even a blown fuse/disconnected A/C clutch coil. They would all result in the same symptoms.

What does this switch look like,and wher is it located w.r.t the compressor/valve?

Hi, if the layout is similar to my 3.8L you will find the valve on the upper side of the receiver/dryer which is the "thermos" shaped cannister on the right strut tower in the engine compartment. The switch is sized and shaped about like a shotgun shell and has an electrical plug. Disconnect the plug, unscrew the switch (you will vent a small amount of freon). To install the new one, reverse the process and tighten hand tight.
Good luck

Hello busboy4,

I borrowed my buddies Haynes book and I cannot seem to find anything which is titled Low Pressure AC switch. Could there be another name for it? Also is there a way that I can determine if it is the switch or not?

Thanks for the info, hopefully I will get at it sometime this weekend.

Thanks
Pryornfld

If yours is like almost all accumulator type mobile a/cs built for the last 20 years, the low pressure cut out switch should have two leads to it, you can unplug the connector and jump the terminals, If the switch was limiting compressor operation, you should see and hear the compressor clutch close and the system should begin working. If the cause is really low refrigerant, the suction lines will not get cold and you will still not get any cold air. Best to diagnose with a manifold guage set to check for proper hi and low pressures if you find this to be the case.

Hi Pryornfld

I was looking at my factory manual and it only shows the one setup I described, so I think the 3.0 and 3.8 have identical setups for the switch. It is easily identifiable on the receiver drier as I described it above. Ford calls it the A/C cycling switch. I also have a Haynes manual (36097) which calls it the compressor cycling switch. It is pictured in the Haynes manual under the receiver/drier removal/replacement process instructions.

Does the AC have to be discharged before the switch can be removed?

Does the AC have to be discharged before the switch can be removed?

As I suggested...

If everything works ok, you can just purchase this switch and change it yourself, there is NO NEED to discharge the A/C to replace it. There is a small "schrader valve" where it screws in that seals the system off as you remove it.

Thanks! I'll give it a go, and I'll get back to the success of the repair.

Later
Pryornfld

I jumped the connector and I hear a noice like something engaging and a fan turned on.Does this mean that the switch is defective?

If you heard a click that is most likely the compressor clutch engaging. The fan is the radiator fan activated by the a/c circuit to draw air over the condensor. Could be that the switch is faulty but also could be that the refirgerant charge is low and the switch is acting correctly. You can:
a) replace the switch with a known good one and see if it functions correctly
b) run it a short time with the connector jumped and feel the suction and liquid lines for cold and heat also see if the a/c pumps out cold air inside
c) preferred method. While the switch is jumped, operate the a/c and connect a manifold guage set to the system and check the low and high side pressures. If they are in range, replace the switch with a new one.

I jumpered the AC compressor switch , heard the clutch kick in, but there is still warm air blowing through. What should I do now?

I jumpered the AC compressor switch, heard the clutch kick in, but there is still warm air. What next?

Is ther more than one fuse for the AC?Where is it located?

If you heard the compressor kick in, your problem is not electrical. It is most likely the result of a leak that has allowed your refrigerant charge to become low. Again, it should be diagnosed with a manifold guage set that can tell you what is going on inside the system. A good trustworthy shop can do this or you can do it your self. If you dont have a manifold guage set, expect to pay 100-150 for a decent set with hoses for r-134a.

Just a quick note. I have fixed the AC in the van. Ther was no leaks, just needed to be recharged. Thanks to all who helped me out.

Dion

Just a quick note. I have fixed the AC in the van. Ther was no leaks, just needed to be recharged.

Uh, I have some news for you.... If it was "just low", it definately has a leak, and you are NOT supposed to recharge a leaking system until it is repaired.

That is correct. If the system was low, you do have a leak. In a r134a system, you can still "top-up" the system leagally as long as you do not vent to atmosphere any refrigerant; however, you do need to locate and repair the leak. Fortunatly, you can buy r134a with UV dye at your local autoparts store without a license. Charge the system with the dye mixed refrigerant and look for the dye at each hose, O ring, compressor seal evaporator and condenser. Good luck

this was the first thing that i noticed was happening before my van overheated and the head cracked. so check your radiator fluid and overfill tank and make sure your not leaking any fluids. that caused the ac to blow hot and the heat to blow cold. just a thought

If the system was low, you do have a leak. In a r134a system, you can still "top-up" the system leagally as long as you do not vent to atmosphere any refrigerant;

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but that is WRONG. It is "legal" to top off a low system ONLY so that the system can be properly diagnosed, and a performance check can be run. You MAY NOT refill, top off, or add charge to a leaking (low) system without repairing the source(s) of the leaks BEFORE the vehicle is "returned to service".

Hello,

I did not know this.I bought it into a garage and they said they couldn't find any leaks, so they just recharged it.They also said that I should keep an eye on it just to monitor it for leaks. If the AC starts to go bad, then they would do the dye test.

I suspect that is because they get $75-$100 for an A/C check-up, and to do a GOOD job of locating any and all leaks, they should spend at LEAST an hour searching with the system at full charge. This is something that many shops just will not spend the time to do, because they know the risk of getting "caught" is VREY very low, almost zero.

That may be the case where you are. I carry a current license for recovery recycling and reclaim of refrigerant. The federal requirements and our local requirements do not require the repair of a leak in a r134a system prior to recharge. While I agree that it should be done both for system operation and enviornmental protection (r134a is considered a greenhouse gas), it is not legally required on the east coast US. If you have documented mandates showing otherwise, I will stand corrected.

My Federal License test made a point to ask this question (paraphrased since it was 5 years ago) "Can you refill a system that is low, without repairing the cause of it being low?" - NO.

And, "Is it legal to refill any A/C system that has a Detectable leak?" - NO.

Of course, what is "detectable" is open for interpretation.

Thanks ModMech,
I recall exactly the opposite but did my certification in '97. Anyhow, here is a link that might be of interest to the others here:
http://www.macsw.org/macs.asp?mfurl=faq.html