1997 A/C only Hot

[fatfender54]

I have a 1997 Explorer with manual climate control knobs and tried my A/C for the first time this year today. In normal A/C mode it only blows hot air, but on Max A/C it does get cold.

It seems to be hotter when the temp. dial is turned to cold rather than hot, but is too hard to tell on a hot day.

I did watch the operation of the water valve and it is actuated totally opposite in the two different selections on the control knob (max a/c and normal a/c).

Is the selector switch shot or am I looking in the wrong direction?

Please help before it really gets hot.

Thanks

[Davescort97]

More than likely the A/C has leaked freon and needs to be recharged. If the lines under the hood aren't cold it problably needs recharged. If the lines under the hood are cold then there is a problem with the blend door in the unit in the dash.

[shorod]

Was the compressor clutch engaged or cycling at all?

I don't understand what you mean by the water valve worked exactly opposite depending on Max or Norm. It should only be open or closed. Do you mean it would open on one setting, then close when you switched to the other setting? Or do you mean it starts in some intermediate point, goes fully clockwise in one setting and fully counterclockwise in the other? Assuming the former, does the temp setting function completely opposite between Max and Norm?

-Rod

[fatfender54]

I did check the lines at the dryer and they are cold and drip with condensation. the air is cold coming out of the center vents only in "Max a/c" position

The compressor does cycle on postions of the selector switch.

At the water valve, it is fully open or closed while in the "off" and "max a/c" position. Under normal "a/c" position and every other dial position, the water valve is fully operated in the opposite postion as when in "Max a/c". My thought is that the water valve should be in the same position for either "a/c" position, but it changes when the dial is adjusted between the two settings.