Main IndexAuto Repair Home Search Posts SEARCH
POSTS
Who's Online WHO'S
ONLINE
Log in LOG
IN









Search Auto Parts

[Repair Shop Update] Hot air from AC 2006 Ford Escape


  Email This Post



sphayes
New User

Aug 23, 2013, 9:35 PM

Post #1 of 13 (2527 views)
  post locked   [Repair Shop Update] Hot air from AC 2006 Ford Escape  

Hello!
I have a 2006 Ford Escape xls with 103,000 miles on it.

Today, I was driving from Phoenix to Southern California and while I was driving my Ac stopped blowing cold air. I hear a rattle from under the hood about once a minute as well.
I was told to buy ACPro to recharge the system. The gauge on the kit reads high pressure (in the red) but I cant get the adapter to lock on to the port so I am afraid to pull the trigger and charge the system as it may leak near the port.

If I can get it to lock in, should this kit make my AC cold again?


(This post was edited by sphayes on Aug 26, 2013, 12:30 PM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 24, 2013, 2:43 AM

Post #2 of 13 (2496 views)
  post locked   Re: Hot air from AC 2006 Ford Escape  

NO, don't force refrigerant into a system that you have no idea what the problem is. Those "Death kits" can do thousands in damage. AC diagnosis is not a DIY job and requires extensive knowledge to recognize issues. The system requires a very specific weight of refrigerant and too much is a worse problem than too little.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Aug 24, 2013, 4:09 AM

Post #3 of 13 (2492 views)
  post locked   Re: Hot air from AC 2006 Ford Escape  

I had a reply on that already saying the same thing. Not sure what happened to it or my fault? No matter, toss those things for many reasons. Haven't seen one yet that is pure refrigerant, accurate gauges and such a cheap quick connect they are just a total waste even if you had a clue what to do. Yes - overcharging can cause untold expense and that hasn't been determined that it needed any!

T



sphayes
New User

Aug 24, 2013, 9:10 AM

Post #4 of 13 (2481 views)
  post locked   Re: Hot air from AC 2006 Ford Escape  

Thank you. I returned the kit and I'm just going to leave my AC and fans off until I can take it to a repair shop. I'm up here for a convention and I don't know where to take it + I'm worried this could be expensive. Do you think it would be safe for another 6 hour drive back to Phoenix so I can take it to my normal shop?


(By the way, it was the salesman at Oreilly auto parts that told me the ACPro would fix everything. He said if the gauge is in the red then I probably have NO refrigerant and adding the whole bottle would make my AC cold again. )


(This post was edited by sphayes on Aug 24, 2013, 9:14 AM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 24, 2013, 10:31 AM

Post #5 of 13 (2475 views)
  post locked   Re: Hot air from AC 2006 Ford Escape  

That guy is an idiot. That's all they hire at the parts stores.

Everything will be fine if the compressor isn't turned on. You might want to unplug it or remove the relay to be sure.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



sphayes
New User

Aug 24, 2013, 10:45 AM

Post #6 of 13 (2472 views)
  post locked   Re: Hot air from AC 2006 Ford Escape  

I wouldn't know how to do that, but I'm glad I came here. Sounds like you guys potentially saved me hundreds of dollars! Thank you! Windows down with no air for now.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 24, 2013, 11:29 AM

Post #7 of 13 (2470 views)
  post locked   Re: Hot air from AC 2006 Ford Escape  

I am in South Florida and I do a lot of AC work. Even down here there are very few people that really know what they are doing when it comes to AC work. Everybody thinks it is real simple but that couldn't be further from the truth. Yes, low refrigerant is the most common cause of no cold air but you can't just arbitrarily throw more into it. It requires a very specific amount.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Aug 24, 2013, 12:41 PM

Post #8 of 13 (2464 views)
  post locked   Re: Hot air from AC 2006 Ford Escape  

Some body at the parts store told you to put the whole amount in!!! (Shock) Not only totally an idiot but that would about assure you of damage - nice.

HT would have close to a year round A/C thing going on. I'm in MA so it's about over for most already except those who like to freeze.

These parts stores post the can kits, w gauge bragging that it will seal leaks, fix everything, all in one kit in a can with a gauge with colors to amuse you too as you blow a couple grandPirate

I'm sure it stinks to have to drive that 6 hours without A/C but you probably would have anyway if you tried without knowing a ton more than those kit cans. Gee, do they give baseball cards and bubble gum with them too?

You are doing the right thing. Leave it to pros or really learn it - if a paper book you couldn't lift it!

T



MarineGrunt
Enthusiast
MarineGrunt profile image

Aug 24, 2013, 12:54 PM

Post #9 of 13 (2459 views)
  post locked   Re: Hot air from AC 2006 Ford Escape  


Quote
(By the way, it was the salesman at Oreilly auto parts that told me the ACPro would fix everything. He said if the gauge is in the red then I probably have NO refrigerant and adding the whole bottle would make my AC cold again. )



ACPro is the most expensive refrigerants these part's stores sell if that tells you anything.

You have to remember, the guys at auto parts stores are salesman, not mechanics. Many of them think that because they deal with parts and look them up all day they are also mechanics or that they need to act like one. I'm not a professional mechanic, just a diy guy, but I've caught them in so many sales pitches it's not funny. What is funny is calling them on their bs. Every now and then you'll come across one that's a straight shooter but it's not very often.

If you're not able to unplug the a/c on your own as HT suggested just be sure to keep it turned off and you should be fine.

I wish it was the end of the season here Tom. Suppose to be 95 here on Monday. I knew the cooler August weather we we're having was just to get our hopes up! Seems to do that every year here in IL.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 24, 2013, 1:49 PM

Post #10 of 13 (2457 views)
  post locked   Re: Hot air from AC 2006 Ford Escape  


Quote
HT would have close to a year round A/C thing going on.


Our beaches can be filled with tourists in January. We service AC year round.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Aug 24, 2013, 2:13 PM

Post #11 of 13 (2455 views)
  post locked   Re: Hot air from AC 2006 Ford Escape  

It's done here too, mostly accidents where stuff was broken. A or B -- Put some in and disable system till warmer OR call TOM who can heat an area to a real 100F and did, took hours as it was windy and below zero out. Get car metal and all at that temp just to know it all worked. Owner was headed for your area HT and wanted it working when they got there.

I probably wouldn't have heard but bet it was just fine - took all day to get it hot enough to really work the system - Automatic Climate Control no less,

T



sphayes
New User

Aug 26, 2013, 12:29 PM

Post #12 of 13 (2424 views)
  post locked   Re: Hot air from AC 2006 Ford Escape  

Went to repair shop this morning. Thought I should let you all know what happened.
Here is what I was told:
-Nut and clutch for compressor are both missing, probably fell off. (Makes sense because I heard some noises that support this)

-Seal in compressor is leaking, probably started due to overheating (also makes sense because it was 110F when my AC went out)

- one of the belts can be rotated by hand in a way that it shouldnt be rotated?

- they took me back and showed me the compressor and it looked pretty thrashed. I didn't know exactly what I was looking at but I knew it was broken. The gear almost looked stripped and it was quite dirty.

I should have AC in my car after 2-3 hours of labor.

Parts and labor total: $683


Once again, thank you all for telling me not to use the ACPro.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 26, 2013, 12:31 PM

Post #13 of 13 (2419 views)
  post locked   Re: Hot air from AC 2006 Ford Escape  

Glad to hear you got it resolved and you repaired it correctly.

Closing question as solved to keep spammers out.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.







  Email This Post
 
 


Feed Button




Search for (options) Privacy Sitemap