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AC Acting Weird?!?


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Jake212197
New User

May 14, 2016, 12:38 PM

Post #1 of 12 (1858 views)
AC Acting Weird?!? Sign In

2005 Ford Five Hundred 160,000 miles going strong! Hey guys new to the forums, so I bought this car this winter and was told AC blows cold. Of course I was lied to, my luck!! So I live in North Carolina and it's getting hot really hot. The AC blows cool but not cold. And I unluckily just found out today it doesn't even blow cool air at idle(was in traffic) once it got up to highway speeds it started blowing cool but not cold. So I want to Walmart picked up a can of that AC Repair with sealer and a gauge hooked up a gauge on the low pressure side before recharging and the needle was buried at the "overcharged" mark. So I didn't even attempt to add any r134a. Had to get oil changed anyway today so I went to a valvoline instant oil change and asked if one of the techs would look at it he put some little handheld gun looking thing on it and confirmed it was over charged he said he would first start with vacuuming the system then recharging it. So from what I've tried describing does anyone have an idea what this could be ??? Only 18 and have so much money don't wanna get screwed over so looking for your guys' best guess as kind of a second opinion so I don't go to NTB tomorrow and they try tacking on a whole bunch of unnecessary things and yes I have to go to NTB because there is nothing else around here that has good reviews and that is open on the weekends. I can only get this car fixed tomorrow because of my work schedule.

TL;DR AC blows cool but not cold like a car AC should. It feels like it's blowing 50% of its potential. Also won't blow cool air at idle only at highway speeds. Went to recharge it with a DIY kit and it says it's already overcharged and a auto tech confirmed that as well.


kev2
Veteran
kev2 profile image

May 14, 2016, 1:23 PM

Post #2 of 12 (1846 views)
Re: AC Acting Weird?!? Sign In

the vehicle is new to you SO lets start easy simple CHEAP what you can do...
Have the vehicle scanned for codes - yes even if CEL is off - its FREE at most part stores....
When you select AC be sure the engine cooling fans come ON, check all shrouds are in place nothing blocking air flow.
Stay away from those DIY AC refill sealing miracle in a can - often more harm than good....
Working AC is becoming a specialty within the trade, it will REQUIRE 2 gauges* so that oil change dirty fast easy pressure check is incomplete... a professional assessment is needed.


*monitoring the Hi as well as the low sides of system...


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 14, 2016, 1:42 PM

Post #3 of 12 (1844 views)
Re: AC Acting Weird?!? Sign In


Quote
Went to recharge it with a DIY kit


That's what is known in the business as a "death kit" and it's the fastest path to a totally destroyed system that you can find.
Using an oil change place for AC repairs is the second fastest way.

You need to get this thing to an AC specialist before they cost you a fortune in a damaged system.

This thing can quickly go from a $100 repair to a $2000 repair with the wrong guy messing with it.



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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.



(This post was edited by Hammer Time on May 14, 2016, 1:46 PM)


Jake212197
New User

May 14, 2016, 2:35 PM

Post #4 of 12 (1839 views)
Re: AC Acting Weird?!? Sign In

Thanks both of you !! Would NTB be an alright place to go I know there labor rate is gonna be higher than others , but do they have the adequate skills to get me out of the door with working AC without getting ripped off lmao ?


(This post was edited by Jake212197 on May 14, 2016, 2:36 PM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 14, 2016, 2:39 PM

Post #5 of 12 (1833 views)
Re: AC Acting Weird?!? Sign In

No, no, no................ None of those chain stores have anyone that has any idea what they are doing. You need either a shop that specializes in AC or the dealer.

Stop trying to pinch pennies because that will cost you dearly in the end.



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

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.



Jake212197
New User

May 14, 2016, 2:57 PM

Post #6 of 12 (1830 views)
Re: AC Acting Weird?!? Sign In

I'm not very mechanically inclined, would a shop that specializes in "Radiator and AC repair" be what I'm looking for, typed into google "auto AC repair" and only places like that are popping up. I'm in Huntersville North Carolina if your bored would ya do me a solid and Google a place i could go to ?


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 14, 2016, 3:00 PM

Post #7 of 12 (1826 views)
Re: AC Acting Weird?!? Sign In

If I'm bored? Do you need me to do your laundry too?



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

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.



Jake212197
New User

May 14, 2016, 3:04 PM

Post #8 of 12 (1824 views)
Re: AC Acting Weird?!? Sign In

Was my polite way of asking for a favor !! Lol.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 14, 2016, 3:09 PM

Post #9 of 12 (1816 views)
Re: AC Acting Weird?!? Sign In

Well, that was my sarcastic way of saying we are professionals that share our knowledge for free. Don't push it.



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

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

May 14, 2016, 3:16 PM

Post #10 of 12 (1815 views)
Re: AC Acting Weird?!? Sign In

Quote">>Had to get oil changed anyway today so I went to a valvoline instant oil change and asked if one of the techs would look at it he put some little handheld gun looking thing on it and confirmed it was over charged he said he would first start with vacuuming the system then recharging it.<<"


That was the first thing to have done to find out if more was needed. I generally don't care for fast food places for anything but doesn't mean a real qualified tech isn't there? Sounds like you should go back, take back the DEATH KIT as Wallyworld will take it back no matter what and put that towards a real fix.
Guess I'm not doing laundry either. No way to know your area for sure better that you can being there,


T



gezeichnet
User

May 15, 2016, 7:09 PM

Post #11 of 12 (1778 views)
Re: AC Acting Weird?!? Sign In

Nobody has gone the electrical route. Check the ground wire from the compressor which runs, generally, down the front side of the engine (depending on where your ac compressor is located, of course).
On an Olds minivan I had, the a/c would run, then cut out, then run and cut out again. I took it too my local mechanic and he found, what I should have looked at. The ground wire from the AC was rubbing the engine and the insulation was worn off. Consequently, with the wind, the circuit would make and break. Try this - bet it works!


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

May 16, 2016, 12:26 AM

Post #12 of 12 (1773 views)
Re: AC Acting Weird?!? Sign In

gezeichnet
Please don't confuse this thread with your Old minivan - nothing to do with this issue. Let OP come back with any more questions,


T







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