I live in AZ and we get the worst as far as temps go. My A/C is not cooling like it should. It is somewhat cold but I have to leave it on max 100% of the time and it seems like it never catches up. I purchased a cheap guage at checker to verify freon levels and the needle settled right between the "green band=good" and the "red band=overfilled". If the system is overfilled can this cause this problem? Any other ideas are welcome... Thanks!

 

Overfilling will not harm AC performance unless you put so much that it blows out the entire system. Here are some ideas...
-Check to see if the blend doors are moving properly
-There should be one right behind the glove box
(Floor/vents/defroster blend door)
-The other one should be between under the first
one between the floor and the AC housing
(Recirculation/fresh air blend door)
-There is also a heat/AC blend door
-Check the seals in the actuators that move the blend doors and see if they are holding vacuum by removing them and pushing the rod that sticks out from them in and then putting your fingers over the vacuum studs
-Check to see if the condensor (in front of the radiator) is clogged with crap
-Check fan(s) to see if they are all working properly
-Check radiator temperature (overheating will cause the AC to work poorly)
-Finally if none of these things are a problem, take it to a shop that is good with ACs. Have them check the high side pressure (should be no higher than 300 or lower then 180. If it is higher than 300, your orifice tube/expansion valve is probably bad or clogged. If it is lower, chances are that the AC compressor has bad internal seals and is not pressuring up properly. A mechanic should be able to quickly and easily diagnose your problem. If not, find a different mechanic and never go back. ACs are one of the simplest things to diagnose

 

Welcome to FTE, V10dave

Check out this thread and the link associated with it.

Let us know what you decide and if it solves the problem.

 

I used to live in AZ. I know what you mean. A heater core bypass is a popular fix to lower the AC temp. I tried doing a search but didn't some up with much. A bypass valve linked to a vacuum hose would give you some control in the cab. Otherwise, I know a guy in Phoenix who just has a manual switch under the hood, and that works fine.

Good Luck
-Andy

 

Sorry - the link didn't get posted. Here it is:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...=heater+valve+


Mondays - Geesh!