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Old Apr 27, 2013 | 02:03 PM
  #1  
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Laughing Gas
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AC Issues

I took the truck out for a spin, (01 F250) and it was actually warm enough to merit windows down driving. I figured I'd also try out the AC, but no dice, I was just gettin warm air blown into my face.

My first thought is an electrical issue so I'm wondering where I should look? I noticed last weekend when I pulled up the hood to look under there that the AC pump clutch would engage and disengage about every 10 seconds or so. 10 seconds engaged, 10 disengaged, 10 engaged, you get the picture. Didn't think much of it at the time, however today when I was trying to figure out the issue I noticed the clutch no longer engages with the switch in AC or Max AC. I dont think its the switch however as it still works fine for all other positions.

Any ideas?

Thanks in Advance, Ethan
 
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Old Apr 27, 2013 | 04:00 PM
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Short cycle time indicates low on R134 refrigerant. Just a thought.
 
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Old Apr 27, 2013 | 04:14 PM
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Agree ^^^ ck ref. level . Sounds like low charge . Buy a kit with a leak detector dye .. Recharge . then ck for leaks . Or take it to a shop and spend $$$$ to fix . I know , I work at a shop , and fix them for $$$$$ ! Good luck !
 
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Old Apr 27, 2013 | 04:45 PM
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Alright, I'll check that.

I notice I forgot earlier, when it was engaging and disengaging every 10 seconds this was without the switch in either AC position. It was with it on the vents, with the temp dial all the way to the cold side. At the time I vaguely remember getting coolish air out of the vents. Today when I do it I get the warm air.

Does this also point to low refrigerant?

Thanks for the responses. I love this place!
 
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Old Apr 27, 2013 | 05:14 PM
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If the ref. is not at the proper charge you will get mixed results depending on outside temp . Ac pref. is directly related to temp and pressure . Temp affects pressure . Pressure affects temp .
 
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Old Apr 27, 2013 | 05:21 PM
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Ok. I'll recharge and see what happens after that. Are there any charging kits you would recommend?
 
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Old Apr 27, 2013 | 05:22 PM
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The other thing is the air gap on the clutch. It should he around .030 of in inch. There are spacers on the clutch and they wear. If the gap gets too big the clutch won't engage.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/5...ml#post4464164

read Springerpops post in the above thread.
 
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Old Apr 27, 2013 | 05:30 PM
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Originally Posted by HKusp
The other thing is the air gap on the clutch. It should he around .030 of in inch. There are spacers on the clutch and they wear. If the gap gets too big the clutch won't engage.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/5...ml#post4464164

read Springerpops post in the above thread.
Good point ! The air gap can usually be adjusted . If too wide , clutch assy needs replacing .
 
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Old May 9, 2013 | 04:45 PM
  #9  
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Its been awhile, but I'm finally done with school, and it rained so we were shut down on the farm for a couple days. Went to charge my AC, hooked it up and it said 55lbs so I'm not low on refrigerant. I also tried to see if my air gap is too big, but following Springerpops posts in the linked thread got me nowhere, compressor still wouldn't engage.

Any more ideas from the great folks around here?
 
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Old May 9, 2013 | 07:30 PM
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Time to ck switches , relay , and fuses . Low pressure switch and relays give lots of problems . A wiring diagram would be helpful .
 
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Old May 9, 2013 | 07:44 PM
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Courtesy of Wood-N-Things and for a 2002 but I am sure most of the info you need would be the same.
If you have a problem with Google Docs, let me know and I will post up a good pdf version.

2002 Superduty Wiring Manual.
 
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Old May 10, 2013 | 07:27 AM
  #12  
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Mine ended up being the shim built up material and the clutch wouldn't engage. I pulled the shim and mine has been working flawlessly for 3 years. It is a very simple thing to check. I need to check the links above. If one of them doesn't have the link to what I am talking about, I will find it and post it for you.

I think I saw it above. But here it is again.

http://springerpop.net/F350/air_gap.html

This is what cured my ills with my A/C.
 
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Old May 10, 2013 | 09:23 AM
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Originally Posted by twg1966
Mine ended up being the shim built up material and the clutch wouldn't engage. I pulled the shim and mine has been working flawlessly for 3 years. It is a very simple thing to check. I need to check the links above. If one of them doesn't have the link to what I am talking about, I will find it and post it for you.

I think I saw it above. But here it is again.

SpringerPop's Compressor Clutch Air Gap

This is what cured my ills with my A/C.
That's the info I linked to.
 
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Old May 10, 2013 | 05:05 PM
  #14  
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I did try tapping on the clutch to see if it would engage, but didnt get anywhere. When I get the time I'll dive into the fuses and check to see if the shim has built up crud on it. Its starting to dry up here and we've gotta replace the gear box on the spreader so we can start haulin manure again. Hopefully its a simple fix.

Thanks again for all the great responses!
 
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Old May 11, 2013 | 12:16 PM
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I'm having the same issue, compressor not working. I checked my pressure on the "low side" and it's 100psi!!! How would it get so high on it's own??? I'm in Palm Springs and absolutely melting! If I can't fix it today or tomorrow it's off to a shop on Monday.... ugh
 
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