2002 Ranger AC Problem

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Jul 9, 2013 | 09:01 PM

rkmaxwel

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2002 Ranger AC Problem

I'm having trouble with my Ranger air conditioner. It's a 2002 Ranger, 2WD, 5 Speed manual Tran., standard cab truck with 282,000 miles. As long as the Ranger is moving at highway speeds, it is cooling fairly good. Once I encounter heavy interstate traffic and slow down to a crawl, it then starts blowing warm air. Then when traffic starts moving again, it eventually starts cooling again. When I arrived home this evening, I let the truck idle and the air was warm. I then revved the engine up to about 2000 rpm and the air started cooling. My freon pressure checks good, but I noticed the AC clutch cycles on and off every few seconds. I sure would appreciate any help or knowledge to remedy my problem.

Thanks, Ronny

Jul 10, 2013 | 05:06 AM

projectSHO89

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From: St Louis

Quote:

My freon pressure checks good, but I noticed the AC clutch cycles on and off every few seconds.

Those statements are contradictory. If the pressures were correct, it wouldn't be short-cycling.

Jul 11, 2013 | 05:58 PM

rkmaxwel

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2002 Ranger AC

Quote:

Originally Posted by projectSHO89

Those statements are contradictory. If the pressures were correct, it wouldn't be short-cycling.

Thanks for responding and the two attached links. I'm no mechanic as you can tell, but I do like doing my own maintenance and repairs. I've gotten a lot of valuable info from FTI and appreciate others help and knowledge with my past problems. I based my comment on the Freon pressure from a reading I took with a simple AC gauge after a licensed auto AC tech had check and adjusted the Freon last summer. The pressure was the same the other day as it was last summer a year ago. The short cycling seems to only occur while idling (about 1000 RPM). After reading the FAQ attachment, I plan on checking the AC clutch switch and do some research on measuring and adjusting the shim gap on the clutch. I'll do a follow up reply on my progress.

Ron

Jul 11, 2013 | 10:22 PM

lsrx101

Fleet Mechanic

Joined: Feb 2006

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From: Lorain County, Ohio

What you describe is "usually" due to poor condenser airflow (bad fan clutch, dirty condenser, etc.). The clutch cycling is "usually" due to excessive High side pressure due to the poor airflow. When you rev the engine, the fan spins faster and pulls more air over the condenser and lowers the pressure.
There's no way to know for sure without a reading of the High side pressure, though.
The Low side reading that you took is pretty much meaningless without all other atmospheric, temperature and engine conditions being the same as when you saw your mechanics reading last year. It also doesn't mean much without a high side reading to compare against.
Do you have access to a manifold gauge set? Many Auto Zone store will rent them for a refundable deposit.