Hello all,

Last fall, my A/C stopped working in my 09 Expedition Limited. I have a warranty that covers the A/C components (Compressor, clutch and coil assembly, evaporator, accumulator and condenser, if factory installed. Evacuation and recharge.) but would like to diagnose it myself before sending it off to Ford. My reasoning - if it's a blend door or actuator (not covered in the warranty) causing the issue, I'd like to handle it on my own.

I've tried running the A/C in automatic and manual mode, at my feet, through the vents, etc. The front and rear vents blow warm air no matter how I run them. The blower motor DOES change speeds and turn on/off. I don't hear any odd noises when switching vent locations, recirculate, etc.

Side note, when running the cooled seat, the temperature *may* be cooler than what's coming through the vents. It's kind of hard to tell, considering I can't really stick my *** up to the main vents whilst driving to compare.

Is there a self test of sorts to pull any HVAC codes for these?

Does anyone have any other suggestions? Like I said, my main goal is to determine if this is a warranty issue or if it's something I'll need to tackle myself.

Thanks,

Chris

 

Do the cooling lines under the hood get ice cold?

 

good question! ^^^
and is your clutch engaging at all?

I don't know of any OBD for hvac. if there is, i'd sure like to know lol

 

I'll check that stuff out this weekend. That was on the top of my list.

As for the "OBD", I know some vehicles have a way to test the system. On Jeep Grand Cherokee (WJ), there's a way to test the AZC and it'll spit out numbers describing the issue. I think some Ford vehicles do this as well, an EATC test by holding down certain buttons. I don't know that it applies to our Expeditions though.

 

After 20 minutes of driving with the A/C on max, the lines under the hood were the same temp as the metal surrounding them: warm.

It does not appear to be engaging.

 

first thing that pops into my head is the relay. i believe it will be in the box under the hood (you might consult the owners manual etc tho)). usually you can have a friend turn the AC control on/off & you should be able to feel the little bugger click when it should be powering the ac clutch. OR you can swap it's place with another of the same type. sometimes that will rule out a good/bad relay

 

next up IMO would be to look for vacuum leaks, assuming your controls are vac controlled like most fords are

edit: i guess you could also check out the clutch solenoid connector as well. also, see if you can find the pressure switch (I think the system will never command the AC to be on when that part is unplugged or misreading)

 

Take a low and high side pressure reading and tell us what they are.

 

lol leave it to me to mention everything except the first thing that should be done lol!
x2, see if you can't get ahold of a manifold gauge set

 

Update - I poked around and didn't see much so I scheduled an appointment at Ford. It's there now getting worked on. They said the refrigerant was down to 1 oz. They pulled vacuum on it and it seemed to hold so they filled it up and added in a little dye. They said it's holding right now but they're going to run it hard this afternoon and see if they can get it to leak.

If they can't get it to leak, my warranty won't cover the recharge.

If they CAN get it to leak, the parts and recharge should be covered.

Let's hope they find the leak. If they don't, I foresee having to pay now and go through this issue again in the not-so-distant future. Either that or perhaps the schrader valve had some gunk in it causing a small leak and when they drained/filled the system, they un-gunked it.

We shall see...

 

Verdict is in - 4 hours later and the system is still holding pressure with no signs of leaking, front or rear.

 

maybe it blew that boogery buildup off of the orifice tube during the vac/charge? even still that doesn't explain the low charge

 

Which would be my first question....

 

Mine too. If the system drains again, I'll be sending it back and having them keep it until they find the leak. I'm not going to shell out $200 every few months to enjoy cold air.

 

It went back after 3 weeks. This time, they found the condenser was bad.