2008 Escape AC Not Working
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Mountain Pass
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 227
Likes: 3
From: Lehi, Utah
2008 Escape AC Not Working
Hi folks, this is my first post in the Escape forum here.
I have a 2008 LTD V6 Escape.
The AC is blowing warm air. It worked fine last year, but since I've tried running it this summer it doesn't work at all. I picked up a recharge canister to see if it was low on fluid. When I attached the nozzle with the car/AC on high, to the low pressure nozzle, the gauge on the cannister didn't get a reading at all, like it was bone dry. That seemed weird, but I thought maybe there was a leak so I'd try filling it. So I start pulling the trigger to add fluid, and immediately I start hearing a cycling sucking noise followed by a click. I let off the cannister trigger to check the level, and the needle is bouncing up halfway into the full/green area, and then falling back down to empty, along with the sucking/clicking cycle. I left it alone for a minute and it didn't stabilize, just keeps building pressure, clicking, then starting over. I got underneath the car and the clicking noise sounds like it's coming from the compressor.
I have a 2008 LTD V6 Escape.
The AC is blowing warm air. It worked fine last year, but since I've tried running it this summer it doesn't work at all. I picked up a recharge canister to see if it was low on fluid. When I attached the nozzle with the car/AC on high, to the low pressure nozzle, the gauge on the cannister didn't get a reading at all, like it was bone dry. That seemed weird, but I thought maybe there was a leak so I'd try filling it. So I start pulling the trigger to add fluid, and immediately I start hearing a cycling sucking noise followed by a click. I let off the cannister trigger to check the level, and the needle is bouncing up halfway into the full/green area, and then falling back down to empty, along with the sucking/clicking cycle. I left it alone for a minute and it didn't stabilize, just keeps building pressure, clicking, then starting over. I got underneath the car and the clicking noise sounds like it's coming from the compressor.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 19,762
Likes: 1,079
From: St Louis
System was empty (leaked out).
Need to find and repair the leak so you don't waste refrigerant.
With just a little bit of "juice" in there, it's completely normal to see a clutch cycle every few seconds. Each time it comes on, the pressure will drop. If it cycles off, the pressure will rise. If you have the valve to the can open, the pressure in the can will be enough to trip the low pressure cycling switch.
Need to find and repair the leak so you don't waste refrigerant.
With just a little bit of "juice" in there, it's completely normal to see a clutch cycle every few seconds. Each time it comes on, the pressure will drop. If it cycles off, the pressure will rise. If you have the valve to the can open, the pressure in the can will be enough to trip the low pressure cycling switch.
Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 227
Likes: 3
From: Lehi, Utah
System was empty (leaked out).
Need to find and repair the leak so you don't waste refrigerant.
With just a little bit of "juice" in there, it's completely normal to see a clutch cycle every few seconds. Each time it comes on, the pressure will drop. If it cycles off, the pressure will rise. If you have the valve to the can open, the pressure in the can will be enough to trip the low pressure cycling switch.
Need to find and repair the leak so you don't waste refrigerant.
With just a little bit of "juice" in there, it's completely normal to see a clutch cycle every few seconds. Each time it comes on, the pressure will drop. If it cycles off, the pressure will rise. If you have the valve to the can open, the pressure in the can will be enough to trip the low pressure cycling switch.
I'll research hunting down leaks. Thanks.
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Mountain Pass
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 227
Likes: 3
From: Lehi, Utah
My mistake, I was reading the refill instructions wrong. I see I'm supposed to get a reading off the gauge at it's lowest level if it's fluctuating.
So I kept filling it, and got the refrigerant level up into the full range, and the AC started working in the car. I started to get some steam/smoke coming out of the grill towards the passenger headlight. I can see a green fluid leaking out where one of the AC lines plugs into something behind the grill. Does the AC connect to the radiator? Is that radiator fluid, or is the refrigerant green too?
So I kept filling it, and got the refrigerant level up into the full range, and the AC started working in the car. I started to get some steam/smoke coming out of the grill towards the passenger headlight. I can see a green fluid leaking out where one of the AC lines plugs into something behind the grill. Does the AC connect to the radiator? Is that radiator fluid, or is the refrigerant green too?
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,464
Likes: 103
From: Staten Island, NY
Sounds like a fairly large leak. If that's the case not only is there no refrigerant in the system but you may also be low on refrigerant oil and the system is probably full of air. You need to fix the leak then get a vacuum pump on the system and see if it will hold a vacuum. Pulling a vacuum will also cause any moisture that got into the system to boil out. Then you can recharge with refrigerant.
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 27,307
Likes: 549
From: Spanaway
You will also need to replace the receiver/drier do to the moisture that got into the system from that large of a leak.
Also just because you found one leak don't assume that is the only one. Check the system to be sure there are not
other leak points that will cause you a headache.
My 2012 was not quite as bad as your. I still had about 5 PSI left in mine when I put my manifold gauge set on it.
If you feel you can't handle this job then find an A/C professional to do it. One word of cation don't be tempted to
use that A/C stop leak. That stuff causes more harm than good.
Tools you should have to tackle this job are a vacuum pump, refrigerant scale and a manifold set to check the
pressures and for filling the system. You will also need to replace the PAG oil lost when you put the new parts in.
The job is not as simple as putting the parts in and squirting some refrigerant in. You should find a tag under the hood
that tells you the type and amount that the system holds.
Also just because you found one leak don't assume that is the only one. Check the system to be sure there are not
other leak points that will cause you a headache.
My 2012 was not quite as bad as your. I still had about 5 PSI left in mine when I put my manifold gauge set on it.
If you feel you can't handle this job then find an A/C professional to do it. One word of cation don't be tempted to
use that A/C stop leak. That stuff causes more harm than good.
Tools you should have to tackle this job are a vacuum pump, refrigerant scale and a manifold set to check the
pressures and for filling the system. You will also need to replace the PAG oil lost when you put the new parts in.
The job is not as simple as putting the parts in and squirting some refrigerant in. You should find a tag under the hood
that tells you the type and amount that the system holds.
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Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 227
Likes: 3
From: Lehi, Utah
Wow that stinks. Good luck man.
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