Who has the new F-150 With Electronic AC in Texas? How does it work for you on warm days 85 or above, and 90% humidity? Does it measure up?

Last summer I drove a "black" very old 100,000 miles F250 to Dallas and Back. It was boiling hot outside, and I was doing a lot of hot outside work. The AC worked great, I bet it could get down close to 60 inside. The weahter was hot and sunny, about 100 degrees and 100% humidity.

My new F150 Lariat Screw 4x4 (white) with only 200 miles can not cool the interior at all when it is only 85 outside, and that is at full max, recir settings, etc.

Please tell me this is not normal? Please tell me it should cool just like any car?

 

It is not possible for an air conditioner to drop from 100 to 60 degrees. But the 04 f150 should cool as well as any auto. I have a Lariat with auto air and it works as well as my other two cars. I think you need to see the service dept. to have it checked out.

Mike

 

Yes you are correct, it is close to impossible to get a 40 degree spred. However, my point being the AC was excellent in the old F250 super Crew Black with a 100,000 miles and the AC had never been serviced! That old F250 was as good (cold AC that is) as any of our Toyotas, Acuras, Lexus etc.

The new F150 is close to useless AC. I have been in one other Lariat 4x4 with 2,600 miles, and it was just like mine. It did not bother the person, they are extremely cold natured and virtually never run their AC anyway.

One of the problems I have, is that the dealer is over an hour away, the local dealer I will not go to. Let's just say bad service and leave it at that.

I plan to get to the dealer today or tomorrow, and have access to one other 2004 F150 FX4 4x4 to see how it works, it is also one hour away in the oposite direction of course.

Dr No. What part of the country to you live?

As a follow up, I have run the AC to full hot and full cold several times, and that has seemed to help a couple of times, but then later on, it just seems to "go stupid" or something and gets all hot again all by itself, even when set to full cold. Even when it does get all hot inside the truck, when it should be cold, the HOT and COLD pipes under the hood are extemely HOT and COLD like they should be? I have not found the site glass. Anyone know where it is? Is there one?

Hot In Texas

 

I am in Illinois but it gets hot here to. I also like it cold. There is no sight glass as it would not tell you anything on a modern a/c system. If your truck was an early build before 10/ 06/2003 it may need a computer reprogram. There is a bulletin for this. Let the dealer check it then let us know how it works.

Mike

 

what is electronic a/c? I have a 2003 I purchased in August. Did I miss a good deal? Mine works superbly crossing the Nevada desert in Sept. Got to 88 degrees here yesterday in California and worked fine just going to the church and back.

 

On www.fordcredit.com when you log on to your account there is a new "Service" section. If you click on it and then click on "service log" it will show you what the dealer entered as the fixes and what they reported to Ford. I have never taken my truck in for AC issues yet 4 out of 5 service tickets showed the AC was serviced. I am planning to call the dealer to find out why they serviced it. There may be a problem they are fixing and not telling anyone there is a problem!

 

How old is that "old" F-250? If it has the old freon refrigerant, then it will cool better than the current R-134A. The new stuff, though environmentally-friendly, does not have the cooling capacity of freon.

 

Answers to some of the above questions.

My Truck was built Feb 23, 2004. Overall, the truck seems fine except for the AC. I would think with that recent build date, it would have good PCM programming. Currently have about 250 miles on it.

I took my truck out this morning but it was 65 degrees and only 20% humidity. It will only get to 75 today and remain very dry.

The F250 supercrew I borrowed, I think was a 2000, they just drove it a lot. Always on the hi-way and they never washed it. But it worked great.

I will let you all know how it turns out. If anyone else wants to chime in on the AC, then do so.

 

Only AC a texan needs is the Oklahoma 4-75

but seriously, i usually NEVER use my AC because my old beater didnt have it, plus i like cruising with the windows down more. guess im just spoiled

 

This is what I have learned so far. Just went on a quick 100 mile trip to Huntsville. It is only 72 degrees out today, bright sunny, but very dry. Not humid like it normally is.

I went there to see and drive my son-in-laws FX4 and he drove my Lariat to compare, and also his wife’s (my daughter) Lariat. Yes there are three Super Crews in the family.

Here is what we learned. Apparently, the electronic AC controls in the Lariats are basically, stupid. At best “fuzzy dumb logic”.

We assume it has an outside temperature sensor, and it is completely unable to determine sunlight (vehicle orientation) and heat build up on the dash and side windows. Most cars in the $25,000 range do that. I would have thought a $41,000 truck would too? If it has an “indoor” temperature sensor it must be pretty lame. Ford’s “solar glass” is also much less then “industry standards” as well. Other car lines have “solar” glass have glass that really does the job.

Unfortunately, if it is only 70 to 80 outside you can literally burn up inside. He said when he drives my daughter’s Lariat he always has to use the manual override. The FX4 is manual, so you set where ever you want and it works ok. Same with the Lariat, set it where ever you want and it seems to work ok (not great, but ok). Just do not set it on “automatic” cause it ain’t automatic! Just simply ignore the inside “temp reading” on the electronic AC, it apparently is only a gimmick and has no real purpose.

There was a lady in the store overhearing our conversation about the AC. She said the electronic AC control in her Expedition is the same way. The only time it kicks into high fan and max air is when it is a 100 outside. Of course in Texas you have already died by then at only 80 degrees and 100% humidity. She has to override her AC all the time.

So far, after 350 miles I do like my new truck. It does take some getting use to. Ford does have a good truck, it is amazing the few dozen things they simply are not current with, or overlooked in the design.

 

I do like my truck a good deal. And most things about it seem ok, to good.

Since my last post, I have talked to a few more owners and the dealer. Seems that the automatic AC is not automatic, at least in Texas LOL So manual overide on everything is the way to go. The sad thing is, even if you get out of the truck for a minute, just to fill up, you have to re-set everything, at least one button anyway, usually two. If it is overnite, then you have to re-do all the buttons if there is a temperature or humidity change.

I think it is common knowledge, that all of FMC profits are from Trucks. Ford as got a lot a major competition coming within the next two to five years. There are four other companies that what that business real bad. So in that respect, competition is real good for all of us.

Well, got to go drive that new truck. It's only 65 today, so I can go with the windows down LOL

 

Hey HoustonPerson, I am a H-Town driver as well. I have the FX4 and as you have already pointed out it cools really well. Sorry to hear that the "high-tech" system can't out-do the gool 'ol manual method. Go 'stros

 

I spent most of today out on the road. It was sunny and about 80 degrees. I did notice that the black portions of the dash seem to radiate a fair amount of heat. I think that the system is acceptable but certainly not great. The real test will be in July and August when it's hot. Compared to a regular cab or SCab, the SCrew does have a good sized volume of space to cool though. The a/c in my 2001 SCrew was pretty anemic too compared to previous Fords I have owned. Like someone else pointed out, that may be due to the type of refrigerant used in the system. I really don't know.

 

My AC output feels cool not cold. It was 90 degrees today in the Calif. desert and I had to run Max AC, full fan for entire duration of my commute (40 minutes) back home from work.

In previous vehicles I've owned, same climate, I would back-down the AC after a few minutes.

 

Same here, FX4dude. Got up in the mid 80's in Las Vegas for the past two days and I wasn't really impressed with the A/C. Can't imagine what it'll be like when it's 115 outside. The air was much colder on my 2001 Ranger than my 2004 F-150.