AC not cold

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May 16, 2006 | 09:25 PM

sirkt

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Joined: Mar 2006

Posts: 205

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From: Moscow ID

AC not cold

Its getting warm here (broke high temp records 3 days running) as hot as 91 yesterday. Anyway yesterday I had to take the Bronco down the highway and went to turn the AC on the it didn't blow out cold, in fact it felt like the heater was on. So my question is do the DIY recharge systems work or do I need to bite the bullet and bring her to the shop to get the AC recharged? I like the idea of the DIY systems for two reasons, (1) I like to work on my truck myself, and (2) I am pretty cheap and the last time I check it was pretty high to have a shop recharge the AC. I guess I could just use the "3-55" air-conditioner but the AC would be nice for those longer road trips. My Bronco is a 1992 with the 302 V8 if that makes a difference.

Thanks all

May 17, 2006 | 01:29 AM

yamaweezle

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Joined: Feb 2006

Posts: 184

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From: eastern iowa

you may not be low on freon...your problem could be one of several...even if the AC system is low on freon, there has to be a reason why...if there is a conciderable leak, charging it yourself is pretty much throwing money out the window...it will leak back out, and then your back to square one...i'd take it to a trustworthy shop, and have them sort it out...who knows, maybe you have a faulty compressor relay at best...could be that simple...

May 18, 2006 | 11:52 AM

93Mule

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Joined: Feb 2006

Posts: 124

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From: Gaithersburg,MD

It's possible to check for leaks yourself. If you have enough pressure in your system, you can use soap bubbles to check for leaks. The only thing is depending on how bad the leak is, you may have to drop the whole freon charge to fix it. You would then have to hook a vacuum pump up to your system to remove air and then recharge the system. If you're just a little low on freon, I would say to just charge it up. If your system is way low charge, it might be better to have a shop look at it. It might also be another problem besides a low charge as was said earlier..

May 18, 2006 | 12:22 PM

Encho

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Joined: Dec 2004

Posts: 6,902

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From: Caracas, Venezuela

Also, the black box of the evaporator (don´t know if that´s the exact translation), wich is located to the left, against the firewall in the engine compartment, should be checked. If it isn´t properly sealed, the A/C system might be absorbing hot air from the engine directly to the evaporator and ventilator, not allowing the system to reach a proper working temperature and allowing dirt particles into the evaporator further increasing the problem by preventing it from "breathing".