I'm pretty sure that's how mine used to be, and the Windstar also blows harder on max. I so rarely use the air working at night that I can't really say how long it's been doing this.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Hopefully I'll have a few minutes to check it out in the morning before I have to get on the road.

 

Scott you have some sort of restriction blocking the flow of the Max AC intake behind the glove box. The blend door regulates the temperature of the air entering the cabin and is located downstream of the heater core. The problem that you are experiencing is upstream of the fan itself. It's very easy to spot the intake from the inside. Slide the passenger seat all the way back, get a flashlight and look up above where the passenger would normally put thier feet.

 

The fact that I seem to be the only one that seems to be getting a better blow job on normal a/c is bothering me. So what do I do but obsess on it. Why am I getting the better blow? Figured it out. I almost always have a cigarette lit, hence I always have a window partially cracked. Does that explain why I am getting the results I am getting?

 

There are several people in this thread that have the same experience as you - blowing harder on normal than max.
With that in mind there is a small vent on the rear of every passenger compartment that is supposed to provide a vent to relieve the pressure .

 

Mark Kinda does..

When you roll down the window there is a slight negative pressure outside do to the air moving over the truck. So it will draw air out of the cab. the cab vent has one way flaps on it so it will not draw air in. On Max the outside air feed is closed and the fan is attempting to recirculate the air in the cab so with the window cracked open there is less overall volume available to the blower fan (it cant push more than it can suck) so it starts "cavitating" and looses efficiency.

 

You might want to fish around under there and see if you've got something like......oh say a small convenience store bag blocking the intake. The blower picks up a bunch of speed when you let the air in.

It's embarrassing to miss something so simple, but at least it's working right.

Thanks all.

 

Scott, it's been a rough weekend for me, so thanks for making me smile this morning. Glad you got it figured out, and that is was something rather 'convenient' to fix.

 

Iwould have to agree here

 

I'll bet that was your cheapest fix ever to the Stroke!! lol
Glad you get her fixed.

 

Quote "The fact that I seem to be the only one that seems to be getting a better blow job on normal"

Mine just smiles and tells me maybe lol

 

Scott,

Any plans for a writeup on this mod? You can add it to the Common Mods thread in the sticky.

 

No problem....I'll do it right now.

Step one. Shove your arm as far up in the passenger foot well behind the dash as you can.

Step two. Remove obstruction from from blower intake area.

Step three. Turn on max a/c with blower on high and allow frigid wind to cool your now smoldering forehead.

Apologies for the lack of pictures....I'm just too large a fellow to get myself contorted around enough to actually see under there. Had to do it by feel.

 

LOL

Glad you got it fixed, Scott. I worked on my A/C over the weekend, too... installed a valve on the coolant lines going into the cab, running a vacuum line from the red line behind the glove box. Now on vent, ac, or max ac, the hot coolant is cut off from going into the cab and is recirculated back to the engine. So the vent setting is actually cool air now, and the a/c is cold!

 

Been thinking of doing that. Did you use the factory vacuum bypass from a Ranger or did you get somebody's kit?

 

Yep, used the Ranger valve p/n 74809 at Autozone... turned out being more costly than I had expected, though, at almost $30. Few feet of vacuum line (7/64" was the size, IIRC) and a plastic T into the red vacuum line behind the glove box. I haven't driven it enough since doing this on Saturday evening to see how much of a difference it makes, but did drive a bit yesterday afternoon at 85* and had it on max A/C w/ fan in the lowest setting, and I was plenty cool.

I can take a couple of pics if you'd like... pretty easy mod, just a tight fit and a far reach back there.