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I have a 95 Aerostar and just recently the AC cuts out when accelerating up a hill. It seems that maybe the blower shuts down. I tried to feel for cold air through the vents but couldn't tell. Does anyone know what this could be. I checked the vaccum hoses and they seem to be ok. Please help!!!
It could be the accelerator cut off switch turning off A/C clutch & blower fan motor to conserve power needed to climb hills etc. Try not depressing pedal so far. If that solves the problem, that is what it is, and that is what it has been designed & installed for and is supposed to do.
Another cause could be pressure switch near Dehydrator/accumulator on Passenger side under the hood. High liquid Pressure can result on acceleration if capillary tube or expansion valve have flow restriction problems such as a build up of foreign matter & debris in the lines.
IMO these are the two most common causes of system shut down on acceleration.
FBp
Last edited by FordBoypete; Sep 10, 2007 at 02:35 PM.
The WOT cutoff switch will turn off the AC compressor when you completely open the throttle, but I do not believe it turns off the blower. However, your problem sounds more like the vacuum reservoir is leaking and the loss of vacuum when the engine is heavily loaded is allowing the air doors to move to the default windshield defroster mode. You can check by feeling for air flow from the defroster outlets the next time this happens.
Look under the hood near the upper left area for a plastic tube about 2" diameter and 6" long with some thin plastic hoses running around it. Check to see if any of the hoses or fittings are leaking.
Its in the bottom hose entering the evaporator. Remove the liquid line with a quick disconnect tool and pull it out with a pair of long bent nose pliers.
Thats how I removed it when I did my A/C overhaul in 06.
Of course have the system discharged before removing ANY hoses.
Oh yeah and the Aero doesn't have an expansion valve it has an orifice tube.
Unlike an expansion valve the orifice tube is simply a small copper tube enclosed in a plastic screened shell with o-rings to seal it in the evaporator inlet (liquid) pipe. The clutch cycles on and off with the help of the pressure switch mounted on the accumulator to maintain low side pressures.
An expansion valve on the other hand is a more complex and expensive device when compared to the orifice tube that regulates the flow of refrigerant so the compressor doesn't have to cycle.
When these babies go or get plugged up I've seen them selling anywhere from $50 to $70 bucks.
Compare that to a $7 to $10 dollar orifice tube.
Since all Aeros use orifice tube systems theres no need to understand expansion valves thats just FYI.
Last edited by krankshaft; Sep 11, 2007 at 08:29 PM.
Thanks for the diagram. Now, here's another twist. I noticed yesterday that this only occurs when the MAX AC is used. It doesn't happen when I use the Normal AC. Does this narrow down the problem?
Your A/C problem seems to be vacuum related when you switch to Max A/C it actuates a vacuum valve that allows the blower to draw inside air.
If you are loosing vacuum through a leaky hose it will cause the selector diverter to drop and cause the air to go though the defrost vents and not the dash vents.
Does that blower stop blowing or can air still be heard?
Last edited by krankshaft; Sep 14, 2007 at 09:26 PM.
Thanks to everyone for all the help. I traced the vaccum line from the blower and found the problem. There are two vaccum lines coming from the blower unit in the engine compartment on the passenger side. They are plastic (or PVC) lines. One is black and the other white. I had the white one to break in June. The black one was the problem. by it being black a visual was not possible. When I traced the line with my hand I found it to crumble near the valve cover. My AC now works great. Thanks for everyone's expertise.
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