A/C problems

Hi,

Perhaps a dumb question ;

Well my airco is not functioning when i bought my car, today i tested to see if its filled. However the previous owner mentioned something that the airco was filled, but somewhere 'cloaged'.

In the cold-line, i put a little screwdriver and pinched it in (in the hole with the blue cap on it).

Only AIR came out under pressure. Shouldn't it be a fluid?

If you do not have any experience with an AC system I would suggest you not mess with it. Expensive as it is, it can get even more so if you don't know what you are doing.

not quiete an answer to my question

I think what he means is that your A/C is full of a gas, not a fluid. I second that if you dont know how to work on basic A/C systems, take it somewhere where they do, or do some homework first. There are plenty of Air conditioning sites on the web that will tell you a lot about how a basic system works. you can destroy the system by doing things wrong.

i was not planning doing anything. My question, there is gas in it instead of a fluid..is this correct?

you are correct, a gas. Either R-12 or R-134 if its been converted.

ok thanks

Yes there is gas in the system (R12, or R134A), also there is oil (liquid) in the system as well, but the gas is more likely to come out when you push the valve in. But that still won't help you to figure out what is wrong with the AC system.

i know, just wanted to test if it was filled or not , i am a n00b, but you have to start somewhere

A/C problem

I assume your a/c is not cold when you turn it on. First check fuses not visually but with a test light All fuses all over the car Does the a/c fan blow? When you turn the a/c does the compressor run? Does the electric cooling Fan come on? If all the above happens then you need a set of a/c gagues,and probably a certified a/c tech.Ford compressors have a nasty habit of going bad and depositing a lot of black debris in the system. Major Repair. At this point seek professional help.I know of what I speak as I am an ASE certified A/C tech.Pm me if I can help any further.

the one thing I can say from what you have posted is that your system is pressurized. If you had a leak or if it were empty, you would not have gotten anything out of it when you checked. That said, I agree with garsc--look at the basics first. This is true because many of the issues an AC system can have are not something you want to get into yourself. If the system has refrigerant in it, most repairs would require you to have the system evacuated anyways, and you need a shop to do it in that case.

On my old 89 SC, the AC compressor locked up. When I turned the AC on, it would blow hot air because the coolant was not circulating. If I had to point to one weak point, that compressor would probably be it--I have heard of a lot of SC owners having to change theirs as well.

garsc said:

I assume your a/c is not cold when you turn it on.
First check fuses not visually but with a test light All fuses all over the car Does the a/c fan blow?

Click to expand...

YES

garsc said:

When you turn the a/c does the compressor run?

Click to expand...

YES

garsc said:

Does the electric cooling Fan come on?

Click to expand...

YES

garsc said:

If all the above happens then you need a set of a/c gagues,and probably a certified a/c tech.Ford compressors have a nasty habit of going bad and depositing a lot of black debris in the system. Major Repair. At this point seek professional help.I know of what I speak as I am an ASE certified A/C tech.Pm me if I can help any further.

Click to expand...

The previous owner mentioned something bout a cloaged line Could it be the one from the compressor to the accumulator?

My A/C failures have always been the FORD 'quick connects' they start to leak after about 8-10 years, and need to be replaced.
Slow leaking eventually lowers the line pressure, and the pressure switch turns off the A/C to protect the compresser.
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