A/C is working fantastic!

[Hardwareman]

Since no one has started a thread here yet I thought I would be the first and say that my A/C is working extraordinary since I changed out that damaged/worn clutch on it.

For all who don't have A/C......I feel your pain.




Allen

[martin]

Depends where you live I guess. It's just something else to go wrong in my opinion.

[James Denton]

Didn't think AC was a big deal ----to I got to be 45 and then at 50 got to have my COLD AC-----can't live without it: :agree::agree:

[MAKG]

If you live anywhere but a polar desert, A/C has a significant use. Even with the heater on, it's a very efficient dessicator.

[MrE_Powers]

only time of the year where i notice that it is kinda stupid for ford to have built my truck with out an ac but i get all of the benifits of not having one when it is time for acceleration.

[MAKG]

Umm, your air conditioner turns itself off when you mash the throttle. You get the same power with or without it.

[Wicked_Sludge]

my a/c is mid-way through being converted into on-board air...so i guess you could say it wasnt essential to me.

i never used it as a/c (of coarse, it only worked while i lived in alaska). i did notice a slight decrease in defroster performance without it, but i still dont have any problems keeping the windows clear.

ive got 3 vehicles, all 3 have factory air, and none of them blow cold :D

[baddis]

my 88 blows out the vents at 38 degrees

[Boomer]

my 88 blows out the vents at 38 degrees


Have you converted to 134A...I would say not! I can only dream of 38 degrees with my 134a system...but I won't pay for R-12 and Freeze 12 isn't really the same.

[baddis]

yes it is 134a but it only blows real cold going down the road if i am in traffic it only gets to about 50

[RobbieD]

Didn't think AC was a big deal ----to I got to be 45 and then at 50 got to have my COLD AC-----can't live without it: :agree::agree:

Lot of truth in that! You start out yanking the AC to save weight and go faster, and after a while you realize it's an essential life-support system.

MAKG's got a good point, too. The AC is important in keeping the glass from fogging when you're in the defrost setting.

[exbass94]

Any vehicle I buy must have A/C. It's one of the few requirements a vehicle must meet in order for me to buy it. I drive all day long at work (usually around 70-100 miles per day), and most of the company trucks don't have A/C. I absolutely sweat my ass off all day long. Not only that, but I don't even like driving with the windows down, especially on the highway. Way too damn noisy and you can't even hear the stereo. When I drive my own truck in the summer, I almost always have the A/C on.

[85_Ranger4x4]

My main requirements for a dd are A/C and cruise, and so far by chance the largest available engine. My Ranger doesn't have either A/C or cruise, but I may hunt down a condenser for it when I put the 289 in, for some reason it has everything for A/C there but that.

[Jeepman401]

I yanked the AC out of my 92 a few years back, and never really missed it.
Untill a few weeks ago when I bought my jeep and had AC again. Now I dont know why I got rid of my ac in the first place.

[Jspafford]

I can only get mine to go down to about 52 degrees. But when it is 95 and humid, 52 is just fine for me.

[fordwheelinman]

I can only get mine to go down to about 52 degrees. But when it is 95 and humid, 52 is just fine for me.

Have you had your F250's a/c serviced by your dealer at any point? DO you notice any temperature change when your sitting still idling as opposed to driving down the open highway in an adverse way? It should be cooling down to at least 46-50 steadily. I just serviced a 2002 F350 last week during a day with 105-110 heat index, and it cooled to 46, right before the cycling switch cut the compressor off, and even still, it went to 50 or 52 and started cooling back down. If you haven't, i suggest you take it to them and have them check for a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) concerning a revised amount of R-134a.

AS FOR THE REST OF YOU.........No a/c is no problem. My 78 150, 92 expo, and the 88 ranger i drive dont have a/c, but thats why they have windows that work. Thats also why my truck as a Sony head unit in it, so i dont have to listen to the sound of the wind rushing past my ears. Sorry guys, your not gonna convince me that A/C in an automobile is an absolute necessity. (ok so the ranger and expo really do have a/c its just not working, but the expo will be getting it soon. Chicks dont dig wind damaging their hair when you take them out)

[Ranger SVO]

Umm, your air conditioner turns itself off when you mash the throttle. You get the same power with or without it.

And in most cases you need to MASH it too the floor. In Texas AC is a necessity and because I drive a 2.3 power is down with the AC on. I don't like to drive my Ranger with the pedal floored all the time.

I bought my 93 in 95 and in 96 I decided to fix the AC/Acceleration problem. I insatalled a Stewart Warner Vaccuum switch and a relay on the compressor coil. This particular switch is NC at any vaccuum above 9Hg. Below this level it opens and the relay shuts off the compressor.

My truck spends 90% of its time on the interstate and here in Abilene (even during Rush Hour) traffic flows smoothly.

This system has worked flawlessly for over 10-years now.

My 10-cents worth

[krugford]

For the record, my AC is working flawlessly in this effin' hot humid weather we've been having. What is this, summer or something?

Last summer, I took a trip in my old ranger (no AC) to help a friend move 250 miles away. Two people, a regular cab oven, and 100 deg temps. My poor mitsu tranny decided it didn't like living anymore that weekend. Ever had to rock a truck back and forth to get the tranny to unjam itself in the middle of an intersection? Poor thing....

Enough rambling.

G'night

-krug

[85_Ranger4x4]

AS FOR THE REST OF YOU.........No a/c is no problem. My 78 150, 92 expo, and the 88 ranger i drive dont have a/c, but thats why they have windows that work. Thats also why my truck as a Sony head unit in it, so i dont have to listen to the sound of the wind rushing past my ears. Sorry guys, your not gonna convince me that A/C in an automobile is an absolute necessity. (ok so the ranger and expo really do have a/c its just not working, but the expo will be getting it soon. Chicks dont dig wind damaging their hair when you take them out)

It is fine as long as you can stay moving, back when I was in high school it got to 136 fairly regularly inside the cab of my Ranger and it took about 20 min of stop and go to get up to a respectable speed to get some circulation going. I did my time, and I ain't going to go thru it again for a dd if I don't have to.

[exbass94]

AS FOR THE REST OF YOU.........No a/c is no problem. My 78 150, 92 expo, and the 88 ranger i drive dont have a/c, but thats why they have windows that work. Thats also why my truck as a Sony head unit in it, so i dont have to listen to the sound of the wind rushing past my ears. Sorry guys, your not gonna convince me that A/C in an automobile is an absolute necessity. (ok so the ranger and expo really do have a/c its just not working, but the expo will be getting it soon. Chicks dont dig wind damaging their hair when you take them out)

Having the windows down doesn't do much good just sitting in traffic and even driving about 30 mph around town. Trust me, I drive all day with the windows all the way down and I STILL sweat my ass off. Then again, I've never been very tolerant of hot weather, I do much better during the winter. And even though I could crank the volume to hear the stereo, I would rather not go deaf by the time I'm 23. (And yes, the sound level of just the wind alone at highway speeds is enough to make you go deaf over extended periods of time.) Yea, A/C isn't a necessity for everyone, but it is for me.

[HAPPY_RANGER_GUY]

AS FOR THE REST OF YOU.........No a/c is no problem. My 78 150, 92 expo, and the 88 ranger i drive dont have a/c, but thats why they have windows that work...Sorry guys, your not gonna convince me that A/C in an automobile is an absolute necessity.


Yeah, I've found that keeping myself plenty hydrated with fluids and having the windows down is usually fine without the need to turn the A/C on. I use the A/C once in a while(still works great!), but for the most part, I save the extra load on the engine and get along without it.

T.

[mikemather]

I'm glad to see some of you have great working A/C. My problem is it even works on any of the vent settings. The only way the compressor clutch disengages is in the "off" position. The local auto parts guy thought it might be the clutch interrupter switch. A $12 investment proved that wasn't it. Does anyone have any other thoughts or experiences to share?

[philzilla]

getting the A/C fixed was a good investment:rolleyes:, had it done right before road trip to yellowstone ( from san deigo ) and in 110+ heat, it really is nice to not bake :mad: as you drive down the road

$900 to fix im gonna use it

[baddis]

wow i don't think i would have spent $900 for air. i would have suffered. but we did spend $600 on the wifes last car for a/c because it had a habit of eating window regulators.

[philzilla]

wow i don't think i would have spent $900 for air. i would have suffered. but we did spend $600 on the wifes last car for a/c because it had a habit of eating window regulators.

i thought i was spending $400 because the guy said the compressor was fine, and he was just going to throw a new belt on and charge it. Got a call back and hour later, " uh yea, your compressors bad " So its either i spend $400 dollars and get nothing at all or spend 500 more (new compressor) and get working A/C

[MAKG]

$500 for a new compressor? Does that count the gold plating?

I bought one for my Exploder for around $200.

If that guy didn't find the compressor leak BEFORE putting 3 lb of R-12 in there, he owes you 3 lb of R-12. Your system has a leak, and if he was claiming there wasn't one, he was wrong. Refrigerant doesn't just vanish or wear out. It leaks. And if there are no obvious external leaks, it's either the compressor or evaporator (those are the components with hidden parts).

[Bill]

Sorry guys, your not gonna convince me that A/C in an automobile is an absolute necessity.

It depends on where you live and how much driving you do. Driving for hours in 105º heat is exhausting, even with the windows rolled down. Have you ever tried driving in 113º-117º heat? It is miserable.

And in most cases you need to MASH it too the floor. In Texas AC is a necessity and because I drive a 2.3 power is down with the AC on. I don't like to drive my Ranger with the pedal floored all the time.


Both my 1995 4.0 and my 2007 2.3L turn off the a/c under heavy throttle. The 2.3L does it a lot better though.

[philzilla]

$500 for a new compressor? Does that count the gold plating?

I bought one for my Exploder for around $200.

If that guy didn't find the compressor leak BEFORE putting 3 lb of R-12 in there, he owes you 3 lb of R-12. Your system has a leak, and if he was claiming there wasn't one, he was wrong. Refrigerant doesn't just vanish or wear out. It leaks. And if there are no obvious external leaks, it's either the compressor or evaporator (those are the components with hidden parts).

the compressor didnt leak it had mechanical problems,and he charged it the second time without charge

but still its rediculous

[BDAB]

I drive 14 hours a day. I will not do it with out working A/C, period.... especially when tarping 48,000# of drywall on a 105* afternoon in oklahoma,or untarping kiln dried lumbar in Dallas. If the A/C goes bad the truck parks until the company gets it fixed.

[MAKG]

the compressor didnt leak it had mechanical problems,and he charged it the second time without charge

but still its rediculous

OK, I think I see what happened.

That wasn't $500 for a compressor. That was $500 for a compressor and a condenser, flush, and inline filter, which is considerably more reasonable. If you don't do all this, all the grit from the failed compressor will persist in the system and grind up your new compressor in short order.

It's called "Ford Black Death."

[Simple_serf]

You should see what a service call costs for the self contained units at work. We only call in when they are low on gas or have a burnt out compressor. compressor swap taked 4 hrs on the easy cases and 8+ hrs on the older cases. $40/hr plus service call charge plus parts, gas and sometimes a recycling fee. $100/hr on weekends and holidays (yup, it goes down, it gets fixed). Compressors cost around 2-3 hundred on the S/C units.

You want really expensive, try the compressors up on the rack in the compressor houses. 40 HP V-4's get expensive.

All of our stuff runs pretty much 24/7/365. We have found that hourmeters die before the compressors do.

As for my ranger, i don't have Ac and i'd like to keep it that way (and 95 with humidity isn't too fun either!)

[Robin Hood]

Mine works pretty good. I wouldn't mind it being much colder though.

I'm in AZ so the colder the better and that little truck will heat up quick when its just in the sun.

A/C takes a while to chill for me but once its cold it feels great! :)

[skippy]

200-300 for a compressor?they are getting off cheap!i haven't seen a compressor change less than 1500.oo on a small unit in quite a while.most compressors cost more than that at wholesale,better keep that contractor.my boss charges a hell of a lot more!

[gw33gp]

Umm, your air conditioner turns itself off when you mash the throttle. You get the same power with or without it.I just had the misfortune to experienced the difference between having A/C and not having it. During a trip back from Texas to So. Cal. on I-10, the A/C pulley locked up on my wife's 99 Cougar. I had a mechanic install a serpentine belt that bypassed the A/C pulley because I did not want someone working on the A/C without knowing their quality of workmanship. It was hot the rest of the trip but the gas mileage jumped up from 26 mpg at 79 mph to 31 mpg without driving the A/C. The around town gas mileage has also jumped up from the normal 21 mpg to over 22.5 mpg.

Believe it or not I could feel an increase in acceleration at WOT in first gear with no drive to the A/C pulley compared to driving the A/C pulley with the A/C off. It seems that driving the A/C pulley still draws power even with the A/C off.

[MAKG]

You're right. I don't believe it.

It could be entirely explained by the placebo effect. Try a double blind test with appropriate controls for conditions (especially the ambient temperature -- fuel evaporation works quite a lot better when it's hotter than Hell) and it might be believable.

And looking at a mileage increase on a vehicle whose compressor is about to fail isn't exactly a fair comparison. That that pulley might draw quite a lot more power when it's grinding itself up right before locking up is not surprising.

[gw33gp]

Mike, you could be right about the acceleration part, I could just be imagining it. However, I have driven that car a lot in its 100,000 mile life and have a good feel for what it can do. I have raced in SCCA for 20 years and have a good feel for minor changes in vehicle performance but there is still a possibility I am imagining it.

The gas mileage on the other hand is not my imagination. The car has a computer that records average mileage and it is within a few tenth of being correct. I have checked it many times. The before A/C failure gas mileage numbers I gave were not just what I was getting right before the A/C went out, they were based on the entire 100,000 miles before the A/C went out. I guess the A/C could have been going bad for 100,000 miles.:D

[BDAB]

I get better mileage with the AC off ...... just not enough better to justify not using it.

[blue83ranger]

my '88 ranger (only vehicle with plates now) a/c kinda sucks. it's still R12 but usually is a bit on the warm side. But it's good enough to stop me from having a big sweat fountain running off me. Now my '86 and my '83 ranger's a/c are insane. they both fog up all the windows........from the outside. and the blue one literally puts frost on the outside of the windshield. a thermometer says 32* but no one believes me because they say the evaporator would freeze up. Quick tip for everyone, it's better for your a/c if you have it on MAX and the blower wide open, that's the only way i have mine set.