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Ford Taurus Air conditioning (AC) problems
Hi DN. You seem to be really good with cars. May I ask what will probably be a really simple, stupid question?
I drive a 1997 Ford Taurus. I got the car with 70K miles on it, 73K now. It runs really well. Minimal issues, my dad knew the previous, only owner, etc.
In the last month, the AC has basically sh*t the bed, for lack of a better phrase ;] Is my car simply running low on some sort of fluid, or am I out of luck? Please help me out. Use simple words if possible, but car talk is okay too, because my dad can decode for me ;]
Thank you SO much!
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Hello there,
There are a number of points in the AC system that can, and often do, fail.
There is a compressor that your car's engine runs when the AC is on, which makes the gas in the AC system change states and more importantly temperature. This is all the same basic system as the AC in your house, and your kitchen fridge.
Ok, now with a little more info, I could narrow your Ford Taurus air conditioning problem down a bit, but as it is I will give you the things to check for it all and that way the next person to see this in the future may also get the help they need. :-)
Here we go:
In my experience these are the most typical points of failure:
There is a gradual leak of the refrigerant. This is typically the number 1 cause of automotive AC failure. You will know if this was the case if the AC got progressively less cold over time.
If the leak is gradual, like once a year, many people choose not to fix it, but instead have their system charged with a new batch of refrigerant before each summer begins.
If you lost cooling in a day a week or a month even, then you should have whatever is leaking fixed without delay.
Quick note right about here: Don't, as in do NOT, attempt to fix this yourself. There are some do-it-yourself automotive AC repair kits out there, but they should be used only by those folks that seriously know their way around a car's air conditioning system.
Next we have some common electrical issues to contend with:
There is a clutch on the AC compressor that only engages to make the compressor run when you have the AC turned on. If anything happens to the circuit between the clutch and the switch to adjust on your dash panel or center console, then it doesn't start the compressor... end result of failure: no cold air.
Things that can go wrong with the circuit between the AC switch and the compressor:
Broken wire, broken switch (the one you are pressing to turn it on,) blown fuse or a bad AC relay, which is an electrically activated switch, usually located under the hood.
Fortunately, there is an easy way to see if the air conditioner compressor clutch is working:
When the compressor engages, it drags the engine's idle speed down a bit. Simply listen to the engine and turn the AC on. If you hear the engine slow down a bit, then the compressor is engaging.
WARNING: Don't sit there turning it off and on every few seconds. Refrigeration systems really don't like to start when they are too cool. Portions of the AC system will "ice up" (kinda, though it isn't ice like we use in drinks) and you can damage things by starting them again while frozen.
Rule of thumb is 5 minutes. Most modern AC systems have safety systems in place to prevent you from messing your system up in this way, but those system also fail from time to time, so keep this tidbit in mind for the future. :-)
Moving on... did the clutch engage? Ok then... it is time to go to the mechanic. Weekend warriors have no place in AC repair, and usually break more than they fix.
If the compressor is running and there is no cold air happening, then the system is either leaking or the compressor pump is bad.
What if the clutch didn't engage? Easy: Something in the wiring is not working... or the clutch is bad.
That about rounds out what you need to know at this point in time. There are other possibilities, but these are the most likely suspects.
Simple summary: No, you aren't out of luck... it is just a matter of how much this is going to cost you.
Please let me know what the issue was, when you find out.
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