Car has an air conditioner problem

[bwdlionfan]

I have a 2000 V6 Mustang and about 2 months ago I was driving and all of a sudden the air conditioner went from ice cold to boiling hot. I stopped, turned off, and turned the car back on a long with turning the A/C on and off inside the car several times. Finally after driving about an hour and checking turning the A/C on every few minutes to check it, it started working again. About 3 or 4 weeks after that, I got in my car to go somewhere and the A/C wasn't working. I stopped on the side of the road after about 10 minutes of driving and I popped the hood. I don't know much of anything about air conditioners, so after looking and seeing that nothing looked unusual under the hood, I kind of slammed the hood. When I got back in the car, I could feel the air starting to cool down. I kind of think me slamming the hood may have helped me identify that it may be caused by a short. Well this morning on my way to work (it's an hour drive)... the A/C again didn't work the entire way. It also didn't work on the way back. Does anyone have any ideas?

[bigwood33]

Take it to a mechanic?

[Pick6]

Slam the hood more often.

[bwdlionfan]

Originally posted by bigwood33
Take it to a mechanic?

Besides the obvious, anyone have any ideas on where a short could be so I can save some money and fix it myself?

[bwdlionfan]

Originally posted by Pick6
Slam the hood more often.

I've tried that many times today....

[Bull's-eye]

First, you must determine if the AC clutch is kicking in? This is on the front of the AC compressor, right where the belt turns the pulley. With the car running, have somebody turn the AC on & then off. You should hear a click as the clutch engages & disengages. Also, check to make sure the electric radiator fan is working. This fan should automatically come on when the AC is turned on. If this fan is not working, it will cause the AC to shut off. There is also a clutch cycle switch that can go bad, the switch cuts off the compressor when the freon is low or the system has a problem. A lot of times the switch will go bad and not allow the AC to work. This switch is located on the accumulator and has a 2 prong connector.

If the AC clutch is not engaging, check the relay. Sometimes the relay box is inside the car or could be under the hood. Your owner's manual will list the relays and their location. Most Fords use the same relays for different things, so you could swap the AC relay with another relay. This will let you know if relay was bad.

[turbostud]

I nailed a huge coyote doing 75 mph a couple of months ago on my way to SPI in between Los Fresnos and Port Isabel. Messed up the front end of my car pretty bad. Scewed up the fan motor. It would only work when the car was moving. When the car was stopped and it wasnt working, the AC was hot.
Check the fan motor or relay.

[Eagle 1]

Originally posted by bwdlionfan
I have a 2000 V6 Mustang

There's your problem.:D

Seriously I think Bull's-eye pretty much covered it, sounds like your compressor is not coming on.
One other thing you can check is the connector on top of the compressor. Make sure its plugged in good.

[Bull's-eye]

When you turn on the AC, do you get air blowing through your vents?

My friend's Ford truck AC stopped working the other day, he wasn't getting any air blowing at all. We disconnected his battery for about a minute and it cured the problem. Sometimes the electronic controls will malfunction and disconnecting the power will get them working again.

[bwdlionfan]

Originally posted by Bull's-eye
When you turn on the AC, do you get air blowing through your vents?

My friend's Ford truck AC stopped working the other day, he wasn't getting any air blowing at all. We disconnected his battery for about a minute and it cured the problem. Sometimes the electronic controls will malfunction and disconnecting the power will get them working again.

I get plenty of air blowing out, it's just all hot air... I just now saw all of the suggestions above... I'm going to run outside here in a bit and check everything out. Thanks for the suggestions.

[BURNT ORANGE HORNET 86]

Like Bull's-eye stated it most likely is the a/c cycle switch. The switch should be on the accumulator witch is the long round thing next to the firewall. The switch will have 2 wires going to in good luck

[sinfan75]

It could be a bad sensor or bad fuse. I got a 03' Dodge and when I'm goin down the road it's fine. But when I'm idling it blows hot air. Buddy of mine says it's a bad sensor because when the truck is idling the compressor keeps kickin on and off. The sensor operates the separate fan for the AC which moves the cool air. Ain't an expert but it might be your problem. All I know is when I pull up to a fast food place and have to wait in line it's a hot SOB! :D

[rancher]

Sounds like a dryer switch to me, or ac relay. Simple test, unplug the switch and jump across the terminals if the clutch engages that is your problem, go to auto parts store and get another, it just screws in. I would buy a motorcraft.

[Bull's-eye]

Originally posted by sinfan75
I got a 03' Dodge and when I'm goin down the road it's fine. But when I'm idling it blows hot air. Buddy of mine says it's a bad sensor because when the truck is idling the compressor keeps kickin on and off. The sensor operates the separate fan for the AC which moves the cool air. Ain't an expert but it might be your problem. All I know is when I pull up to a fast food place and have to wait in line it's a hot SOB! :D

Your problem is most likely the AC condenser fan. While moving, you will get enough air flow to make the AC work. Check the little fan on the front driver's side (near the radiator). This fan must be working when the AC is turned on. I've seen this problem too many times on Dodge trucks. Most likely the fan is not working and causing a high head pressure on the AC system. The clutch cycle switch is cutting off the compressor, protecting the compressor from being damaged. I would suggest getting the fan replaced or at least not run the AC at idle.

One note, the fan assembly has a high side AC hose that runs through the plastic housing. To replace that fan, the freon must be discharged and the hose removed. The system must then be recharged.

[sinfan75]

I know what your talkin about but when you mess with the sensor the fan will work. That's why we figured it's the sensor. But you're right could be the whole fan assembly.

[Bull's-eye]

Originally posted by sinfan75
I know what your talkin about but when you mess with the sensor the fan will work. That's why we figured it's the sensor. But you're right could be the whole fan assembly.

The sensor should only control the cycling of the AC compressor, but the fan should get direct power when the AC switch is turned on. There is a small possibility that a relay is not sending power to the fan, but most likely the fan is bad. I just had one changed in a 2004 Dodge truck having the same symptoms as your truck. We found the best price from Four Seasons Radiator company, they have locations in Houston, SA, Dallas & Austin.

[bwdlionfan]

I checked all of the relays and fuses that have anything to do with the A/C, both inside the car and under the hood. All was fine with them. I couldn't get the dryer switch unplugged though for some reason. I think I may just take it to a shop tomorrow or Saturday. The clutch isn't engaging though, I can't hear anything when the A/C is turned off and on.