2004 - 2008 F-150

a/c not really cold!

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  #16  
Old 07-18-2006 | 06:39 PM
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Been back to the dealer twice.

First time the a/c was undercharged from the factory. I think this is common, if they short every vehicle by a pint or so of R-134a they save many $$$$. It still saves Ford money as most owners will live with underperforming a/c.

Second time they said everything is in spec. BS. My 12 year old beater which has never had any a/c service throws colder air way faster.

As long as the factory denies there is a problem, they don't have to fix the problem. Just MHO.
 
  #17  
Old 07-18-2006 | 06:48 PM
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It's been noted here that some trucks are leaving the factory without a full AC charge. Some take the truck in and they charge it up and all is well.

I'm wondering if mine needs it. At 90 degrees on 1 it's pathetic, on 2 it's ok, 3 is pretty darn cold never had to go to 4. Does crankin up the fan speed suck up more gas, it's always been a mystery to me.
 
  #18  
Old 07-18-2006 | 07:06 PM
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no the fan speed has no effect on gas they say the ac uses more gas cause of the compressor engaging. mine on 4 is crap when it is hot out.
 
  #19  
Old 07-18-2006 | 07:54 PM
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From: Georgia on my mind...

I heard through the grapevine recently that the reason the A/C feels subpar in these trucks is because they use the same evaporator as the previous gen F150s. There's too much interior volume and glass for that size evaporator to cool in a new F150. Supposedly, this is gonna be revised for the '07 model year trucks.
 
  #20  
Old 07-18-2006 | 08:32 PM
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so basically if that is the case we are screwed?
 
  #21  
Old 07-18-2006 | 08:44 PM
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Basically this is how the a/c works, when you use the outside air it is pulling the hot hot air across the condenser from outside, think about how hot it is when you get in your truck when it has been sitting, it has to pull that 100+ degree air from outside and cool it continuously. If you use the max a/c setting it pulls the air from inside and keeps cooling that air so it cools down further and better then from outside. The best thing to do is to get in, roll your windows down a bit for a few minutes to get all that stuffy air out, then turn it to the max a/c setting.
 
  #22  
Old 07-18-2006 | 09:18 PM
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from Long Island fellow!

Im from West babylon..nice truck man!

Tell me about the 98* HOT!!!!!!!!!!!

Last year, I brought my truck in and they found my AC line has little leak and they fixed it then recharged the system..so far its working fine.

Since your truck has lift, dealership might give you hard time w/ warranty at least you know some one works there..

OR
go to pep boy and grab R134 with guage and check the gauge. its simple.

YOMAN!
 
  #23  
Old 07-18-2006 | 09:38 PM
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From: farmingville, ny
Originally Posted by YOMAN
from Long Island fellow!

Im from West babylon..nice truck man!

Tell me about the 98* HOT!!!!!!!!!!!

Last year, I brought my truck in and they found my AC line has little leak and they fixed it then recharged the system..so far its working fine.

Since your truck has lift, dealership might give you hard time w/ warranty at least you know some one works there..

OR
go to pep boy and grab R134 with guage and check the gauge. its simple.

YOMAN!
thanks for the compliment. they cant void my warrenty on the ac because of the lift. i did actually go and get a gauge tonight and it sais that the full charge zone is 25-45 mine is at like 35. now i assume that since i have some room there i can put a little more 134a in. so i think i will do that tomorrow.
 
  #24  
Old 07-18-2006 | 09:49 PM
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I keep mine on max a/c all the time, this is the only setting that keeps the truck cool on those 90+ days that are the norm here in southern Mississippi. I find if it's on regular setting it never cools down unless I have it on recirc and I am cruising at highway speeds. Maybe next time I have mine in the shop for an oil change I'll bring this up.
 
  #25  
Old 07-18-2006 | 10:31 PM
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Do not trust those stupid little gauges that come on the cans from AutoadvancepepboysZone.

I'm a firm believer that if you haven't got the know how, please don't go adding refrigerant or additives or whatever to your A/C.
 
  #26  
Old 07-19-2006 | 01:34 AM
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I work for one of those shameful auto parts companies. Today, I watched a guy add a full 16 oz. can of Arctic Freeze (134a, oil, and performance booster) to a fully charged ("stupid little gauge" indicated) 2006 Suzuki mini SUV against my warnings. He said the dealer wouldn't do anything about the cool (not cold) air it blew. He left happy. It blew much colder "overcharged". I felt it, and it did. Those gauges are an average. Every make/model needs a different pressure. The cans we sell with gauges are optimized for 150 PSI. That made me think about adding a little because my truck blows no where near as cold as our newer Ranger delivery trucks or my friend's '02 F250 stroker. I've put a gauge on mine, and it reads at the high end of good.
 
  #27  
Old 07-19-2006 | 10:05 AM
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Working at the dealer like Quintin... I have seen two things... factory overcharge, and leaky hight side service ports. My 06 was fixed last week for this same condition, the port was leaking. it was sweltering hot this last weekend in the midwest. 90-98 with 40-60% humidity. and the A/C after the repair was much much more effective. after it cooled off i could actually turn it down and stay confortable. good luck.
 
  #28  
Old 07-19-2006 | 10:16 AM
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From: Paragould Arkansas
Originally Posted by PHS79
I just noticed the a/c was under par this weekend also. This weekend and yesterday it was 95-99 deg. and a dewpoint of 74 all weekend. It sucked and yesterday was the worst, since we are framing up a house. After 11 hours of work I came home, showered and went right to bed.

But anyway. I was driving my 05 Focus this weekend and I had to use the truck(04), and there was a huge differance between the 2. The Focus could freeze you out with the fan on 2 and a/c at max. The truck would just get cool with the fan going full and set at max. I am going to be taking my truck in to the dealership also, to see if they can do anything.

And my work truck (94) will still freeze me out of cab. And nothing has ever been touched with the a/c system, IMO, thats the way a an a/c system should be.

The a/c in those body style trucks (92-96) is the most awesome I've seen. I had a RC '95 with all the windows tinted including the windsheild and I could fog the windows with it 95 degrees outside

Now I'm lucky to fog the windows with it 75 degrees outside.
 
  #29  
Old 07-19-2006 | 01:55 PM
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Same deal with mine.

It has to be on max. ac to ever get halfway cool.

It cools down better when at highway speeds but I still shouldn't have to run max. ac at night on the highway when it's 76 degrees like I did late last night.

Loaded up the wife and kid last week and drove it through town to dinner and mid-trip it started blowing hot, very humid air for about 30 seconds or so.

You guys just reminded me that I need to call and make an appointment for an oil change and an ac check.

Quintin, what should the vent temps. be on these trucks, any idea?
 
  #30  
Old 07-19-2006 | 07:03 PM
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From: Georgia on my mind...

Originally Posted by Nates06SCab
I work for one of those shameful auto parts companies. Today, I watched a guy add a full 16 oz. can of Arctic Freeze (134a, oil, and performance booster) to a fully charged ("stupid little gauge" indicated) 2006 Suzuki mini SUV against my warnings. He said the dealer wouldn't do anything about the cool (not cold) air it blew. He left happy. It blew much colder "overcharged". I felt it, and it did. Those gauges are an average. Every make/model needs a different pressure. The cans we sell with gauges are optimized for 150 PSI. That made me think about adding a little because my truck blows no where near as cold as our newer Ranger delivery trucks or my friend's '02 F250 stroker. I've put a gauge on mine, and it reads at the high end of good.
That "performance booster" will probably contaminate the supply of fresh R134 should anyone with a charging station ever service that guy's car.

Pressures are best used as a means to determine what the system is doing, not if it's low or just right or overcharged. Pressures vary depending on ambient temps, underhood temps, airflow across the condenser, system demand, etc. The only way to determine how much (if any) refrigerant the system needs is to evacuate it and weigh the charge to see how much was really in there.

But hey, it's your truck.
 


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