AU Air con not so cool

4VCLEVO · 12-01-2009, 08:25 PM

I have a series 1 xr6 and a series 3 wagon and both the air cons in my cars are useless on plus 30 deg days for the xr6 and 35deg days for the wagon. The xr6 is the worst, so I had it regassed (at a cost of $130) but it made no differance to it's coldness. Any idea's on what can be wrong, I freind told me that there is some filter or something that gets blocked but he has no idea where it is located. I never cared about the aircon before when it was just the wife and me, but now I have a 4 month old girl and it is 41 deg tomorrow and 43 the next day i thought I beter get the aircon fixed. Any ideas on whats wrong would be greatly appreciated.

**Peuty** · 12-01-2009, 08:32 PM

It's called the TX valve. You need a spanner to undo it. A new one from Ford will only be $13.00 or so. If it is full of junk, like mine was (metal filings) then your compressor is cactus. But change that and see what the condition of the filter is like.

bodes-sh · 12-01-2009, 09:26 PM

there could also be a lot of crap on the evaporator. this is inside the cabin under the dash (dash out job, and you can't really clean it either). there was another thread on this recently, they tend to get a lot of crap from both outside and inside the car (hair, fluff, etc) and can't get as much airflow through them, hence less cooling...

mik · 12-01-2009, 10:01 PM

i`m thinking i have that problem Bodes-sh, i gave the air con system a birthday reco pump ,new receiver dryer new valve in the gas pipe, ( its not a tx valve , i asked for one of those at ford and was told au`s don`t have them, it has a different name ...sorry it eludes me) anyway after getting serviced and gassed up it was a dissapointment compared to when i first bought the car, it gets cool but it takes longer and is not as cold :(, dam dash out job i think.

bodes-sh · 12-01-2009, 11:37 PM

yeah, mine is a bit sad sometimes too, i did find the other thread, but the picture is gone so it's not much use anymore, but apparently it's a degas and regas job to replace it

4VCLEVO · 12-01-2009, 11:51 PM

So if I replace the valve, will that let all the gas out.

philstoj · 13-01-2009, 12:05 AM

Get an air con bloke to do it, he will capture the gas, replace the filter and then re gas the system with your gas so you dont pay for new gas.
It is highly illegal to vent this gas in the atmosphere!

mik · 13-01-2009, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4VCLEVO

So if I replace the valve, will that let all the gas out.

yes it will let the gas out.

Bobman · 13-01-2009, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philstoj

It is highly illegal to vent this gas in the atmosphere!

Wasn't that just the pre R134A stuff or all types of refrigerants? (in terms of legality).

The reason I ask is that many wreckers just vent them in the workshop or in the yards and it obviously escapes in major accidents.

FTe_XR8 · 13-01-2009, 04:19 AM

nope highly illegal to deliberately let any sort of refrigerant out of the system. thats y u need ur licence and crap to buy gas.

whiskers · 13-01-2009, 10:07 AM

I have had to have the dash out just recently and here is a pic that I took of the evap which is up under the dash this is what came out FYI it cost me about $850 all up and an extra $150 for a new pump as mine was stuffed.

you can temporily clean it by blowing air from a compressor onto it but it only lasts a while
have a look at this while you are at it it may help http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11207530

cheers hope this helps you out

whiskers · 13-01-2009, 10:50 AM

Also while I'm thinking about it have a look at the pics in this thread http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11245777
I have also put in a pic for you to have a look at re the thread about blowing through with a air compressor.

sorry about the quality but it had to be shrunk down. a Auto elec should/would know what he is doing though.
all the best with it.

mik · 13-01-2009, 10:00 PM

i found this description of the valve in the refigerant pipe in case anyones interested.

Orifice Tube

http://images.google.com.au/imgres?i...3Doff%26sa%3DG

mik · 13-01-2009, 10:02 PM

good on ya Whiskers very helpfull.

AU_Wagin · 13-01-2009, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peuty

It's called the TX valve. You need a spanner to undo it. A new one from Ford will only be $13.00 or so. If it is full of junk, like mine was (metal filings) then your compressor is cactus. But change that and see what the condition of the filter is like.

That car is a disgrace !! That Engine bay looks showroooooom. You should drive it more

Its a credit to you

Ray

whiskers · 19-01-2009, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4VCLEVO

I have a series 1 xr6 and a series 3 wagon and both the air cons in my cars are useless on plus 30 deg days for the xr6 and 35deg days for the wagon. The xr6 is the worst, so I had it regassed (at a cost of $130) but it made no differance to it's coldness. Any idea's on what can be wrong, I freind told me that there is some filter or something that gets blocked but he has no idea where it is located. I never cared about the aircon before when it was just the wife and me, but now I have a 4 month old girl and it is 41 deg tomorrow and 43 the next day i thought I beter get the aircon fixed. Any ideas on whats wrong would be greatly appreciated.

So how did you get on with the air con? have you got it all fixed or is it still the same.

4VCLEVO · 19-01-2009, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whiskers

So how did you get on with the air con? have you got it all fixed or is it still the same.

You know how it goes, I got my priorities mixed up and ended up installing a mighty demon and cdi system on my XAGT and the 40 degree days just keep coming, today, tomorrow.
Thanks for the info whiskers, its been informative.

mik · 22-01-2009, 12:27 AM

i successfully got my dash out today, note too self FOOL...PAY SOMEONE NEXT TIME, for dash removal non Ford workshop manual is sadly lacking, .....thanks to all the forum guys who have posted on this subject.

whiskers · 22-01-2009, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mik

i successfully got my dash out today, note too self FOOL...PAY SOMEONE NEXT TIME, for dash removal non Ford workshop manual is sadly lacking, .....thanks to all the forum guys who have posted on this subject.

That is why I paid someone else to do it for me it cost me a few bob but was worth it .

**Peuty** · 22-01-2009, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AU_Wagin

That car is a disgrace !! That Engine bay looks showroooooom. You should drive it more

Its a credit to you

Ray

Thanks for the kind words Ray!

last fairlane · 22-01-2009, 04:07 PM

Hi all I have 3 air con problems with my AU Fairmont
First when the outside temp gets to over 35 the AC shuts off and runs hot for about 2 minutes then all by itself comes back on this happens once or twice a day
Second my dash fan only runs on "H" 1 2 3 4 and so on do nothing so all I can do is turn the vent openers down a bit if it gets to cold
Thirdly I have an annoying thumping noise coming from behind the dash I have the control on "head" and it will bang at about 20 beats a minute I then touch the button to "head and feet" and the noise stops for about 30 seconds and then off we go again sounds like a door of some sort trying to open and close any way I hope someone here can help by the way I have the AC on all the time never turn it off and have had the car 5 years thanks JOHN

mik · 23-01-2009, 12:19 AM

i`m no sparky but the fan thing sounds like the resistor at a guess, wait a while some more educated guys are bound to have a clue ;).

mik · 23-01-2009, 01:35 AM

i`m no sparky but had my heater assembly apart today, and the resistor for the fan i noticed is subject to a bit of moisture, mine did`nt look too bad but there was sign`s of corrosion and i don`t use the air con all that much,it was one of the last things i pulled out but i reckon its may be possible to change or remove to check with dismantling the half the car , like someone else i know :(, someone else might have some input to this, i can tell you the xr6 series 2 fan control, flap control and heat control is a about $50 odd buks at Ford (very cheap for a complex part i thought) but yours may be a little different being a fairlane, i had a vacumm leak/hiss behind the dash hence changing the controls , all of my vacuum hoses seem to fitted correctly, do you hear hissing John?

last fairlane · 23-01-2009, 12:08 PM

Thanks Mik sorry no leaks that I can hear and the fan switch is the push button digital type just like pushing the button on the stereo push once for 1 twice for 2 and so on up to 10 or "H" thanks John

mik · 23-01-2009, 02:41 PM

after closer inspection to the resistor it had some sort of residue on it i hit it with some crc and it came up like a new one, i might also add the position where ford has put the resistor between the blower and the evaporator is very clever, the blower keeps it cool its unlikely to be a problem imo, pity your not in Melbourne John yesterday i got onto a bloke that is apparently very good at au air conditioning, speedy and cheep (if only i knew that before i started this job :( ) , it might be a good one to take to a Ford dealer they may have come across this problem before, if its a problem in the heater i would gladly pay $big buks after seeing whats involved in the job, let someone else have the head aches. cheers mik

whiskers · 23-01-2009, 03:33 PM

last fairlane, Take the car to a auto electrician to have a look one that does air con though. if you are close to caboolture I recommend bashi's. they do a good job and are reasonably priced imo. I took my car to them they took out the dash fixed the prob put the dash back in all in a day.
all the best with it mate.

last fairlane · 24-01-2009, 12:29 AM

thanks Mik and Whiskers first up to far for me Im on the southside
now today I took it for a 3 hour cruise and the outside temp was 35
the knocking noise was still there but after about 40 minutes the noise stopped and then the AC went hot after a few mins it went back to cold but the knocking started again this happened 3 times to day so I think maybe the door (knocking) may have moved over to the heat setting does anyone know if there is a code I can use to stop the door from moving and just stay on cold as I never use the heater just the AC on all the time also I touch tuned the out let button on the dash to face then feet and then demist and knocking persisted got me buggered I have to turn up the stereo to hide the noise anyway thanks for your help JOHN

mik · 02-02-2009, 11:49 PM

after removal of dash and disassembly of heater/aircon box i did find some leaves in the box , but not enough to cause the problems, anyway i got it gassed up still no joy:( while i was getting it gassed the aircon bloke asked me to turn the heat control on and off.....you guessed it...... heater the tap was`nt was`nt moving, default position for the tap is on, so there is something to check for if its not getting cool, , i still had a slight vacuum leak behind the heater fan controls, some history , ever since i had the car the vent controls have been working in a fashion but never according to the vent symbols , on the back of the vent controls is a big plug with a heap of vacuum hoses on the lower series au`s (sorry last Fairlane), has the vent control switch can be pulled apart with out to much hassle ,i found there is a small rubber valve body that can be removed and replaced, this is a wearing part the rubber sealing area wears down eventually and can effect the function of vents, in my case the rubber valve body was put un 180 degrees out and has been replaced before by the look of it and was still in good order, walla vents working perfectly, have`nt really had a chance to take it on a run yet but aircon was definatley cooler after all the work, i might add i suspected the colored hoses on vacuum switch may have been wrong so i went to pickapart to look at some au dash controls as it turned out they were correct.
it might pay to look at your vent control in dash last Fairlane, wreckers is a very good place to check stuff out

_2: its usually disassembled already for you.

last fairlane · 03-02-2009, 09:59 PM

Thanks Mik for your help the heater switch sounds like it might be the go have you any idea where it is on a six cylinder I know the XD ones played up and we used to take the heater hoses and re route them round in circles can I do that on an AU thanks John

mik · 04-02-2009, 01:49 AM

yep the heater tap is situated close to the firewall below the inlet manifold, if you have ramps its probably easiest, i did think of disconnecting the heater hoses and putting a bit of tube to join them up, it would`nt be too hard, hose clamps are the spring ones quite arkward to get at with all the plumbing but doable, i had to remove air intake pipe and washer bottle, multi grips and a big screw driver to get the hoses off i found the easiest ....good luck.