Hey everyone, newbie here to the forum! I've loved coming here for info and advice on both my current 2010 SEL and the 08 Limited that I had before that.
I need some ideas on what might be causing some AC troubles with my current Taurus. It has worked great up until now. Recently, as it has started getting hotter, (anywhere between 90 and 100 degrees here in dry Utah) the compressor will shut off and I am left with warm air blowing through the vents. In the mornings and at night when it is cooler the AC works just fine, but when it really heats up the compressor won't stay on. I've looked under the hood at the compressor, and it will engage but then will shut off again within 1 or 2 seconds. I haven't had it looked at because I'm trying to save my pennies and the local mechanic wants $50 for the full AC service to even take a look. It's a price I'm willing to pay for AC again, but who knows if he'll fix it, and maybe it's just something simple.
I've wondered if maybe the refrigerant level is too high, and when the temperatures climb so does the psi in the system, causing the compressor to disengage as a safety feature. But I have one of those super crappy low-pressure gauges that you can get at like Wal-Mart, and hooked it up to the low side, and it reads that with an ambient temperature of 94 degrees the psi is 35, which should be fine, right (the gauge could be totally off though)? It probably should even be a little higher than that, but I don't understand why the compressor will stay engaged when the temperature is lower. Anything below 85 degrees and the AC will blow ice cubes. I've heard maybe it could be a problem with either the dryer or the clutch, but I'm not very familiar with AC systems. Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated!!!
I need some ideas on what might be causing some AC troubles with my current Taurus. It has worked great up until now. Recently, as it has started getting hotter, (anywhere between 90 and 100 degrees here in dry Utah) the compressor will shut off and I am left with warm air blowing through the vents. In the mornings and at night when it is cooler the AC works just fine, but when it really heats up the compressor won't stay on. I've looked under the hood at the compressor, and it will engage but then will shut off again within 1 or 2 seconds. I haven't had it looked at because I'm trying to save my pennies and the local mechanic wants $50 for the full AC service to even take a look. It's a price I'm willing to pay for AC again, but who knows if he'll fix it, and maybe it's just something simple.
I've wondered if maybe the refrigerant level is too high, and when the temperatures climb so does the psi in the system, causing the compressor to disengage as a safety feature. But I have one of those super crappy low-pressure gauges that you can get at like Wal-Mart, and hooked it up to the low side, and it reads that with an ambient temperature of 94 degrees the psi is 35, which should be fine, right (the gauge could be totally off though)? It probably should even be a little higher than that, but I don't understand why the compressor will stay engaged when the temperature is lower. Anything below 85 degrees and the AC will blow ice cubes. I've heard maybe it could be a problem with either the dryer or the clutch, but I'm not very familiar with AC systems. Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated!!!