First off this issue is on my 2006 Taurus with manual climate controls. Two years ago I had to replace the accumulator/dryer due to pinhole rusting. I evacuated the system and it held vacuum for 30 minutes, and added 36oz of 134a. System ran fine. A year later the clutch bearing started to fail so I decided with 175k miles on it I should replace the compressor. I also thought the performance was not great, so maybe the compressor was starting to get weak. I installed a Four Seasons compressor figuring it was $60 more than a clutch alone.
Fast forward a year and the system performance seemed to get even weaker but I contributed it a leaking low pressure service valve. I replaced the valve and installed a new orifice thinking that it maybe the contributing to the lower performance. I evacuated the system for an hour and it held a vacuum for 30 minutes. I charged the system with 36 oz. I was disappointed with the change in performance. The discharge of the center vent was around 55 degrees F at the third position on the fan setting. I compared this to my 2001 which was around 45 degrees with an ambient temp of 81 degrees. This was at idle speed. Both systems had low side pressure of 30 psi and high of 175 psi.
I also used hose shutoff clamps in inlet and outlet of the heater core to rule out the possibility of a leaking damper.
Today I decided to check the superheat at the outlet of the evaporator on both systems. Both were running a inlet freon temp of 58-60 degrees with the outlet being the same. So I saw no superheat which from what I can tell the system is charged and running efficiently. But the temperature is ten degrees off from my 2001.
I should also add that the compressor runs constantly at 80 degrees and higher at idle. Sadly I did not check high side pressures before the compressor replacement due to the clutch. I also decided today to use a garden hose to try to flush the condenser fins. No change. I also blew out and washed the cabin filter.
Any suggestion are welcome. I am thinking compressor maybe or maybe the orifice which was a Motorcraft orange orifice was not quite right. Maybe a combination of both. Don't think it is the air temp sensor for evap freeze up because the compressor doesn't stop.
Orifice was dirty but it has 195k miles on it. There is UV dye in the system so there is a green tint on the orifice.
If compressor was weak it would show low pressures with a proper charge.
Did you weigh the charge with a scale when you put it in? That's how it's done, by weight.
Too much oil in system will reduce efficiency.
Photos show a lot of gunk in the system. Last compressor I did was in my '00 wagon and when I replaced that compressor I used a system flush kit to clean out the evap and the condenser and repl. the accumulator.
Orifice screen is loaded with stuff, should be clear, I would flush system, repl. accumulator and recharge.This way you can put the proper oil charge in also.
When I did the compressor last year the oil was clear and clean with no particles as I dumped the oil out of it. Very little came out so I added an ounce for safe measure. Since it was clean I didn't flush the system. When I did the accumulator two years ago I drilled a hole in the tank and drained it out and added the same to the new accumulator.
I charged the system from a full vacuum using three 12 oz cans so I didn't have to use a scale.
The orifice pics look really bad but I sprayed it clean with carb cleaner on a paper towel and really didn't find a lot of solid particles. I think the oil is spanning the mesh and make it look worse.
I am going to try to see the evaporator with the fan out to check for blockage before I start a major repair. I have flushed a system before on my 1993 taurus when the compressor failed by the black death. This compressor on my 2006 did not fail the clutch did, so I did both to prevent the black death.
I was thinking taking it to a shop that does free AC checks and see what they say. I would guess they say it is a low charge or the dampers are leaking.
Thanks for the suggestion, it may end up that route.
Today it reached 90 degrees and I tested the vent temperature with the AC on. It is now 41 degrees and compares to my 2001 which side by side measured 39 degrees at idle and second setting on the fan. Seems for sure now that my whole issue was a Dorman blend door actuator that was bad from the start. I was picking up 13 plus degrees because the blend door was not fully shutting off completely. A Ford actuator from Pull a Part for $15 corrected the problem.
I may install the Rock Auto condenser for $60 to pick up a few degrees more of cooling since the bottom quarter on the fins are all smashed from road debris.
glad you figured this all out. if you can access the condenser then i would suggest that you can try combing the condenser to try and straighten the folded over fins... note that this can actually cause the fins to fall off if the aluminum is actually rotted in addition to being folded over. but if not then you can straighten them easily, expeically if the fins are not zig zag type fins. if they ARE zig zags then you need to go slowly working the tool back and forth while you pull down gently. i have heard folks have good experiance with very soft brass brushes... just gently working it down and side to side, but i have never tried this.
condensing untis frequently get beat up by hail( especially RTU's), and this sort of fin straightening is very common and a very routine maintenance item in addition to general cleaning.
regarding rotting aluminum fins...
road salt will destroy aluminum fins in very short order... so if you take a little watch screw driver and try pushing them around and they fall off... dont do anything at all as they will literally just come off in a great heap of jingling aluminum. this is a very common issue with home condensing units. you are better off just trying to lightly clean the corroded fins, but DONT try and comb them.
how hard was it to replace the damper mechanism btw? my car has a similar issue not with the damper itself... but with the little tiny vacuum hoses that connect to the damper.
a year or so back one of them broke off near the unit and i have been unable to replace it because its just not accessable from the firewall. im thinking if i could take the whole thing out i could finally fix it properly.
Another thing that helps is removing the bottom black plastic air dam and spraying water with a garden hose/nozzle between the condenser and radiator. You'll be amazed at what flushes out.
if you dont have your system maintained frequently, you would be astonished by how much stuff can build up between the little 1/8" fins.
it has exactly the same effect in that it reduces your sub cooling and increases the head pressure making your compressor draw more amps while cooling less effectivly. its very easy too, just pop your fan motor off and remove the top shroud cover.
if you have particularly tough or tenacious dirt( never cleaned ever), you should get some non corrosive foaming cleaner and shoot it into the coil with a coil gun or hose attachment.
the corrosive cleaners work very very well, but its not a good idea in the hands of a non professional... it can easily damage your fins and rot your base pan if any is left. you literally have to wash 100% of it out.
while you are in there get a step stool or something and lift all of the leaves and debris out that you can get to and rinse the bottom for dirt and sand. whens stuff accumulates in there it allows water to hang around by plugging the drian holes. combined with heaps of leaves this allows water to contact the liquid line reciever(if you have one), and the compressor housing which will cause rust and pinholes eventually. the liquid line reievers in particular is a problem because they are alot thinner than the compressor housing.
^+1. That's why all of mine were set out on trash day more than a decade ago. Easy access, no ill effects to date. On 1, I temporarily cut a hole in the drivers bottom to easily access the radiator petcock, but it too was eventually tossed.
My wagon = '03 did not have one. I got one at the JY. Seems my front plastic fenders were a bit floppy. I cut a hole for the coolant drain. I remove the little screws with my quarter inch Craftsman impact and the pop off on a second per screw.
Another thing that helps is removing the bottom black plastic air dam and spraying water with a garden hose/nozzle between the condenser and radiator. You'll be amazed at what flushes out.
I'm curious about this... I'm planning to exchange my coolant this fall. When I take off the air dam, will it be obvious where to shoot the sprayer (assuming you spray up from the bottom) or do I need to look for pictures and more info about this? TIA!
^ blueberry, once air dam is removed, spray up between the back of the condenser and front of the radiator. I also spray the front of the condenser through the grill the best I can. Likewise the rear of the radiator through the fans. Edit: Do this on a warm day. Prepare to get wet, lol!
Power tools and anti-seize on the screws make it easier to deal with.
I leave my covers on, that critter in the road at night can and will pop up and take out the rad. or condenser.
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