Hi!

My 97 F350 runs great, except for the A/C.

I have had two different hoses/lines replaced in the last year - ok, I know it has 300,000 miles and hoses wearing out to be expected....- but each time costs me about $500 to fix ( $250 for the hose and another for the labor). How many more are there??

I now seem to be loosing coolant again - it will blow cool and then lukewarm and back to cool - never cold cold. Don't know what is next.

Any recommendations on fixing it for good? Should I just repalce all the components? I hate this fixing pieces every 6 months. I would like it just to WORK! It is HOT HOT here in Houston right now. Need a good resource for reliable parts at a fair price ( ie not Ford prices! haha).

Also, the recirc does not work. Seems the little white plastic line to the valve has decomposed. My hubby tied the valve open so I got the high blower. The repair shop said it would take several hours of labor to trace that white tubing, remove components to get at it, and replace.

Hubby keeps saying just get rid of the truck, but it is paid for and I don't know how we will afford a new car right now. Realistic ideas welcomed!

Thanks

Laura

 

You need to take it to a place that will check it for leaks. Usually, it's just an O-ring. What your being charged for parts AND labor seems high to me but, I guess they would charge a lot to fix a heater in Minnesota too.

I have an F-250 and the compressor and hoses were less than $300 from NAPA. I put it all on myself, then took it to a AC specialist to check it for leaks and recharge the system. That bill was less than $150.

Don't ever buy parts or have work done at the dealership unless you absolutely have to.

 

Can you be specific as to the location (or locations) of the o-ring?? Thanks! I am not going to the dealer, but a local shop that has a good reputation. However, they insist on using Ford parts which are about double the cost of aftermarket. I am not unhappy with their work, just looking for a more overall solution that piecemealing the system back together.

Laura

 

Wherever you have a hose connection, in and out of the compressor, accumulator etc, there are usually o-rings you can replace instead of the entire hose. In my case, the compressor locked up and caught the hoses and belt on fire. requiring all new parts for me. Luckily, that's all I lost. I've lost two vehicles to battery fires in the past.

 

The recirc door has nothing to do with the Blower speed other than when on recirc you do not pressurize the cab so you get more air out of the ducts.
As for the white vacuum line just peel back a little of the harness going to the cab and put a small vacuum hose from the broken end to the recirc vacuum motor.

It also sounds like you have a low charge and the compressor is cycling.

 

We tried that with the white line and it held for a while, but then gave way futher down from our repair. It is literally disintegrating! Just falls apart.

Ok on the blower speed, I guess I just meant the part about getting more air.

laura

 

There is no reason why you cannot replace all of that white tubing with new. The replacement color does not matter.....

 

Yeah, I don't care what color it is. Just describing it for those that know. Is there a good source to find out just where all that tubing runs? The mechanic I have been taking my truck to did not know for sure and indicated it could run up quite a bill depending on where it goes and what has to be removed to get at it.

Laura

 

Here is a vacuum diagram if that will help you:




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This exact thing just happened to me yesterday on my way to go snowboarding, except without the fire! The compressor itself was smoking but I got off the highway before it got any worse.