98 Ford Ranger A/C Problems

Having trouble with A/C working. Had it looked at and a part was ordered from Ford, and installed. That worked for a day or two, then it went back to blowing hot air. Temp seems to be stuck on heat. What could be the problem?

In my case, too may bugs deformed radiator, so that it doesn't cool the freon as good as it's supposed to.

First, check the gas pressure in the system (lend a gauge from Autozone, or buy one for 10 bucks). If you have enough gas, then check the temperature at the incoming and outcoming radiator pipe (I mean, AC radiator, which is in front of engine radiator). Use thermocouple and multimeter. I don't remember the spec, but there should be certain difference and the out temperature should be below certain limit, or else electronics turns off AC electromagnetic clutch.

Or try to rev the engine and see if AC starts blowing cool air.

Sometimes, changing radiator fan clutch helps. Or just clean the AC radiator and try to streighten those tiny fins the best you can to allow air flow.

I have a 98 ford ranger - the problem is the A/c only works in max mode, at all other settings I get hot air

You may have got a crack in the plenum door right where the actuator shaft goes it. So, the door is always open. In max mode, there is no hot coolant in the heater core. In other settings, the heater core gets hot, and the plenum door controls hot/cold air mixture. If it's stuck open - you get max hot air regardless setting.
The plenum door is cheap plastic thing that always cracks. The bummer is that you have to take appart the whole front panel to get to it. It's doable, just takes time. Mechanics charge ~6 hours for this job,~800$, better do it yourself.

Once you get to it, there is heater door actuator on top. The steel square shaft goes into door. That's where it cracks, allowing shaft to spin inside. Your options: new plenum assembly, plenum from junkyard, fix crack with epoxy. Filling crack with epoxy with shaft in it works pretty good.

Let me know if you find the ploblem, mine is doing the same thing. I've found that in the max a/c position vaccum id dend to thre heater control valve whivch cuts of the water flow to the heater.

I have a 1998 Ford Ranger xlt that does not put out any heat. I have had the system flushed, and put in a new thermostat and temperature control switch on the dash. Still no heat. The temperature guage on the dash goes half way to the middle and then drops to the bottom. Would the control switch on the dash be bad and is there any way to check it. How about the vaccuum lines?

Fritz, the problem is still in the thermostat. It's stuck open. Either thermostat is bad (happen to me once I got cheap autozone one), or you just need to "burp" your system some more. Open radiator cap and squeeze the big rubber hoses a few times. Run the engine, let it heat with cap open, shut down, squeeze the hoses some more. It takes me few attempts to properly burp the system and get the heater going, then it just happens. The air bubble stuck at the thermostat prevents it from proper operation. Try different thermostat brand, they have different bleeder valves and some are easier to burp.

i have a 98 ranger 2.5 4 cylinder the AC clutch keeps clicking in and out, AC works well an is cold but wont stay engaged. freon pressure is good with no leaks and have just put in a new fan clutch. what should i look for next?

Check the condenser bottle. Take the foam wrap off, I bet it rusted all through. It is a leak, just small for now. Get that bottle replaced, you can do it yourself, and get the shop to purge and refill the system. Those idiots from ford corporation wrapped steel bottle with foam. Bottle gets cold, foam holds moisture, the bottle rusts. Japs use aluminum in their bottles.

i have a 97 ford ranger. my truck runs too lean. how do i fix it so it doesnt?

I have been unable to locate the orifice tube in my 98 ranger, 3.0. I have removed the line from the condensor to the lower evap connection and there is nothing there. any help would be appreciated

It's in there, in the lower pipe that goes from radiator to evaporator. Break open the connection down there and stick a small screwdriver to extract old orifice. Then put a new orifice in and snap back the connector. I'd recommend to change the condenser bottle too, I bet it rusted all the way through under that foam.

I have a 2004 ranger. The heat/ac only works on max. All other settings blow out hot/cold air at the correct temperature but it only seeps out. What is the problem and is it something that will cost a lot to fix?

Sounds like a fan speed resistor burnt out. Very common, not expensive and very easy to change. It's in engine compartment, passenger side firewall, close to HVAC fan. Just disconnect the wire connector, take the resistor out and put a new one in.

vlad wrote:

Sounds like a fan speed resistor burnt out. Very common, not expensive and very easy to change. It's in engine compartment, passenger side firewall, close to HVAC fan. Just disconnect the wire connector, take the resistor out and put a new one in.

Thank you! But I don't know my way around the engine that great. Could you give me hint what it looks like? Or what the HVAC looks like? I appreciate it.

Open up the hood and look at the right side of the engine toward the cabin. There shoul be two coolant lines going to the heater. There is a fan, or blower in that area. The resistor is somewhere in that area (my truck is older, but the idea is the same, all Fords are almost the same as far as climate system). Look for wires coming to a pigtail connector, but not the fan. The resistor block is a plastic thing about inch-inch-a-half wide with acual wire resistors, plugged into a plastic housing. It looks kinda like this http://www.thefind.com/cars/info-ford-blower-...

The max a/c on my 98 ford ranger shuts off every time i am going down the road, but when i come to a stop it comes back on. It never shuts off when i have it in the a/c position. Does anybody have any ideas or solutions to why i am having this problem?

I have a 1998 ranger 2.4. just put new comp, dryer and condenser. it took oil charge but wont take any freon, clutch wont engage, no voltage at connection???? have voltage at both pressure switches???
please help,
Calvinb

I have a ford Ranger (97?) that is stuck on heat. All other settings still pump out heat. It seems like it could be a problem with the temperature knob because it sound like the heat setting, not just A/C blowing out heat.

Please help, its a friends we borrowed!

Air Conditioning Question - 2000 Ford Ranger XLT w/4.0L V6 -
At idle and low speed the air conditioner blows normal through dashboard and floor vents, but when speed increases it changes to only blow through the defroster vents. Changes back to dashboard when slows back down. It may need a refrigerant charge as it doesn't seem to blow as cold of air as it should, but it does cool some. The compressor cycles on and off frequently (maybe 3 seconds off and 8 seconds on) in normal AC setting, runs constantly in AC Max setting. I have checked the hoses, lines and connections and they appear to fine as far as I can see. The evaporator inlet and outlet lines do get cool. Any ideas as to what the problem and necessary fix might be.