Faster you go, the cooler the AC

[Trucker14]

so for some reason when I start my truck on a hot day it continuously blows warm air until I reach highway speed's then it starts to grow mostly cold but still not as cold as it should I don't feel. It's nowhere near as cold as our Toyota RAV4, I can tell you that much.

Once it starts blowing cold even when I come to a stop it remains fairly cool but warms slightly. Then once I start accelerating it cools back down. The clutch fan seems to run fine, I don't see a specific condenser fan. Do these trucks even have a specific condenser fan, or is the clutch fan all that cools the condenser?

By the way, my truck is a 2006 limited with 5.4 Triton

I mean from all of the symptoms it seems like the condenser just isn't cooling like the fan is not cooling the condenser properly hence colder air the faster I go. Is that an issue with these trucks sometimes?

I did try topping it off with Freon, but it was only very slightly under the right pressure for the ambient temperature so I topped it off just a little bit

Thanks in advance I appreciate it

 

[stamp11127]

With ac problems you always check the system pressures when running before tossing parts at it. Once you know those then you are able to diagnose the issue.

 

[BRIANGEE]

You can always try cleaning the condenser coil and straightening any fins that are bent if there's a lot of them.

I just bought a gallon of this stuff and it works pretty good. I wouldn't waste your money on some of those other cheapy potions at the home improvement stores that say "foaming" and when you spray it, it comes out as a foam already like shaving cream.

https://www.amazon.com/Nu-Calgon-Inc-429108-Nu-Brite-1-Gallon/dp/B00ECV4D38

 

[Trucker14]

Let me ask this; if I stand there beside my engine and never hear a condenser fan kick on, is that bad? Lol. Or does it only utilize the clutch fan?

 

[BRIANGEE]

Only the main clutch fan on my '03 5.4L.

 

[autoarcheologist]

In my experience with other cars that's a symptom that the clutch fan is starting to fail. It will still spin, just not fast enough. If it cools when the trucks going fast and has plenty of airflow, you just have an air flow issue at idle.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

 

[Hayes Riviere]

While it isn't exactly a solution to your problem, I have found that if you run the air conditioning on recirculate, the air runs a lot colder. When it is pulling air from the outside of the truck, that is warm air being cooled and blown into the cabin. On the contrary, if the truck is pulling already (somewhat) cooled air from the cabin, the air will just get colder and colder because there is no warmth to be cooled. Does that make sense?

 

[Trucker14]

Here's an update to my situation.

I have NO AC in the rear vents however it's not the blender switch bc I can make the vents blow hot air. When I turn on the ACi can hear what sounds like air getting pushed back through the lines to the rear but just warm air.

Weird thing is if I shut off the rear fans for a few min, then back on, they will blow cool for only 10 seconds or so then back to warm. Almost as if the freon isn't getting back there fast enough for continuous use?

The front blows cool but it takes a LONG while before it's blowing anywhere near cool enough. And even then you can tell it's lacking. But it will keep it mostly comfortable.

Any more ideas now that I have the rear issue?

 

[stamp11127]

See reply #2

 

[Trucker14]

See reply #2

Yes thanks for the "help". Haven't had time to mess with it and figured as specific a issue as I gave it might narrow down issues to look at.