A/C not working - intermittant

[Dormammu]

Anyone else having A/C issues in their 2018?

4 times in the last week I've gotten into the Expedition (Platinum, 4wd, shorty) and it blows only hot air. Every other time it blows cold air from the get go.

Fiddling with the system doesn't fix the problem. It resolves itself and starts blowing cold air in a very hot, very long 3-5 mins.

Anyone else?

 

[Garrett]

This happened to me last week. It was 103 outside and the expy had been sitting in a lot for about 4 hours. Hasn’t happened since...

 

[JExpedition07]

It’s not immediate the evaporator has to cool off before it blows cold air.

 

[Dormammu]

It’s not immediate the evaporator has to cool off before it blows cold air.

Mmmm....is that just the case for the Ford Expedition in particular? Because we haven't experienced this in a single vehicle we've ever owned (2 Sequoias, Land Cruiser, QX80, 2 Grand Cherokees, a Highlander...3/4 ton trucks, 1/2 ton trucks...) Sure, it takes awhile to cool a hot vehicle, but what I'm talking about is blowing HOT air for 5 mins. I've owned lots of vehicles, none has ever done this.

Do I have a setting wrong on the climate control? A/C light is on. I can toggle max A/C and recirculate and it has no impact.

 

[JExpedition07]

Mmmm....is that just the case for the Ford Expedition in particular? Because we haven't experienced this in a single vehicle we've ever owned (2 Sequoias, Land Cruiser, QX80, 2 Grand Cherokees, a Highlander...3/4 ton trucks, 1/2 ton trucks...) Sure, it takes awhile to cool a hot vehicle, but what I'm talking about is blowing HOT air for 5 mins. I've owned lots of vehicles, none has ever done this.

Do I have a setting wrong on the climate control? A/C light is on. I can toggle max A/C and recirculate and it has no impact.

Anything involving refrigeration takes time, on any vehicle you have ever owned or will own. That perception is all in your head that anything has been immediate. Coming from someone who’s old man did refrigeration his whole life and went on many jobs I can tell you from first hand. My truck took about 5 minutes to blow full cold today it’s in the 90s out. In fact that’s with a brand new ford compressor, dryer, and drive belt just finished today. Not trying to be rude just saying it isn’t possible to cool immediately as the vehicle has to cool off the evaporator and dispel all that heat that is already in the vents to begin with.....a lot of load.

 

[aggiegrad05]

It’s 103 today and mine sat in direct sun for 4 hours at the zoo and blew cold air almost immediately upon startup, so I don’t think this is a “cool down” issue. I think another user on here had a similar issue and it took a visit to the dealer. But I’m sorry I don’t remember specifics or the outcome. I’ll look for that thread and update if I can find it.

Update: i think this is the thread I was thinking of, although if yours does eventually get up and running this may not be the same thing.
2018 Expedition platinum Max A/C problem
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...-platinum-Max-A-C-problem.35039/&share_type=t

 

[Dormammu]

Anything involving refrigeration takes time, on any vehicle you have ever owned or will own. That perception is all in your head that anything has been immediate. Coming from someone who’s old man did refrigeration his whole life and went on many jobs I can tell you from first hand. My truck took about 5 minutes to blow full cold today it’s in the 90s out. In fact that’s with a brand new ford compressor, dryer, and drive belt just finished today. Not trying to be rude just saying it isn’t possible to cool immediately as the vehicle has to cool off the evaporator and dispel all that heat that is already in the vents to begin with.....a lot of load.

Ok, let me see if I can clarify further...it DOES blow cool immediately and it does so most of the time. It blew cold today, as did the Tundra. Thus the title of my thread that the problem is intermittent and my original post saying it did it 4 times in the last week...because you see, I drove it more than 4 times in that week.

Maybe you misunderstood that I said it was blowing hot every time, which isn't the case.

 

[Dormammu]

It’s 103 today and mine sat in direct sun for 4 hours at the zoo and blew cold air almost immediately upon startup, so I don’t think this is a “cool down” issue. I think another user on here had a similar issue and it took a visit to the dealer. But I’m sorry I don’t remember specifics or the outcome. I’ll look for that thread and update if I can find it.

Update: i think this is the thread I was thinking of, although if yours does eventually get up and running this may not be the same thing.
2018 Expedition platinum Max A/C problem
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?share_fid=20862&share_tid=35039&url=https://www.expeditionforum.com/index.php?threads/2018-Expedition-platinum-Max-A-C-problem.35039/&share_type=t

Thank you for this! It doesn't appear to be a widespread problem since not many here are experiencing it.

 

[Dormammu]

Did it again today. 84 degrees outside and it blew hot for 11 mins.

It’s definitely got a problem.

 

[JExpedition07]

Did it again today. 84 degrees outside and it blew hot for 11 mins.

It’s definitely got a problem.

Yea somethings wrong at that interval

 

[gtnator]

That's definitely not normal. Take it to the dealer.

 

[taatt2girl]

Hey I've had the same is happening to me lately in my 11, before it happened I was getting, a knocking noise whenever I put the air on. The knocking noise turned out to be the blower box, the little thin plastic fan on it was the issue, the pieces crack off . They have to replace with a newer stronger fan. But you haven't keep.an eye on the drainage lines as well. Good luck!! I know what a pain in the ass it is good luck.

 

[Stout]

Do they get pissy if you just go to a different dealer with the same problem?

 

[Mike Wolfe]

When it is blowing hot air, open the hood & see if the compressor is running.
If not then you may have an electrical issue, if the compressor is running then there may be a blend door stuck or mispositioned

 

[Dormammu]

When it is blowing hot air, open the hood & see if the compressor is running.
If not then you may have an electrical issue, if the compressor is running then there may be a blend door stuck or mispositioned

I'll do that, thank you!

 

[buddy]

Mine starting doing the same thing. One day cold air then next day may be hot air. Any ideas to what is causing this?

 

[Dormammu]

Mine starting doing the same thing. One day cold air then next day may be hot air. Any ideas to what is causing this?

We haven't taken ours to the dealer yet. We're going to take Mike's suggestion above and see if the compressor is running when it happens.

I also fully expect the dealer to say they couldn't recreate so we've bought a digital thermometer with a wire with plans to video tape the system behavior while operating normally, then video tape the system temperature when it's blowing hot.

 

[stamp11127]

Next time it acts up take a voltage reading at the battery with the engine at idle.
There is a valid reason for this, the ecm will cut the electrical load if the alternator quits or isn't charging enough. One of the first to go is the ac.

 

[DCS_express]

I think making a video is a good idea - having a video of my problem saved me from having the "we couldn't recreate the problem" discussion with the dealer. My dealer requested I post the video on YouTube and sent a link to some group in Dearborn, MI.

 

[Dormammu]

We haven't taken ours to the dealer yet. We're going to take Mike's suggestion above and see if the compressor is running when it happens.

I also fully expect the dealer to say they couldn't recreate so we've bought a digital thermometer with a wire with plans to video tape the system behavior while operating normally, then video tape the system temperature when it's blowing hot.

Just thought I'd give an update....

I did get a digital thermometer and was able to get a video of the system operating normally and another with the system blowing hot air for 15 mins.

And then it stopped doing it. No joke.

So the video that I have which was almost a month ago now is the last time it blew hot for the extended period of time.

Now what it does is blow hot for a few minutes every so often. Otherwise it blows cold immediately.

I haven't taken it to the dealer at this point. I think I can live with it the way it's operating now.