Ford contour A/C recharging question.

[cjchaps]

The wife has a '98 For Contour, and this year the A/C hasn't been working so well. So I went and bought one of those R134 A/C kits, and I am a little confused on what it does. The kit said turn the A/C to max, then read what the guage says. The guage has a low, good, and overfilled level marking on it. So I turn the A/C to max, and I put the measure on it. So the little guage cycles between the top and bottom of the "good" section. For instance, the guage crawls up to the top of good, the car makes a "clicking" type noise, and then the guage cycles to the bottom of the "good" section, then climbs back to the top? It was cycling from the top and bottom ever 2 seconds or so continuously? Is that normal?


Also if the car does have enough coolant, why would the A/C not be working?

 

[Kalvin00]

Originally posted by: cjchaps
The wife has a '98 For Contour, and this year the A/C hasn't been working so well. So I went and bought one of those R134 A/C kits, and I am a little confused on what it does. The kit said turn the A/C to max, then read what the guage says. The guage has a low, good, and overfilled level marking on it. So I turn the A/C to max, and I put the measure on it. So the little guage cycles between the top and bottom of the "good" section. For instance, the guage crawls up to the top of good, the car makes a "clicking" type noise, and then the guage cycles to the bottom of the "good" section, then climbs back to the top? It was cycling from the top and bottom ever 2 seconds or so continuously? Is that normal?


Also if the car does have enough coolant, why would the A/C not be working?

First, that is probably the cycling as the compressor or something turns on and off.

Second, coolant (anti-freeze) has nothing to do with the AC. Coolant is used for the heater.

 

[godmare]

the clicking is the compressor clicking on and off. I had this problem last year with my car (not a ford), and it was the condenser fan gone bad.

 

[cjchaps]

When I said coolant, I meant the R134 A/C stuff.

Originally posted by: Kalvin00

First, that is probably the cycling as the compressor or something turns on and off.

Second, coolant (anti-freeze) has nothing to do with the AC. Coolant is used for the heater.