Automotive Air Conditioning Information Forum (Archives)

Number4 on Sun September 14, 2014 2:10 PM

Year: 2005
Make: Ford
Model: Explorer
Engine Size: 4.0
Refrigerant Type: R-134
Ambient Temp: 72
Pressure Low: 85
Pressure High: 187

I've removed and am replacing my Compressor, Condenser, Suction / Discharge and Liquid line, Accumulator, Orifice, rear Filter and Expansion Valve (If I can find them.)

I emptied the old compressor of oil, barely any came out. Some oil came out of the hoses, none came out of the condenser and most came out of the old accumulator.
In all, 1.5 oz of oil came out.

The system takes 13 oz of oil. I guess I'm just surprised at how little came out.

Should I only put 1.5 back in?

I'm doing all of this because the system started to blow warm air and an odd noise was coming from lines near the orifice tube.
Putting the gauges on it, the low side (with the car off and the ac system not having run for 3 weeks) was reading north of 80. The orifice when I pulled it was clean, no debris at all. The oil that came out did have some debris in it. What looked like tiny rocks and some black specs.

When I draw a vacuum, will that remove some oil? Someone had told me once to add 2 oz to the system because the vacuum will pull that much out.

HECAT on Sun September 14, 2014 4:59 PM

Most of the old system oil is in the evaps. Since you are changing so many parts, and found what sounds like Ford desiccant failure; I would strongly recommend a complete and effective flush of both evaps, lines and any other parts of the system being reused, dump the shipping oil from the compressor, and load the system with a full charge of fresh oil. Vacuum does not remove oil.

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Number4 on Sun September 14, 2014 7:02 PM

Thanks for the reply and info.

I've located the expansion valve in the drivers side rear quarter panel. Can't seem to locate where the mini filter "orifice like" goes. It's tiny and is just plastic and mesh.

Number4 on Sun September 14, 2014 7:39 PM

I located the rear filter, just didn't see it the first round. It's in the line under the Explorer just before the line goes up back into the truck. It's in the hose portion that comes from under the car.

New question, possibly it's own post.
The front orifice tube was clean, almost like it was fairly new. (I've owned the Ex since 2006 and the ac has never been serviced.)
However, the rear ac filter had crap all over it. Black, sand like and metal shavings.
Why would the back be covered in crap and not the front?

HECAT on Sun September 14, 2014 10:22 PM

The liquid discharge line from the condenser splits prior to the front orifice tube. It usually is a little larger path towards the rear to provide for flow compensation between the short path to the front orifice and longer path to the rear orifice. This also provides for a path of least resistance which could attribute to more debris heading down that path. Evidence system needs a flush.

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