Interior Fans Problem - Illusive Root Problem

[Richard Harvey Howells]

Hello,

i recently joined the ford owners club, buying a maroon 05 reg 1.6 TDCi focus Ghia, its brilliant!

However, the air conditioning deos not cool at all, the light turns on and everything, so i think this just needs regassing? can i do this myself or is it best to go to a garage?

THE MAIN PROBLEM is that the fans that blow air into the cabin are performing like asthmatic hamsters... They are working at about 1/4 of what they should, because i had a go in a friends focus CMAX and on setting 1 on his car the same airflow came out as 4 on mine. However on setting 4 on both cars the noise was the same, that is there was no extra crunching, squeaking, grinding, or anything to suggest the fan is hitting something or that the bearings have gone.

furthermore, the fan works on settings 1 to 4, but at a quater of the capacity, so it is not the resistor pack, or the thermal resistor i dont think, ebcause then ONLY 4 would work?

therefore, my only option is to check all the pipes are connected, in case the fan is blowing into a tube not connected to the rest, or if there is a hole in he pipes somewhere?

any thoughts or suggestions would be great as to why this is happening...

a breif summary of symptoms

fan works on settings 1-4, at a about 1/4 power

no noises to suggest bearings etc are faulty, all noises are normal

A/C deos not work, though this may be a separate issue

Also, my engine has NO issues with cooling, it runs at a very happy temperature and is not overheating in the slightest, even when stationary.

Thanks

Richard

[mintalkin]

have you checked the pollen filter to see if its blocked and restricting airflow ?

[Richard Harvey Howells]

have you checked the pollen filter to see if its blocked and restricting airflow ?

where can i find that? is is under the hood?

[mintalkin]

see previous post for guide and photos

[Richard Harvey Howells]

see previous post for guide and photos

http://www.fordowner...er/#entry113372

Brilliant! thanks a lot mintalkin, i will give this a crack tomorrow and see if it works. its so simple it might just work! (cant believe i didnt think of it before, i always try to overcomplicate things...)

[Stoney871]

The aircon has to be done by a qualified engineer as it's illegal to vent refrigerant to the atmosphere.

Home recharge packs are no use whatsoever.

There is a possibility that your vent selector is jammed near the fan.

[Richard Harvey Howells]

have you checked the pollen filter to see if its blocked and restricting airflow ?

I tried this and with the filter removed, and the cover on the side back on it works beautifully. off to Halfords to get a replacement for 12 quid :)

Thanks for all your help :)

i will get the air con regassed by a garage, is 80 quid reasonable? he rekons he will pressurise it to check that the system is ok, then evacuate the old gas, then add some anti-mould chemical then add the gas, which sounds fishy to me as i have never heard of this anti mould thing before? my friend says he pays 50 quid, but that deosnt include he pressure check.

if anyone else comes accross this thread, then the Halfords ref for the pollen filter for an 05 focus is:

Cat. code: 214580-0

Halfords Cabin Filter ACE158

[Stoney871]

The price for your aircon recharge is about right.

What they mean by anti mould is they usually run the aircon with nobody in the car while a can of anti mould spray discharges itself into the cabin.

This gets drawn through the vents and gets rid of any nasties that thrive in damp areas of the system which can cause lung problems.

Not many offer that service although Halfords sell cans of it too.