S-Max Aircon Faulty Since Service?

[S-Max My Twix Up]

Hello.

New here and looking for some help/advice.

I took my 2007 S-Max (2 litre diesel, titanium) for a full service and MOT (5th service @ 78,000) at an independent garage I was recommended by a number of locals.

All seemed well, however today in this heat I put my aircon on cold for the first time since before the service, and it would only blow hot air.

Any suggestions as to what may have happened, and if there may be a quick/DIY fix before I call the garage in the morning?

Thanks in advance.

[137699]

How long ago did you last use the aircon?

[johnH]

as last poster says, how long ago did you last use it?

if its been a while, might just need charging.

if it happened overnight, chances are you have leak.

i just recently paid £450 at a local dealers to get my aircon rebuilt as everything was pretty much knackered.

[S-Max My Twix Up]

I used it on the way to the service/MOT, to check it was working. Which is why I can pin-point when it happened.

[137699]

Then you should return it back to them and ask them why it was working on the way there, but not on the way back.

Which model have you got? Do you have the full DETAC climate panel (with the LCD display) or the one with the 3 knobs?

What happens when you press the AC button. Does the indicator come on to say it's "on" or just nothing at all?

[S-Max My Twix Up]

Thanks for the answers. My wife is telling me it's not just aircon, but turning the temp down on just "normal" air makes no difference either, it blows hot even on cold, A/C or no A/C.

We have the LCD display, dual zone climate version, it has push/twist buttons on either side of the LCD readout. (Don't have the car on me to say exactly!).

It says AC/on etc when you activate it, but it doesn't seem to make much difference at all.

Is there a "route" I can follow to see what might have happened, DIY check to make sure everything is plumbed in?

Incidentally I called the garage, who tried to tell me how to use aircon (despite me having owned the car over a year and told them it was working before the work), then said "they don't really do aircon". Urgh.

[137699]

On a day like today it will blow out hot air - the outside temperature is up in the high 20's so there's no way the air is going to come out cold if your A/C isn't working - turning down the temperature is only going to stop the car "adding" heat to it - if the outside temperature is 28 degrees, the coolest it can blow air into the car is going to be 28 degrees!

Only DIY thing I can think of is to check all the fuses incase the one that controls the air compressor has failed. There are 3 fuse boxes in the Smax - and the manual isn't reliable to advise you which fuse(s) control the A/C system - so I'd recommend you test the lot.

Otherwise I'd say it's back to a garage (or aircon specialist).

[S-Max My Twix Up]

There are 3 fuse boxes in the Smax - and the manual isn't reliable to advise you which fuse(s) control the A/C system

I'll go dig around.

:)

[S-Max My Twix Up]

Right then, thought I'd update. My wife took the car to another garage to get this all checked out, and they couldn't find anything, suggesting an auto-electrician would be the way to go.

So rather than do that, being certain the issue started at the service, I decided to pull apart the section under the glovebox to see what I could find.

Under there sticking out of the side of the centre console, was a blue female connector with no wires going in to it. I pulled this out and it's a long, blue sensor.

Had a feel around and discovered the wires and matching male connector pushed back a bit, plugged them in… and all is well. Aircon fully working.

Once I'd fixed it, I googled "blue sensor s-max" and this was the top result, which shows that indeed, with this unplugged A/C wont work: http://www.justanswer.com/uk-ford/6qte9-ford-s-max-air-con-s-max-stopped-working-few-weeks.html

Frustrated that "experts" couldn't find it, but pleased I managed. Wish I'd have pulled of the panels and had a good look round sooner though!