Excursion A/C

[Panzer2]

My Father recently test drove a PSD 4X4 Excursion. The A/C was weak for the hot Texas Summers. Is this a problem with Excursions. Any info (good or bad) would be appreciated. I think he wants to buy soon. Going thru PSD withdrawals. He sold me his. See below.

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19941/2 F250 PSD. 4x4 Extended Cab. Banks Power Pack. Chip. Idle control.

[fields]

The AC from the factory does seem to be weak aound town in slow moving traffic. It will cool great on the road. My friend just put a pound of 134 in his and it will now cool great around town. When he gets back in town, we are going to do mine.

richard

[tnostrant]

Panzer2; funny that you mentioned this. I had just reached the conclusion that the air conditioner wasn't at all cold.

Fields; would you post some detailed instructions as to how one might add refrigerant to the system, or is this something that I have to have done?

[curtjones]

My Excursion cools fine down here in hot old louisiana with the rear air on. If you try to cool with just the front it takes awhile.

[wcj]

Same here. If you run the rear air as well it seems to cool fine.

The other nice thing about the rear air is that it doesn't blow on you all the time (if you're the driver).

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'00 Excursion Limited PSD 4x4 Limited Slip
CD Changer, Trailer Tow Mirrors, Toreador Red Outside/Tan Inside,
Michelin LTX M/S (never liked Firestones)

[BJandOreo]

My a/c does lose its punch when idling. The max a/c recirc. setting does make a big improvement.

I like to stay cool, my wife says cold. Driving west of Fort Worth yesterday on I20 with ambient temp floating between 98-101 we left the front on recirc. but backed the fan down to 2nd notch and left the back a/c on lowest setting. Inside was frigid, comfy for me, chilly for my wife.

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2000 Excursion Ltd 4x2 built 2/19/00 delivered 3/18/00 7.3PSD Estate Green/Parchment
everything except heated seats (don't need em in Texas) and TT mirrors (reg mirrors look nicer)

[curtjones]

To those of you thinking about adding a pound of R134a DON'T.. These A/C units are critically charged and an over charge under certian conditions can ruin the compressor..This is from an Eng. with over 40 years of experience in the A/C business

[possum]

My AC will flat freeze you out. We do have front and rear and use both to cool the unit down, then have to turn the temps up (warmer)on both to remain in wifey poo's comfort zone.

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Y2K PSD Excursion Limited, all options. The War Wagon

[exoval]

I have not noticed a problem with mine. In fact just the opposite, while in Pensacola Florida last week, with 94-96 degree weather, after first cool down, the kids started hollering to turn the rear A/C off because they were cold.
IMO the rear airs on these and Suburbans are only needed to cool it down after sitting in the sun and you enter it. According to my kids it is not needed while cruising.


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Y2K excursion XLT 2wd, ordered july '99, built august '99, delivered september 9 '99, 4R100 fried & replaced at 900 miles

[BJandOreo]

I believe possum is definitely on to something. I've noticed my A/C works much better when the "wifey poo" isn't riding with me. But then I've also noticed that when she's not riding, the stereo plays much louder and always plays my favorite music!

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2000 Excursion Ltd 4x2 built 2/19/00 delivered 3/18/00 7.3PSD Estate Green/Parchment
everything except heated seats (don't need em in Texas) and TT mirrors (reg mirrors look nicer)

[fields]

wcj

On a hot day, you can make the rear air blow on the back of your neck by rotating the vents.

tnostrant

You would have to have someone with guages to put the 134 in for you.

curtjones

I raised the same worry with my friend, and he said that the system has a high pressure cutoff, and that he keeps the pressure lower than the high pressure cutoff. He still is not back from St. Louis as yet.

richard

[curtjones]

A/C system over charge. It is true that the system has an high pressure switch, this is not an operating control,but a safety control and is not ment to control the system but to shut if off in emergence situations .. Even if they had gages they would have to have had the system in the right operating mode in order to even properly check the gharge

[Panzer2]

I was the one that started this topic. Dad buying Expedition. Thanks for the advice. By the way there is a service bulletin out on the A/C. Seems there is a vacuum controlled door that sometimes lets hot air mix with the cold A/C air. There is a fix. Thanks again.

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19941/2 F250 PSD. 4x4 Extended Cab. Banks Power Pack. Chip. Idle control.

[Kyle Kimball]

I have been playing mechanic and been certified in A/C work for many years. My Dodge was not cold enough for me so I tweaked it a bit now the windows have water running off them. My Excursion was the same way it now gets real cold. Fields was talking about me and it was just a small amount of freon. Almost every vehicle I buy is low on freon just a little bit. They just put a set amount of freon from the factory the don't put a set of guages on the new cars. I like real cold air!

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2000 PSD Excursion, 1998 Dodge Quad Cab 24 valve Diesel LWB

[fields]

Kyle put a 1/4 pound of freon in my excursion. It now cools a few degrees better.

I was mistaken, Kyle only put about 1/2 pound in his excursion.

Panzer2

Did the service bulletin cover the front air or the rear air?

richard