First off I own and operate an automotive shop and we do alot of A/C work. With that being said I don't work on a ton of cars with the Scroll Compressors. Usually I replace the scroll valve and they are fixed. I'm currently working on a customers 2004 X-type 3.0l. First off it comes in with A/C not working. Ambient temp was about 85-90 outside. I check low side pressure and it was around 65-70lbs. Both fans were working. Driver side fan is blowing harder than passenger side but I think that may be normal. I've fixed several Fords by changing the scroll valve in back of compressor. So I figure this will be an easy fix. I put the car on lift and notice oil and dye previously installed is running out of front of compressor. So I go ahead and order a new compressor, accumulator assembly and orifice tube. This is my aunts car so I want it to be right. It was a PIA install but I got it done. I evacuate the system and put the correct amount of R-134. I start the car low side is around 35lbs and it is blowing out about 58 degree air at center vent after a couple minutes. Then the low side pressure starts creeping up to around 45-55lbs. With the ambient temp the way it is 45-55lbs on low side is not really out of range. The high side is around 200lbs and the needle is violently shaking (from what I read is normal on scroll compressors ???) These pressures are all at idle. The longer the car sits at idle it starts getting warmer and warmer out of the vents. It got up to around 66-68 out of vents. If I give the car throttle and hold it about 2000rpm the low side comes down to around 25lbs and the high side is around 250-275. It will blow out around 48-50 degrees at that point.

Most cars that I do a/c kits on blow out between 35-45 degrees at idle. I know all cars are different but blowing out in the 60's idle does not seem right at all. With that being said the evaporator drain hose is pouring out water. Meaning the evaporator has got to be getting cold. I checked the accumulator and it is warm to the touch. Shouldn't it be cold or is that how the scroll compressors do ?

At this point I'm leaning toward a bad new compressor or the condenser on the front being clogged. I did flush the system but that doesn't always fix the condensers. I hate to just throw parts at it.

Do these cars have problems with the cooling fans not blowing at full speed ?

It has digital climate control.

What should I expect the temp coming out of the vents to be ?

Thanks alot in advance for the help.

 

Lilcobrar, have you checked the blend door to make sure that it is operating properly. The blend doors are known for being an issue with the X-Type and what you will also notice is that the driver's side will be warmer than the passenger side when the blend door is having issues. If you remove the glove box (4 phillips screws on the bottom hinge, 4 torx bolts inside the glove box), you will see 3 actuators on the side of the vent column. The blend door is the bottom most actuator. You can remove the 3 bolts holding the blend actuator in place and then remove the actuator. From there, you can take a large screw driver and stick it in the hole to rotate the blend door manually. If you can get the temps to where you need them, then the actuator is bad.

Are you aware of the TSB relating to the compressor for the spring reversal (see JTB00183 by Jaguar) and also the TSB for the air blend door for leakage (see TSB XT412-02). If you need either of these, PM me with your e-mail addy and I will pass on the info as I have both in my hands.

As for the cooling fans, yes, there is a known issue with the cooling fans. The controllers (just inboard of the driver's headlight assembly). The power transistors inside of the controller are insufficient for the current the fans pull and as a result, they will develop an internal high resistance and over time will cause the fan to run slower and slower. You have a set of transistors for each fan. Now, this is where things are going to get tricky for you if you decide to replace the fan controller. In early 2004, Jaguar updated the fan module along with the wiring system for the car. So, if the car is made after April 2004, you have the newer style controller. If it is made before then, you have the older style. Jaguar only sells the newer style. The older style uses a different plug into the controller, but don't worry, Jaguar also sells the adapter to make the old cars work with the new controller. Again, if you need more info, let us know.

 

Thanks for the info. The A/C has worked fine to her until a couple days ago when she came in and it had 70lbs of pressure on the low side. I put a new compressor on it from a parts store. Would the spring reversal still apply ?

I'm not sure how cold it was blowing out of the vents when it was working correctly or correctly to her I should say.

What should it blow out of the vents ? Have you ever stuck a thermometer in the vents to see ?

Should the accumulator be cold ? This one is not cold when system is on. I've never seen one not cold.

What has me confused is the fact that the evaporator is putting out so much water meaning it has to be cold under dash.

 

I have not personally stuck a thermometer into the dash vents, but also keep in mind that if you have the auto controls (ie, the little screen below the radio, not the large screen above the radio), the car will automatically adjust the temp to maintain the temp you have set. So, the temp will vary that way. But, if you dial the temp to as low as it will go, I would expect the thermometer to respond like any other car does (a hint, the interior of this car under the skin is really very close to the Ford Fusion, so, if you have experience there, use that).

If you are getting lots of water out the bottom of the car, then that is telling me that your problem is not so much the freon side of the car, but it is more in the dash (ie, bad blend door). The blend doors are known for slipping and then resulting in improper mixing of the air and therefore bad temp control inside the car.

 

It has the digital screen when I press the button to the coldest level it reads "LOW" I would think that would keep it cooling at it's coldest level. The evaporator leaking like it is also makes me want to think the system is working properly. What doesn't make sense to me is the accumulator is hot.

I think I'm stepped into a few problems. Obviously the a/c was not working at all before with 70lbs on the low side. Now it's working just not cold as it should be so we may have a blend door problem.

 

I checked the blend door and it's functioning properly from hot to cold, but with it fully cold I'm getting vent temps around 75 on driver side and 50 on passenger side.

 

Also I can monitor evaporator temperatures with my Autel scanner and the temps are 48-50 at the evaporator so I don't see the compressor being in issue.

 

Pull out the cabin filter and make sure the flap is shut.

 

Well the recirculate door was OPEN. I did the TSB and now it opens and closes as it should. Passenger side temps are 48, Driver side temps are 58. Still makes no sense.

 

lilcobrar, the difference in temps side to side is either from a lack of freon in the system (which is not the case) or the blend door is not seated properly and it is causing the air to be mixed improperly and as a result the driver's side gets more warm air than the passenger side.