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The truth about Edge A/C


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This is an interesting thread and glad to see the bump bringing it to the top.

 

Last spring we bought a used '08 Edge and noticed - even thru a record cool summer here in Indiana - that the AC system was far and away the worst performing system I have ever had in a car at bringing the interior temperature down to something reasonable in a reasonable amount of time. In my experience, I've never had a Ford that didn't have a good AC system - even our old clunker '83 truck cooled well up until the day it hit the scrap pile.

 

It really shouldn't take any special fooling around to make an AC system cool the car down when placed in recirc or auto modes. There were days last summer when in St. Louis for work that I would get in the car at lunchtime to run and get something and would return from my trip 20-30 minutes later and still have a pretty warm car. St. Louis has New Orleans quality summers with oppressive heat and humidity and this car really suffers. This with the AC pumping wide open the whole time.

 

I noticed the other morning that while the heat comes quickly enough that the defroster doesn't seem to sweep as much moisture out of the air as I expected on a cool morning. I think a trip to the dealer is warranted and I'll bring up the possible leaking hose (although I don't notice any rapid cycling of the compressor).

 

My local dealer is wonderful by the way.

 

This is a GREAT car and I'd buy another one again. But the AC system is definately not optimized for the task.

 

Steve

West Lebanon, IN

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

I feel like this is a stupid question, but is there a way to get more air (heat) to the back seats of an '09 Edge Limited? My brother was back there on a cold day & said he felt no heat coming from the vents, even thoug it was nice & toasty up front... I don't see any specific controls for the back seats & there are only vents in the console for the back, no controllers.... any ideas?

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I feel like this is a stupid question, but is there a way to get more air (heat) to the back seats of an '09 Edge Limited? My brother was back there on a cold day & said he felt no heat coming from the vents, even thoug it was nice & toasty up front... I don't see any specific controls for the back seats & there are only vents in the console for the back, no controllers.... any ideas?

 

I noticed that the rear vents only work with the front vents (A/C only in automatic mode). I have not researched to see if there is an additional floor vent in the back.

 

Otherwise, if you select the dash vents in heating mode you'll get heat out of the rear vents too.

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  • 5 years later...

Hard to say. If the refrigerant charge is low, then yes, definitely it will help improve the AC performance. You can get gauges that will show you the high side and low side pressures (should be between 413-551 kPa (60-80 psi) at 24°C (75°F) with the engine off), but really this is something a mechanic should handle. Also check to make sure that the coolant is at the COLD FULL mark when engine is cool, and that both radiator fans run when AC is set to MAX A/C setting and fan speed is set to HIGH.

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Hard to say. If the refrigerant charge is low, then yes, definitely it will help improve the AC performance. You can get gauges that will show you the high side and low side pressures (should be between 413-551 kPa (60-80 psi) at 24°C (75°F) with the engine off), but really this is something a mechanic should handle. Also check to make sure that the coolant is at the COLD FULL mark when engine is cool, and that both radiator fans run when AC is set to MAX A/C setting and fan speed is set to HIGH.

Thanks, I will do it.

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  • 1 month later...

I use recirculation or MAXAC. Pulling the air from outside (IMO) makes it harder for you to cool your car down. Plus you do not pull in the smells from outside like the skunk that was just run over, car exhaust etc. Not to mention if you are recirculating you are pulling already cool air through your condenser and just making sure it is cooled down rather than pulling hot humid air from outside.

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I have a question about car AC systems. Does setting a higher temperature save energy and gas as a home AC would?

 

Seems to me that car AC's use the fan blower for climate control vs a home ac that turns on and off..

 

The two systems are different. A home system pulls electricity from the grid and powers the a/c. In the case of a car system, the car's engine powers the a/c which can add drag, thus increasing fuel consumption.

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The temp control just adds heat to the already cold air. The compressor cools the evaporator to a predetermined temp. Lowering the fan speed would keep the compressor from cycling on more than at high fan speed and save some fuel. Now you just have to decide how much you'll save and is It worth it.

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We have a 2012 Limited, live in Central Florida, and the climate control is on all the time. Also....most times run it in recirculate. Set it on auto and 72, and forget it. Cools faster, saves energy, and just works better in recirculate. (also have a 2012 Honda CRV with energy saving button....and it runs in recirculate with button on....is where I got the idea). Our unit is more than satisfactory.

 

Had a neighbor with an older edge, and he always complained about the low output of his AC. I told him to change the cabin air filter. He didn't know it had one, and his independent garage mechanic who gripped the most about Edge's AC didn't know it had one either.

 

He changed the cabin air filter, and WOW....his Edge AC complaints went away. I change out ours at 30,000. So don't forget about that filter. Changing often is good. Easy to change....U Tube, etc. Order filter online cheap. Got ours online Ford dealer.

Edited by RJG
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I set a set of HID and was stimulated to remove a front bumper, between the heat sink of the air conditioner and the heat sink of the engine there was a lot of poplar down and leaves. I cleaned it long, a needle, carefully. It was noticeable I removed a bumper so far. Result: it became much better to cool. I recommend it to all who owns the car more than five years! But it is better to move apart heat sinks, but I didn't know as it to make.

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  • 2 years later...

I would like to lift this subject again in spite of the fact that I change the saloon filter annually, I have quite clean radiator, without down, now when temperature in the sun of +30 degrees Celsius temperature in salon decreases in the afternoon not really quickly. I think of replacement of coolant in the conditioner, but whether there will be an effect of it. It is possible your responses how fast your salon under such circumstances and for what time it becomes cool is cooled. I met cars which in which at a minimum temperature on the display it is possible to freeze, but it isn't in my EDGE, such feeling that there isn't enough cooling power therefore I am visited by such thoughts). There are any recommendations about replacement of coolant on our car, someone did such procedure at himself on the car? Thanks.

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I have a 2012 Edge in hot humid Florida....and the AC is more than adequate. My neighbor was complaining about the "weak" AC in his Edge, and I asked him how often he changed out the cabin air filter? he said "what filter" ? I informed him his car had a cabin air filer than needed changing periodically. he changed it....and he told me "WOW"! Now his AC works fine. BTW....If my engine is running, the AC is on....100% of the time. if real cold...maybe the compressor not on....but I run my AC on auto all the time. Sometimes will put it on recirculate if behind cars, or interior hot from being in sun, etc.

Edited by RJG
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I will observe, but is valid, my claims by that period when the car is long on the parking in a hot sunny weather +30 С and above under direct sunshine. In salon very hot and the kondintsioner especially slowly cools salon. I will observe, but I will repeat, I met cars where even in such hot weather, the kondintsioner very quickly cools salon and is very cold. Possibly it is a premium class and there pumps are more powerful. Thanks.

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