Car Air Conditioning Maintenance: Ford Mustang

Has the air conditioning system in your Ford Mustang started blowing
warm air year-round?  Air conditioning system repairs can get to be very
expensive but before running to your mechanic there are some steps that
you can take that could save you some money.

First, look around under the hood of your Ford Mustang for the air
conditioning systems decal.  Here, you will get the basic information
that you need to service your AC system including the type of
refrigerant used in your Mustang.  Older models will use R-12 whereas
newer Mustangs use an eco-friendlier R-134a type refrigerant and while
you can retrofit an older vehicle to accept the newer Freon, it is
important never to mix the two as it can ruin the system.

The most common culprit in a warm-blowing air conditioning system is a
refrigerant leak so once you know what type of Freon your Mustang
takes; you can head to the store and purchase a kit to recharge the
system yourself.  Before doing so, it is wise to visually inspect the
air conditioning system starting with the silver tubing running from the
firewall to the compressor located atop the engine and the components
located in front of the car, near the radiator.  If you have a massive
Freon leak, such as a cracked line or a major leak at one of the system
components, you may be able to notice it with the naked eye but in most
cases, the leak is small and hard to see.

If you find no signs of a leak, your best bet is to recharge the
refrigerant.  Once you do, if everything else is in proper working order
your Mustang’s air conditioning should go back to blowing nice cold
air.  If it is cold at first but fades over time, you know that you have
a small leak somewhere.  Most parts stores and auto supermarkets now
sell air conditioning system sealant that is introduced to the system in
the same manner as the refrigerant and I have firsthand experience with
this product and it worked very well – allowing the car in question to
continue blowing cold air for several years after being added.  This
system sealant helps to soften the rubber gaskets and O-rings throughout
the system that can often be the source of the Freon leak and this is a
cost-effective way to try to fix your Mustang’s air conditioning
yourself.

If recharging the system seemingly has no effect or the air only
blows cold for a very short time after recharging the system and adding
the sealant the odds are good that you have a more serious issue in the
system.  The act of physically replacing one of the major components
like the condenser, compressor or evaporator might seem simple enough
but per Federal law, a special evacuation system is required to remove
all residual refrigerants in the system and getting caught fixing the
system without the proper tools can result in a stiff fine.  The
machinery required to properly evacuate the AC system is very expensive
and this is why many shops do not offer air conditioning repair so your
best bet in getting a reliable job done on your Ford Mustang’s air
conditioning system is to find an air conditioning repair specialist in
your area and make the call.  Remember, not only is it illegal to simply
release the refrigerants into the atmosphere, but in the proper
conditions a release of Freon can be very deadly – suffocating anyone
around if released in a confined area.

A visual inspection may not reveal much but adding an air
conditioning system sealant and using a refrigerant recharging kit may
save you hundreds and keep your Mustang’s air conditioning blowing cold
for years to come.