04 Freestar A/C Hose
 

I have 2004 Freestar 3.9. Noticed that the A/C was not very cold, then while I was driving down the interstate I heard a lound noise come from under the van, and there was a plume of smoke out the back. The A/C now blows hot, and there is a hose hanging from the front just underneath the A/C compressor. Could this hose have blown off? If so is it hard to fix. Anyone with a answer email me at pdcooke1@triad.rr.com.

Thanks.

Not sure about your exact car, but as far as I know, A/C systems use metal pipes to connect the compressor, radiator, evaporator and dryer together ... because of the high pressure of the cooling agent.

Since your A/C is not blowing cold anymore, it would be logical to think that one pipe got disconnected and let all the coolant (along with, most likely, a lot of the oil that's normally stored in the compressor) out. The A/C is a very simple system, you can follow the pipes from one component to the next ... well, in the Freestar it may not be that easy given the more difficult access to the engine ... just follow the loose hose and see where it goes.

If your A/C got drained, you will need to fix the leak first, then you MUST REPLACE the dryer, then refill the system. You can do this yourself in the US (not sure if it's legal in Canada yet), but I'd strongly advise you to let a professional do this for you if you never dealt with A/C systems before. It is easy to overfill it (or put too much or too little oil in the system), and this can lead to problems with the compressor, poor cooling performance or even a blown circuit.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes!