07 Freestyle AC Not As Cold
 

Posted here because Freestyle Forum has no recent topics - wanted this to be seen. 2007 Freestyle - AC seems to have lost some cooling over time. Not as cool as in the past. I have no intention of trying to fix it myself, I will take it to the dealer but want to be educated when I do. The fan blows as strong as ever, comes out cool whether idle or in motion, but it's just cool, not cold. What can I do to diagnose or test before I bring it in. What might be causing it and how much should I expect to pay? Thanks!!

If you can hear the A/C compressor under the hood cycling many times per minute with the engine running when you have the A/C on high, chances are good the system is low on refrigerant. Otherwise, a reputable shop should be able to check it out. Shop labor rates vary depending on where you take the vehicle.
You could always shop around and get an idea of the shop's hourly rate and go from there.

Update
 

I brought it to the dealer, hoping their diagnosis would be to add coolant for a few bucks. Service rep told me it was the worst case scenario - compressor replacement! Said that they measured and it should have read around 200 and was reading 120 (not sure what type of measurement - asked for documentation of tests and didn't get it! He said that adding coolant wouldn't help a bad compressor.) Estimate with labor - $1400. I paid it - I was desperate - I had a long family drive in hot weather in a few days. Can anyone support/refute what I was told? I trust my dealer but at that price I want to know more. Be brutally honest. If I jumped the gun by paying please tell me. At least I will know for next time. Thanks!

That's what makes it difficult trying to answer problem questions over the net without being there. Circumstances ruled your decision and you didn't have much choice. For the next time , if there is one, you might try reading up on A/C operation and service it's free. That might be a better way to help make an expensive decision. The main thing is it worked as you wanted it to and everybody was comfortable. What do you think?

Thanks! It's a difficult decision. But the day I pay $1400 I see a TV commercial for a product that will make a mild AC turn cold for $40 and I wondered if I had more time could I have saved a huge chunk of change by opting for the cheap fix and doing it myself. In most home repair situations I can learn enough to know if I am getting ripped off. But auto repair is way over my head (which is why I joined this forum) and I am at the mercy of my mechanic. I appreciate your feedback and all the forum members as well!

Once you have a chance to do a little research , you may find the $40.00 fix may not be what you were lead to believe.

"Said that they measured and it should have read around 200 and was reading 120"

Suspect they were referring to the high pressure side. With a high pressure side reading of only 120 PSI, that tells you that the pistons were most likely worn and unable to build up enough pressure for proper operation.

Ford lists the cost of your compressor alone at $845. The the cost of labor, oil and R-134a. So, $1400 is actually a pretty good price for a compressor replacement at a Dealership.

Thanks so much for your reply. I just wanted to hear from someone who knew what the numbers mean and if they support what my dealer recommended. I greatly appreciate the info!

No problem. Hope your A/C was good and cold after the service. I serviced the A/C on my Freestar just before going to Florida last week. Good thing. Was 95-103 in Orlando with what felt like 200% humidity.