This has been driving me nuts since we bought the car. Got it three years ago, used one owner car, 40,000 miles, V6.
When the A/C is turned on the compressor cycles on and off every 12 seconds. Driving in the summer, you can feel it come on and off. It comes on for about 12 seconds, then goes off for 12 seconds, then on for 12 seconds, then off again, forever, as long as the A/C is on. If you're sitting at a light it about drives me crazy going on and off. It's not like it shakes the car or anything like that, but you can feel it, and see the RPM's dip when it comes on. while driving down the freeway with the A/C on, you can feel it going on and off.
I've taken it to the dealer (it's still covered under an extended warranty) and they declared it "normal" but still managed to find some expensive part to replace under the warranty that didn't cost me anything, but also didn't fix the problem.
The same thing happens when the defroster is on (compressor runs for defrost as well). We don't drive the car in the winter (we're in Northern Minnesota) so using defrost is pretty rare, but when I do, same thing happens.
Dealer worked on it for a couple days, declared it all operating normal. One mechanic told me when it's hot the compressor cycles as necessary and it's normal. Really? On and off every 12 seconds? I've tried it the last few days here it's only been about 45-50 degrees, so it's not like it needs to cycle because it's hot outside. We're taking a trip in August that will amount to two hot days driving about 10 hours a day. My math tells me that that compressor clutch will kick in and out 300 times an hour, so that would be about 3000 cycles a day if we keep the air on. That just can't be good for the compressor and it's clutch. Can it? Is this actually normal? Is this some new-fangled energy saving thing?
We own plenty of other Fords including a 2010 Escape and a 2013 Focus among others none of which has the A/C compressor kick in and out every 12 seconds or so. The A/C seems to work OK and cools the car. But it feels weird driving, and it's almost embarrassing at a light when people can hear this kicking in and out.
Tim in Bovey
When the A/C is turned on the compressor cycles on and off every 12 seconds. Driving in the summer, you can feel it come on and off. It comes on for about 12 seconds, then goes off for 12 seconds, then on for 12 seconds, then off again, forever, as long as the A/C is on. If you're sitting at a light it about drives me crazy going on and off. It's not like it shakes the car or anything like that, but you can feel it, and see the RPM's dip when it comes on. while driving down the freeway with the A/C on, you can feel it going on and off.
I've taken it to the dealer (it's still covered under an extended warranty) and they declared it "normal" but still managed to find some expensive part to replace under the warranty that didn't cost me anything, but also didn't fix the problem.
The same thing happens when the defroster is on (compressor runs for defrost as well). We don't drive the car in the winter (we're in Northern Minnesota) so using defrost is pretty rare, but when I do, same thing happens.
Dealer worked on it for a couple days, declared it all operating normal. One mechanic told me when it's hot the compressor cycles as necessary and it's normal. Really? On and off every 12 seconds? I've tried it the last few days here it's only been about 45-50 degrees, so it's not like it needs to cycle because it's hot outside. We're taking a trip in August that will amount to two hot days driving about 10 hours a day. My math tells me that that compressor clutch will kick in and out 300 times an hour, so that would be about 3000 cycles a day if we keep the air on. That just can't be good for the compressor and it's clutch. Can it? Is this actually normal? Is this some new-fangled energy saving thing?
We own plenty of other Fords including a 2010 Escape and a 2013 Focus among others none of which has the A/C compressor kick in and out every 12 seconds or so. The A/C seems to work OK and cools the car. But it feels weird driving, and it's almost embarrassing at a light when people can hear this kicking in and out.
Tim in Bovey
