Most passengers do not have to worry about feeling stuffy or warm in a Ford Focus cars since the AC system ventiles and blows cool air into the car. However, the AC system may not work optimally or not work at all if there is a problem with it.
When your Ford Focus AC stops working, you are probably looking for ways to repair it. I did some digging, and here is what I found!
Ford Focus AC Not Working (Try These 9 Fixes)
1. Clogged Cabin Air Filters
Your Ford Focus’s AC system will come with cabin air filters, also called pollen filters, that filters air that goes into the car’s air cabin to minimize the dirt and dust that enters the cabin.
Over time, these air filters will get clogged from all the dirt that they catch, causing reduced air flow, cooling, and heating.
Additionally, this can make your car use more gas because your AC system will be using more power to try cool or heat your car.
To fix this, you simply need to change your cabin air filters. There is no exact time to have these replaced, but you can replace the cabin air filters every 15,000-30,000 miles.
However, people who drive their cars in polluted or dusty environments may have to change their cabin air filters more frequently.
2. Dirty Evaporator
Another reason why your Ford Focus’s AC would stop working is that you have a dirty evaporator.
While your cabin air filters grab most of the dirt, some dirt will fall onto the evaporator and build up, causing blockages in the evaporator that lead to poor cooling.
Ideally, it is best to have a mechanic clean your evaporator since you have to remove the whole dashboard to reach the evaporator.
3. Faulty Blower Motor
Your car will come with blower motors that will push cool or hot air through the dashboard vents based on the selected fan speed and climate system settings.
However, reduced air flow or no air flow from your cabin’s air vents could mean that you have a faulty blower motor.
Normally, you will know that you have a faulty blower motor is you put your hand over the air vents and feel little to no air coming out of it while the AC is switched on.
Additionally, weakened or worn-out blowers may produce odd noises while your AC system is on.
Typically, it is recommended that you have your blower motor replaced since you do not usually have blower motors repaired.
4. A Refrigerant Leak
One of the most common causes of the AC not working in your Ford Focus is that you have a refrigerant leak since refrigerant is a huge part of your car’s cooling system.
When there is a refrigerant leak, you will have little to no refrigerant, so your car will not be able to cool itself or provide cold air for your AC.
Generally, refrigerant leaks can occur in various parts, such as a torn hose, the condenser, defective sealing ring, etc.
If you have a large leak, you can usually hear where the drip is coming from, but it will be harder to spot a small leak.
As such, you will need to have your car checked by a mechanic to find and repair all the leak sources.
5. Clogged Condensor
Condensers are kinds of heat exchangers that release heat from the refrigerator to ambient air, but dirt can build up in the condenser and clog it.
When this occurs, you will have poor cooling from your AC because the condenser will not be able to effectively release heat.
If the condenser is just dirty, removing the condenser and using a high pressure washer on the low pressure setting can clean it.
However, clogged condensers can become defective due to leaks, tears, etc., so you would need to replace it.
6. Failing Compressor
Your compressor is the main part of your AC system because it has moving parts that convert refrigerant gas into liquids to flow throughout your car.
Occasionally, a compressor can fail because you did not use your AC for a long time, causing the inner parts of the compressor to stick.
Generally, a failing compressor is not repairable, so you would need to get a replacement for it.
7. Bad Blend Door Actuator
If you have an issue with your car AC’s temperature, it is probably because you have a bad blend door actuator.
Normally, you will know you have a bad blend door actuator if you hear a knocking or clicking noise under your dashboard.
Similar to a failing compressor, you need to have a blend door actuator replaced to fix the AC.
8. Overheating Engine
Usually, an overheating engine will make the fan in a radiator and condenser stop, so there will be no cool air in your car.
Moreover, the heat being produced from your engine is likely extremely hot, so you would feel it in your car’s cabin.
Bring your car to a mechanic ASAP because an overheating engine can completely ruin your car.
9. Blown Fuse
Occasionally, the fuse of your AC unit can blow due to a short circuit, so the fuse blows to protect your AC unit.
Normally, you just need to replace the blown car AC fuse with a compatible fuse to fix your problem.
To know more, you can also read our posts on Ford Focus horn not working, Ford Sync Bluetooth not working, and why Ford is better than Chevy.
Conclusion
Generally, Ford Focus ACs stop working because there is a blown fuse, refrigerant leak, or dirty evaporator.
In somewhat rarer cases, your AC may not work because you have a bad blend door actuator, failing compressor, or bad condenser.