Strange AC behavior

[MillerAndCheeto]

Hi everyone,

I'm curious if anyone has had a similar experience to what I'm having. I am taking the Bronco to the dealership next week, but curious as to anyone's experience here.

The air conditioning seems to be quite finnicky. While it typically works as intended, on occasion it has an odd quirk where it will blow cold air when it is set to "Low" but at anything above "Low" (even 1 degree above low) it only blows hot air. Has anyone experienced something similar?

Thanks

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[22OBX]

Hi everyone,

I'm curious if anyone has had a similar experience to what I'm having. I am taking the Bronco to the dealership next week, but curious as to anyone's experience here.

The air conditioning seems to be quite finnicky. While it typically works as intended, on occasion it has an odd quirk where it will blow cold air when it is set to "Low" but at anything above "Low" (even 1 degree above low) it only blows hot air. Has anyone experienced something similar?

Thanks

Have dealer check FDRS data on HVAC system or if you have Forscan run scan. Brand new off the lot I had a recirculating motor failure on HVAC. I knew because I heard the door acting kind of weird. Threw it on Forscan and had B1083 code recirc motor failure. It’s possible to have bad brand new parts.

Also…I did notice some hot air leaking under the dash and the tech told me he had to let it cool down before replacing the motor because it’s right beside the heater core and he said it was too hot to install.

 

[MillerAndCheeto]

For anyone searching the forums for issues, below is the solution to my issue:


The tech found a few codes in the HVAC system. Investigated and found a loose wiring of the in-vehicle temp/humidity sensor. Reseated the loose pins, reset codes.

So far so good.

 

[Gilligan390]

Mine frequently will only blow cold air while the car is going 20-30 mph plus. On the freeway in traffic when bronco is stopped the air blows warm. Anybody else have that?

 

[BadassBroncosaurus]

So, my Bronco had the same issue and thanks to a terrific foreman working on it with me for the better part of an hour, I have the answer, good, and bad news…

Vehicle: 2023 Bronco Wildtrak 4DR

Problem: On cold days (sub 50 F), I would set the HVAC to manual, console vent only (middle/face vents on, no foot or defrost vents), and set the temp in the low 60s. No matter what temperature I set it on, 60-80, with or without AC on, it blew what felt like max hot air for 30 minutes!!! The only way I could get anything but piping hot air was to set the system to LO or MAX AC. These two settings set the damper to max cool air and ignore what the vehicle temperature sensors are reading. This was the clue we needed.

Diagnosis: When the shop foreman, service manager, and I sat in the car with a scanner attached, we found the problem. In manual HVAC mode, with only console (face) vents selected, the vehicle software still looks at the temp sensor by the driver’s right knee to determine if the set temperature is being achieved. BUT, this sensor doesn’t get air blown on it without foot vents selected and stays cold due to its location in the footwell which isn’t well insulated. So even though the cabin is roasting with hot air in your face, the HVAC thinks the cabin is still in the 50s and needs hot air.

Solution: The solution is the HVAC system should only read the console vent air outlet temperature sensor, when in manual, console vent only. Thus, the air you feel will be at the temperature you set. This is how my other Fords (F-150 and Explorer) work. Either that or the temp sensor for those vehicles is in a better place to actual measure what the occupants are feeling.

This issue appears multiple times in Bronco forums, over the last two years, with multiple owners frustrated. It is a fleetwide problem, but would require only a one line software correction to fix. I implore Ford to make the above correction. Until then, the Bronco HVAC system appears to be malfunctioning, and essentially, it is. If the Ford representatives in this forum are listening, please see Technical Support Request 120304178.

Imperfect Workaround: On cold days, if you want to use manual HVAC, set the vents to blow air through the console AND the footwell vents. The footwell vents blow air on the driver’s right knee temp sensor and allows the HVAC system to get a relatively accurate reading of the cabin temperature. Sadly, this makes the system louder and limits make console vent flow, but until Ford fixes the issue, it’s all we’ve got.

I love my Bronco and want to do whatever I can to make it great. If Ford wants me to come to Dearborn to work on it with them, my rates are reasonable and I’m happy to fly coach. Special thanks to Mac Haik Ford Service for taking the time to figure this out. You are awesome.

 

[MillerAndCheeto]

Problem: On cold days (sub 50 F)

Take the 0 off the end and then you can call it cold hahaha.

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