The clustertruck has been relegated to the driveway so ye olde daily can get some much needed and long delayed love for its 150,000mi birthday. For those unfamiliar, since it’s not a Toyota, 150,000 mi is a lot.
Basically, the AC pooched in this thing about 2 years ago, it has a hit or miss MAF sensor, leaking power steering lines, a fried serpentine belt tensioner, and a few other gremlins. But 60% of the time it works, every time.
Things started out as you’d expect - with the removal of a mouse house that was living under my engine cover. The inhabitant met an gruesome end on my driveway last year when he tried to evacuate out the wheel well as I backed out of the driveway.
I assumed the compressor had seized up, since the clutch wouldn’t engage when I turned the AC on - turns out I probably could have saved myself a $400 compressor with a bit more diagnosis (yes, that’s both sides of the switch wire sitting on the ground...
From there, I had to pull the condenser - which involved pulling the air box, fan, shroud, radiator, and 6000 miscellaneous plastic shields. That said, I think I got my money’s worth out of this one:
That bottom row was hanging out of the bottom of the car...
since basically the whole AC system is being purged, figured now was as good a time as any to also replace the TXV for the AC system. Shout out and a special thank you to Ford/Mazda for putting it behind the glove box, just left of the fuse panel, completely obscured from view and wrapped in impossible to remove adhesive poly foam. Finding the bolt and two Allen screws upside down and blind was enlightening. Getting to the O-rings I need to replace back there, I’m sure, will be a rewarding and uplifting experience too...
long story short - I miss my 40, I hate hate hate plastic, and the 50,000 tiny cuts it creates, and I am very much not used to snap together cars. Turns out sometimes “just pull harder” is actually the right call...
Basically, the AC pooched in this thing about 2 years ago, it has a hit or miss MAF sensor, leaking power steering lines, a fried serpentine belt tensioner, and a few other gremlins. But 60% of the time it works, every time.
Things started out as you’d expect - with the removal of a mouse house that was living under my engine cover. The inhabitant met an gruesome end on my driveway last year when he tried to evacuate out the wheel well as I backed out of the driveway.
I assumed the compressor had seized up, since the clutch wouldn’t engage when I turned the AC on - turns out I probably could have saved myself a $400 compressor with a bit more diagnosis (yes, that’s both sides of the switch wire sitting on the ground...
From there, I had to pull the condenser - which involved pulling the air box, fan, shroud, radiator, and 6000 miscellaneous plastic shields. That said, I think I got my money’s worth out of this one:
That bottom row was hanging out of the bottom of the car...
since basically the whole AC system is being purged, figured now was as good a time as any to also replace the TXV for the AC system. Shout out and a special thank you to Ford/Mazda for putting it behind the glove box, just left of the fuse panel, completely obscured from view and wrapped in impossible to remove adhesive poly foam. Finding the bolt and two Allen screws upside down and blind was enlightening. Getting to the O-rings I need to replace back there, I’m sure, will be a rewarding and uplifting experience too...
long story short - I miss my 40, I hate hate hate plastic, and the 50,000 tiny cuts it creates, and I am very much not used to snap together cars. Turns out sometimes “just pull harder” is actually the right call...
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