2014 Ford Fiesta SE AC problem

[Jasperca]

I inherited my mom's 2014 Ford Fiesta SE recently and I have a big problem. I live in southeast Louisiana, it's nearly summer & if I can't fix this ac quick, I'll be joining my mom in the sweet bye and bye much sooner than expected. It makes a loud clicking noise at startup for a few seconds (from behind the dash) it's blowing air at different speeds but not cold. Yes, I've had it charged with freon but I don't want anyone to overfill it. I'm not completely ignorant as to refrigeration systems but I just never work on cars. Is there a way I can diagnose or maybe fix this without robbing my kids and grandkids of all their inheritance or taking out a second mortgage on my house? I was thinking an oil slug because I've seen that on a Camaro I previously owned (similar clicking noise but one day Poof! Like magic it worked itself out without damaging anything!) Rare I know but this is a bit different. That ac wasn't blowing just seeping cold air out at a trickle. I can't find any mechanical reasons for this but, I'm nothing close to experienced with closed system AC's. Please help!

 

[scotman]

I can sympathize with your desire to not spend unnecessary money on things that are easily fixable. But, you admit upfront about not having much or any experience with automotive A/C systems.
I have to assume that you also don't have any specific tools like an A/C pressure gauge or a manifold set to add incremental amounts of refrigerant to your fiesta without overcharging it.
Unless you want to purchase a manual that explains operating principals and theory and some basic diagnostic tools and equipment, and dive into the world of automotive climate control, i can only recommend that you take it to a professional shop.
There could be any of several root causes for erratic operation including the blend door actuator. A bad temperature sensor or bad ground connections. Or cooling fan relay failure among the many possible things that can be found in an effective diagnosis.

 

[Handy Andy]

Well, how did you know you did not have AC?

The reason why I ask is if it just blows hot or warm, never cold air -ok, so it may be low of refrigerant, but you mention other "noises"

One being a loud click - if it's from behind the Dash then it may mean the AC won't come on because the clicking may mean the drum that rotates with the blower caged in the middle of it - so it can blow air thru selected vents - like ports - it may mean the system thinks it's jammed so it won't turn on the system until a condition is cleared.

That would require a shop - and there may be a labor cost to spend time investigating it - added to the price.

So if you can try to diagnose some of the problems before it goes into the shop - document what it does, so they can review and investigate - at least it would be a list of what you feel is wrong. So they can focus on those problems and possibly fix the reason why you don't have AC. The reasons could be many; - because someone dropped a pen - french fry or a vent air-freshener - down into the drum and jamming the unit so it can't move the air dam to open the vanes to make the evaporator side from the AC compressor - work.

IT doesn't always mean you're out of Freon - it just might be due to a dropped item jamming the door that controls the air mixing to make it hot or cold in the car.

To help - if you press AC when you have the unit on and the fan set to two notches or higher to force more air to blow, you might be able to know what may be going on by knowing how the air flows out of the vents as you operate the main control know to select the air to come out of which vents - also you'd know if the AC is even working.

How? - because the AC "tell-tale" light is on when the compressor runs and you can hear the compressor kick in - just not for a long time because the system might sense a problems and turn off the AC so it won't damage it any further.