The truth about Edge A/C

[DUCKRACER]

I am really interested in the Edge.

If I buy one, it will be a 2010MY. Hopefully it will have availabel the 3.5 EB motor.

What concerns me is that in this forum and other forums there are always complaints about the cold and voulme put out by the Edge A/C. This is CRITICAL to me because I live in SoCal.

Does any one who works at FOMOCO or otherwise, know what, if anythig, has been done about this in the new Edge?????

[Lex Talionis]

FWIW... I live in SoCal and have no complaints.. but I do live on the coast I admit. That being said, part of the benefit of where I live is that you do not really need heat or AC year around.. BUT the times I have cranked the AC, set temp at 60 on Auto, I have not been able to report an issue.

[CorporateEdge]

It isn't as if the AC is bad, it just doesn't measure up to some other vehicles in terms of being able to direct the airflow exactly where you want it and it doesn't "instantly" cool your car down like some other vehicles.

 

Its been 31* C up here recently and my car is comfortable to drive in after a couple of minutes. If you live in an extremely hot and sunny area and constantly get in and out of your car then I might really investigate it.

 

Why don't you stop in at any Ford dealer at the hottest part of the day and ask a rep to sit in a parked car and turn on the air for you and determine for yourself if it is a problem for you.

[DUCKRACER]

It isn't as if the AC is bad, it just doesn't measure up to some other vehicles in terms of being able to direct the airflow exactly where you want it and it doesn't "instantly" cool your car down like some other vehicles.

 

Its been 31* C up here recently and my car is comfortable to drive in after a couple of minutes. If you live in an extremely hot and sunny area and constantly get in and out of your car then I might really investigate it.

 

Why don't you stop in at any Ford dealer at the hottest part of the day and ask a rep to sit in a parked car and turn on the air for you and determine for yourself if it is a problem for you.

Yeah, I might try that. In a few weeks, my wife is going to get a test drive in a 2009 V6 Escape and I might just get them to let me try the A/C while we are there.

I would still like to know if Ford has actually done anything to help the situation since the '07 models.

Edited July 25, 2008 by DUCKRACER

[Rockfish]

You may not want to assume the A/C in the Escape is the same as the Edge. We have an Escape and Edge. The Escape cools down much quicker than the Edge. Once the A/C runs for a while in the Edge it is satisfactory but not equal to the Escape in quick cool down.

[jeffreybehr]

I agree with Lex and Corporate--the capacity of the system is more than adequate, and I live in Phoenix! But the outlet grilles definitely could be better--they just don't allow much lateral adjustment.

[jpeckinp]

If nobody sits in the back seats just cover the rear vents. It will force more air out the front vents.

Also to force more out of the center vents I close down the vent near the door.

[CopperCarolinaEdge]

I agree with Lex and Corporate--the capacity of the system is more than adequate, and I live in Phoenix! But the outlet grilles definitely could be better--they just don't allow much lateral adjustment.

 

I agree with Lex and Corporate and jeffreybehr... Not in Phoenix but averaging 95+ all summer and no issues except could use more adjustment.

[AZCartman]

I live in Phoenix and the AC is flat out not designed properly. You should be able to feel the air coming out of the vents, the same manner as how a fan works in your home. It doesn't make it cooler but you feel cooler.

 

It's ridiculous that I have to put the ac on max to feel the slightest air movement. I have owned a dozen Fords in my life and rarely if ever used the max setting. With my Edge it's always on and it's still inadequate.

[CopperCarolinaEdge]

I live in Phoenix and the AC is flat out not designed properly. You should be able to feel the air coming out of the vents, the same manner as how a fan works in your home. It doesn't make it cooler but you feel cooler.

 

It's ridiculous that I have to put the ac on max to feel the slightest air movement. I have owned a dozen Fords in my life and rarely if ever used the max setting. With my Edge it's always on and it's still inadequate.

 

Might want to have that looked at. I feel the air from vents often to the point of having to bump the temp up to "slow the fan". Have never ran it at max setting. As mentioned (looked it up this morning), avg temp this summer has been 98. Add in humidity avg of 65% and it is hard to cool the body down. I often turn it down and or away from me as I get too cold.

[DUCKRACER]

I live in Phoenix and the AC is flat out not designed properly. You should be able to feel the air coming out of the vents, the same manner as how a fan works in your home. It doesn't make it cooler but you feel cooler.

 

It's ridiculous that I have to put the ac on max to feel the slightest air movement. I have owned a dozen Fords in my life and rarely if ever used the max setting. With my Edge it's always on and it's still inadequate.

Maybe it's not settled that the EDGE A/C is OK.

It's almost as if some work great and some are crap.

I hope Ford addresses this inconsistency in QC......

Maybe there is a connection somewhere that Ford has missed or ignored.

Edited July 28, 2008 by DUCKRACER

[Lex Talionis]

Might want to have that looked at. I feel the air from vents often to the point of having to bump the temp up to "slow the fan".

 

agreed...

[PrinzII]

I live in Phoenix and the AC is flat out not designed properly. You should be able to feel the air coming out of the vents, the same manner as how a fan works in your home. It doesn't make it cooler but you feel cooler.

 

It's ridiculous that I have to put the ac on max to feel the slightest air movement. I have owned a dozen Fords in my life and rarely if ever used the max setting. With my Edge it's always on and it's still inadequate.

 

I am in the Valley as well. Mine seems to work well once I get the hot air pumped out. But it's wierd that the glove compartment being open plays a factor in better airflow.

[818EDGE]

Something is wrong.. We send lots of time in Vegas and where we live is plenty hot. Mid 90's to low 100's. Cools down just fine.. It sometimes takes a while but thats what we get for having charcoal/black interior.. Try the front window shade when parked.

[Grey]

I live in the Atlanta area and have a black Edge and a black MKX. Both A/C units are good for cooling down a very hot interior. We open the windows on start up to expell the super hot air and within a minute we have cooled the interior down enough to take some of the initial load off the A/C. Then it cools down quite well for a single evaporator system.

 

You may be used to an SUV with two evaporator/fan systems or a vehicle with a smaller interior compartment. The Edge will not cool down the large interior cavity like two evaporators would, but we have no complaints. It would not be worth the additional cost, or loss of interior room, to put another evaporator system in the vehicle. :shades:

[CorporateEdge]

We are talking about several issues in the same thread

1) vent design - doesn't point air where it should go. (everyone seems to agree this is a weakness)

2) Ability to cool the car down. Most who apparently have "working" AC say it is adequate but not great

3) Air flow & the glove box trick. I would agree that if you have the fan set on max speed and you get no or very little air movement

out of the dash vents then this is a major problem. Assuming the fan is making soothing whirring noises the likely culpret is a blocked

or disconnected duct buried somewhere in the dash. The glove box open/better air flow would seem to indicate a possible location

for this problem. I have no problems with air flow and tried the glove box open trick. all I got was more noise but no change in

air flow settings.

 

Unfortunately the last issue is a service one. It should be easily repeated with the service advisor sitting in the car so they can't say no codes, no problem. Still a pain but what are you going to do ?

[TL Kelly]

My wife bought a 2008 Edge Limited in December. She has two complaints with it so far: first, because of her height and the placement of the driver's mirror she has a tough time seeing out the left front when turning but that is prmarily her issue because she is short; and, her second and biggest complaint is with the A/C. She constantly fusses about being unable to adjust the vents to get good airflow on herself. She is the sole driver 90% of the time. We live in central Kentucky and in the summers the temp averages in the mid to upper 90's with plenty of humidity. We've never had an issue with cool down, air volume or temperature in general. The few times I have been in it with outside temps in the upper 90's I set the temp on 70 degrees and remained plenty comfortable. We have four other vehicles including a large Infiniti SUV and her Edge cools just as quick. Her problem though is she likes cool air blowing on her personally and she can't adjust the vent to the right of the steering wheel to blow the way she likes. It doesn't have enough horizontal movement she says. Closing other vents puts out more volume at that vent but the flow still isn't directed on her. She has also complained that there should be someway to close off the rear vents. She sees it as a waste putting cool air into the rear compartment when she is the only passenger. I think part of her problem is with she drives the Infiniti SUV it has a wider range of vent motion, rear controls, more insulation, etc. and she is used to that. It cost more than twice as much as her Edge though so I would expect something for the extra $35k.

 

Being a bit taller than her, I don't have the vent complaint though. I can get air directed on my face or chest. All in all, I see no issue with the A/C volume, cool down or anything other than it would be a bit better to have better vent placement or movement.

[DUCKRACER]

We are talking about several issues in the same thread

1) vent design - doesn't point air where it should go. (everyone seems to agree this is a weakness)

2) Ability to cool the car down. Most who apparently have "working" AC say it is adequate but not great

3) Air flow & the glove box trick. I would agree that if you have the fan set on max speed and you get no or very little air movement

out of the dash vents then this is a major problem. Assuming the fan is making soothing whirring noises the likely culpret is a blocked

or disconnected duct buried somewhere in the dash. The glove box open/better air flow would seem to indicate a possible location

for this problem. I have no problems with air flow and tried the glove box open trick. all I got was more noise but no change in

air flow settings.

 

Unfortunately the last issue is a service one. It should be easily repeated with the service advisor sitting in the car so they can't say no codes, no problem. Still a pain but what are you going to do ?

Could it be that the ones that don't have problems with the air TEMPRATURE (as opposed to air VOLUME) have the towing package which gives you more powerful radiator fans?????

[CopperCarolinaEdge]

Could it be that the ones that don't have problems with the air TEMPRATURE (as opposed to air VOLUME) have the towing package which gives you more powerful radiator fans?????

 

I have zero issues with my A/C (flow/temp or otherwise) and I do not have the towing package...

[DUCKRACER]

I have zero issues with my A/C (flow/temp or otherwise) and I do not have the towing package...

OK. That rules out that source.

[dave-m]

We have zero issues with the airflow or cooling either. Our last roadtrip, the temp averaged between 35-42C (95-107F) and the fan was on low most of the time. That's with 3 adults, a baby and the car loaded to the roof with luggage and stuff.

 

If you can't feel air coming out, it's a problem with your Edge, not all Edges.

[818EDGE]

Once ours cools down, its great. I personally like the air blowing right on me(which ours doesnt), but it cools the vehicle just fine

[MKX2007]

I live in Phoenix and the AC is flat out not designed properly. You should be able to feel the air coming out of the vents, the same manner as how a fan works in your home. It doesn't make it cooler but you feel cooler.

 

It's ridiculous that I have to put the ac on max to feel the slightest air movement. I have owned a dozen Fords in my life and rarely if ever used the max setting. With my Edge it's always on and it's still inadequate.

 

I live in Phoenix also & it was 116 this afternoon. It was barely comfortable after a half hour operation. This morning when it was 88, it was cold within 10 minutes.

[KCFlyer]

My 2008 Edge act similarly; if the outdoors temperature is below 90, the AC seems to be very strong. Once the outside temp climbs above 90, the discharge air seems to be much warmer, and the AC struggles to keep up.

 

I seem to remember some of the discussion that came up when the original Freon refrigerant was outlawed. The newer refrigerants weren't as effective as Freon, because there was a critical temperature above which they lost some of their ability to move heat around. I can't find any documentation about this, and goodness knows I've killed off a few brain cells over the years :beerchug:

 

Any HVAC engineers out there?

[akirby]

My 2008 Edge act similarly; if the outdoors temperature is below 90, the AC seems to be very strong. Once the outside temp climbs above 90, the discharge air seems to be much warmer, and the AC struggles to keep up.

 

I seem to remember some of the discussion that came up when the original Freon refrigerant was outlawed. The newer refrigerants weren't as effective as Freon, because there was a critical temperature above which they lost some of their ability to move heat around. I can't find any documentation about this, and goodness knows I've killed off a few brain cells over the years :beerchug:

 

Any HVAC engineers out there?

 

We've had several 95 degree days in Atlanta with no problems. When the outside air is 90 or above you should definitely use recirculate.

 

We've never had to keep the fans on high more than 5 or 10 minutes even on the hottest days.