My mechanic told me that most of the Ford cars have the same AC relay pack and that it is very common to have these go bad. I asked him how much was a relay pack? $310 plus installation... ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I wish I was... SO I found an online Ford Escort forum and there in front of my eyes was the discussion on how to fix this problem cheap or free ( depends on what tools you have in your garage ).
The problem is that the people that make this relay box don't understand the principal idea of soldering properly. I took the box apart by drilling out the factory rivets. There are 2 on the outside cover and 2 holding the circuit board to the metal plate. Once you flip it over, you can see where the solder has bubbled away from the post and board. Remove the old solder with a small screw driver and melt new solder onto the board. Pop rivet the board back to the metal sheet and install the cover the same way and bang! Your done!
It took me an hour and a half to do this project and now my wife loves me again! Knowing now what I know, I am sure I could do this in less than an hour for someone else. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. I am more than willing to walk you through the process!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
My mechanic told me that most of the Ford cars have the same AC relay pack and that it is very common to have these go bad. I asked him how much was a relay pack? $310 plus installation... ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I wish I was... SO I found an online Ford Escort forum and there in front of my eyes was the discussion on how to fix this problem cheap or free ( depends on what tools you have in your garage ).
The problem is that the people that make this relay box don't understand the principal idea of soldering properly. I took the box apart by drilling out the factory rivets. There are 2 on the outside cover and 2 holding the circuit board to the metal plate. Once you flip it over, you can see where the solder has bubbled away from the post and board. Remove the old solder with a small screw driver and melt new solder onto the board. Pop rivet the board back to the metal sheet and install the cover the same way and bang! Your done!
It took me an hour and a half to do this project and now my wife loves me again! Knowing now what I know, I am sure I could do this in less than an hour for someone else. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. I am more than willing to walk you through the process!
- Mike J., Richland, WA, US