Hey guys I come to you in a time of need. It snowed almost half a foot today where I live and on the way home I hit something and it dragged a little ways under my front axle. My engine then started squeaking a little bit when accelerating. Got home a few seconds later and there was a hissing noise coming from under my truck. I'm 99% sure it's this hose/connector because when bending it down towards me the noise stopped. The part is right under the radiator fan and I tried taking a few pictures. The arrow is pointing at what I pulled on.

The aforementioned hissing stopped after about 5 minutes. I started the truck again and revved the engine slightly while in Park. No more squealing like on the way home. The hissing noise did return a little quieter too. I think it was only air flowing out of it, no liquids. Not sure if that little bit of moisture was there before getting home or from leakage. There was also a tiny bit of green liquid (antifreeze?) at the bottom of the fan right above it.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone knows what this hose is called and what it does? I'd appreciate any help. 2002 4.0 V6 4x4 Ford Ranger



Zoomed out a little


ETA:

The path left


Going right


And I think this is where the right side leads to

 

looks like it is part of the AC system , if it has a hole in it ,then the refrigerant is now gone from the AC system , need to replace the hose ,add a water trap , evacuate the system and recharge it .

 

I agree, Air Conditioning system. Once leaking will require replacing the hose, dryer, probably the seals in the system (cheapest parts, LOL) and recharge the system. On top of your engine is the AC compressor, there is a wire attached to the back of the AC compressor clutch (part the belt goes around). Unplug this wire so the compressor will stop trying to cycle, even in winter the computer tells the AC compressor to cycle a few revs every once and a while to keep the system "wet", a way to keep the compressor and seals healthy even during times of no AC use. This was the squeak noise you heard, running a dry system. ALSO if you continue to drive it while clutch is plugged in and trying to cycle, the compressor will seize and trash your belt. So unplug it till you get it repaired. as many here will tell ya, AC systems are not cheap.

 

Agreed on A/C that looks like the hose on the condenser hopefully it didn't damage the condenser because those are expensive but since its already leaked out you could replace the parts yourself then just have someone recharge it for you.

 

Eh do without a/c isn't worth the money you pay for it..I converted mine to the "sohc" hose and didnt recharge it. It's the a/c hose though. Easily found on expo's everywhere.

 

Thanks everyone for the replies. It is indeed my A/C since it just blows hot air when I try turning that on in the cab. I unhooked that harness on the compressor like cuddlepuppy recommended.

Now, is there a cheap way to fix this? Like put an additional hose or something over that cracked part then clamp it down?

Otherwise I have to go to a scrapyard or eBay for this New Suction Discharge Assembly Explorer Sport Trac 97 03 w Factory Air SOHC | eBay part then have the A/C recharged right? How much would that cost and is replacing the hose assembly tricky? My Chilton manual doesn't seem to have much on the whole A/C system and I'm not a mechanic. With instructions, I can usually do a lot of work/repairs myself though.

Again, I appreciate all the help.

 

sadly no , you will have to replace the line

 

Trevor, cuddlepuppy is my handle (wife gave it to me 15 yrs ago) My name , as is yours, is in the upper right corner of our posts. Call me Eric. Sadly, Malcolm is correct, you have to replace the hose. They are specially constructed with special clamping ends, to withstand the pressure they are under. The tools one would use to disconnect the end nearest the dryer, and charge the system, would end up a one time use/purchase for you, unless you intend to get into repairing AC systems. I recommend getting the parts yourself, and having a qualified installer do the job, a good AC tech will charge the system correctly the first time, saving you and he time and money in the long run. Like I said, AC systems are not cheap, but worth it if you use/need it.
Good Luck