on my 2003 ranger edge 3.0 I'm having a small a/c issue now that its hotter outside. I had the refrigerate checked a few months back, and it showed it was good and at the correct pounds. The a/c is cold when I turn it on but eventually it gets warm, can anyone tell me why this is happening and what needs to be changed or replaced to solve this issue?

 

Open the hood
Start engine and turn on AC
The AC Compressor should be on to keep AC Cold
If its shutting off and not turning back on when when air gets warm then could be a bad pressure switch OR clogged/blocked part in the system

AC system has a high pressure switch so hoses do not BLOW OFF, and it has a low pressure switch so Compressor doesn't BURN UP


Compressor does what it says, it compresses the "freon" so makes it High Pressure and hot
When the High pressure is released the "freon" cools down rapidiy, and that's what makes the COLD, and the low pressure

If pressure gets to high compressor needs to shut off, but it will come back on when pressure drops back down again, the high pressure switch at work
As the "freon" pressure is released it goes into the low pressure side of system and back to the compressor, if the low pressure side gets too low then compressor will "run dry" causing it to burn up, so if pressure gets too low switch turns off compressor until pressure builds back up

There is no way to answer your "whats wrong" question without testing the high and low pressure in the system, you can rent gauges and loads of videos on how to test AC systems with pressure gauges

The switches are $30-$50 each so you don't want to just replace them, if the gauges show high and low pressure are good but high pressure switch is "open" then you would replace high pressure switch, for example
If pressures are way off then there is a problem INSIDE the system so it will have to be drained, and what pressures are off will tell you what needs to be changed

 

Do I have to remove the refrigerant in order to change the pressure switch? It's attached to the accumulator I think

 

No, and there are two switches, they can be changed without draining the system IF..........................they are the problem

But changing a switch without testing if its even "open" would be an expensive mistake
The switches are closed, the 2 wires on each are connected, when pressure is OK
Then open, no connection, when pressure is not OK
unless switch is faulty
And you don't know a switch is faulty unless you have a pressure gauge hooked up to both high and low pressure sides of the system

Randomly replacing parts is a DIY favorite, I just don't agree with that approach, but not my money or my time :)