# Don't tell me to turn the air conditioner off **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** f250, ford\ **Created:** [August 11, 2010, 12:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dont-tell-me-to-turn-the-air-conditioner-off/53326 "2010-08-11T00:26:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![VanessaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/278dde/32.png) [@VanessaB](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VanessaB)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 12:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dont-tell-me-to-turn-the-air-conditioner-off/53326/1 "2010-08-11T00:26:29Z")
My husband has a 2004 Ford F250 with a 5.4L engine. The engine won’t turn over if the air conditioner button is in the on position. If you turn the air conditioner off the truck starts right up. He took it to the Ford dealer and they said there is nothing wrong with the alternator, the starter or the battery and have no idea what could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_in\_MD](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/al_in_md/32/1658_2.png) [@Al\_in\_MD](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Al_in_MD)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 12:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dont-tell-me-to-turn-the-air-conditioner-off/53326/2 "2010-08-11T00:36:41Z")
I would personally try another dealership. Or, you can put a call into Ford customer service and explain the problem and how their dealer cannot repair it. Or, better yet, take it to a reputable independent mechanic who doesn’t own a boat 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![geeaea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@geeaea](https://community.cartalk.com/u/geeaea)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 12:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dont-tell-me-to-turn-the-air-conditioner-off/53326/3 "2010-08-11T00:40:29Z")
Are you saying that it literally will not crank with the AC button pushed? Nada …nuttin’ …zip?? In the START position, just about everything should be OFF and I can’t see why it would matter if the compressor wasn’t. It would still crank. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dont-tell-me-to-turn-the-air-conditioner-off/53326/4 "2010-08-11T00:43:33Z")
“don’t tell me to turn the air conditioner off” Why not? ---
**Author:** ![tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@tardis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tardis)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 2:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dont-tell-me-to-turn-the-air-conditioner-off/53326/5 "2010-08-11T02:40:40Z")
Sounds like a problem with the PCM or the wiring there to. ---
**Author:** ![transman618](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/transman618/32/24_2.png) [@transman618](https://community.cartalk.com/u/transman618)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 3:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dont-tell-me-to-turn-the-air-conditioner-off/53326/6 "2010-08-11T03:54:43Z")
turn the air conditioner off… transman ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 9:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dont-tell-me-to-turn-the-air-conditioner-off/53326/7 "2010-08-11T09:41:45Z")
I recommend taking it to a local INDEPENDENT mechanic. Dealers are not gods, they are not better than independent, but they almost always will charge more due to higher overhead and their tendency to replace things rather than fixing them. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dont-tell-me-to-turn-the-air-conditioner-off/53326/8 "2010-08-11T15:37:03Z")
If I understand correctly, the truck starts if you turn the AC off. After you start the truck, you can turn the AC back on, and it will run properly. Is that correct? If so - turn the AC off when you stop the truck or just before starting it. When the problem (whatever it is) gets bad enough, the mechanic will be able to locate it. You might try another garage, but just be aware that they might want to fix the problem by replaceing things until you can start the truck with the AC on. That can be expensive.