What causes unstable idle speed when the air conditioning is on in a classic Focus?

1 Answers
PatrickLee
07/29/25 7:40pm
There are several reasons for unstable idle speed when the air conditioning is on in a classic Focus: 1. Engine error: The engine control logic fails to receive the signal indicating the air conditioning is turned on. When unable to determine whether the air conditioning is on, the engine control unit (ECU) mistakenly perceives it as a temporary high load and attempts to compensate for the idle resistance by increasing the RPM. When the engine speed drops, it cannot handle the load from the air conditioning compressor, causing the RPM to rise again. This back-and-forth adjustment results in unstable idle speed. 2. Air conditioning circuit error: The air conditioning control circuit fails to send the signal indicating the air conditioning is turned on. Since the ECU cannot determine the air conditioning status, it continuously adjusts the idle speed, leading to instability. 3. Circuit malfunction: A circuit malfunction causes intermittent operation of the air conditioning. When the air conditioning is off, the compressor belt runs without load, so it doesn't affect the engine load. However, the intermittent operation of the air conditioning compressor forces the engine to continuously adjust the idle speed, resulting in instability.
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