Hey!

So the AC in my LS started to go. The driver side was cooler than the passenger side, so I figured it was the DCCV again. Hooked it up to the gauges and my dad said from looking at his gauges that there was a blockage somewhere on the line, he suspects that the expansion valve wasn't opening from the readings he was getting.

I'm not a mechanic, I just sort of know/done my research about my car... and was wondering--IF the DCCV was stuck open, throwing engine coolant into the heater coil, would that effect the opening thermal expansion valve? Would it cause the tx valve to not open fully? My dad said that if that was the case, the tx valve should be open all the way.

I've done some research and it seems that I have to take the whole dash out to replace the tx valve. I've gotten some documentation on how to remove the dash, and it doesn't seem like too much of a horror show. If that is the case, would anyone be so kind to send me some documentation? I have partial documentation, but there's things that I don't know how to do such as de-powering the SRS system, and taking apart the shifter. I've taken apart the floor console before so that shouldnt be a problem. Basically it seems that you take apart the floor console, take apart the shift assembly, secure the steering wheel and remove the pinchbolt, take out some connectors under the dash, and it's like 8 bolts that hold the whole dash in, and remove the whole thing with the steering wheel connected. Once that is finished, you have to remove the ac/heat box which houses the heater coil and ac coil. Does that sound right to anyone?

Is there a way to take out the tx valve without doing all of this?

One mechanic is saying you can remove it from under the hood:

http://www.justanswer.com/ford/2h5d7-ac-expansion-valve-located-2000-lincoln.html

Here is the thread where the mechanic states you have to remove the dash to get to it:

http://www.justanswer.com/ford/16nnm-04-lincoln-ls-hot-air-car.html

And here is the documentation I got from that thread:

Dash Removal:

http://www.justanswer.com/uploads/fordguy4u/2008-05-07_143759_IP1.pdf http://www.justanswer.com/uploads/fordguy4u/2008-05-07_143834_IP2.pdf http://www.justanswer.com/uploads/fordguy4u/2008-05-07_143908_IP4.pdf http://www.justanswer.com/uploads/fordguy4u/2008-05-07_144026_IP5.pdf http://www.justanswer.com/uploads/fordguy4u/2008-05-07_144108_IP6.pdf http://www.justanswer.com/uploads/fordguy4u/2008-05-07_144137_IP7.pdf

Heat/AC Box Removal:

http://www.justanswer.com/uploads/fordguy4u/2008-05-07_140710_LC_1.pdf http://www.justanswer.com/uploads/fordguy4u/2008-05-07_140759_LC2.pdf http://www.justanswer.com/uploads/fordguy4u/2008-05-07_140831_LC3.pdf http://www.justanswer.com/uploads/fordguy4u/2008-05-07_140903_LC4.pdf http://www.justanswer.com/uploads/fordguy4u/2008-05-07_140943_LC5.pdf

Thanks for any help! :)