1966 Lincoln Continental A/C Issue

[Emas9420]

Emas, a couple different directions you could go on the ATC troubleshooting. First thing to confirm is whether your car has been upgraded to 1967 or later controls. The original 1966 ATC system was one year only and flawed from the start. They cannot be repaired. I have a thread on the retrofit of the ATC system and it explains all of the components, shows the locations and explains the function. If you still have the 1966 components, you’re pretty much screwed unless you replace the necessary components. If your car already has the later equipment in it, it’s very easy to diagnose it with the 1967 ATC supplemental manual. The system is much simpler than many would have you believe. My suspicion is that either the ambient temp sensor or the in-cabin sensor has shit the bed, but you’ll have to do some digging to figure it out. Both are still plentiful and available if you need a replacement. Worst case scenario your ATC brain needs a rebuild, but even that is doable.

Hi!
I did see your post and was super helpful actually when diagnosing the first time around. I do have the upgraded components so i am good there.
The first time my ATC was not working, it turned out to be the box.. had to get a new one because no one could rebuild my old one (if you know who can please let me know but lincoln land said i was SOL)

I am thinking the same about the sensors.. but this only started happening with 60-65 degree weather.. it was working fine for summer/fall. I think on your post i remember seeing a guide/manual to troubleshoot, i will try to use that to diagnose.

But the question still remains, anyone that has real winter months - and they turn on the AC and leave it at the lowest setting (which is *EDIT* 63F), do you get hot air blown out or cold freezing air? I am thinking maybe because its colder than 68 degrees outside/inside, the car thinks that im actually trying to put heat on (i say this because as i mentioned, the lowest setting is *EDIT* 63F).. so maybe its "normal" operation. I don't want to troubleshoot it if its actually working as designed.

[CaptainDave]

Going back to Lee and Dan's comments on R-12, I checked eBay and didn't see any cans of it for sale, only the "Enviro-safe" substitute. It wasn't more than a few years ago that it was readily available on that site, NOS by DuPont and others, running about $35 per can. Did its availability gradually taper off, or did eBay suddenly decline to carry listings for it? Anyone know?

[LithiumCobalt]

Emas, a couple different directions you could go on the ATC troubleshooting. First thing to confirm is whether your car has been upgraded to 1967 or later controls. The original 1966 ATC system was one year only and flawed from the start. They cannot be repaired. I have a thread on the retrofit of the ATC system and it explains all of the components, shows the locations and explains the function. If you still have the 1966 components, you’re pretty much screwed unless you replace the necessary components. If your car already has the later equipment in it, it’s very easy to diagnose it with the 1967 ATC supplemental manual. The system is much simpler than many would have you believe. My suspicion is that either the ambient temp sensor or the in-cabin sensor has shit the bed, but you’ll have to do some digging to figure it out. Both are still plentiful and available if you need a replacement. Worst case scenario your ATC brain needs a rebuild, but even that is doable.

Hi!
I did see your post and was super helpful actually when diagnosing the first time around. I do have the upgraded components so i am good there.
The first time my ATC was not working, it turned out to be the box.. had to get a new one because no one could rebuild my old one (if you know who can please let me know but lincoln land said i was SOL)

I am thinking the same about the sensors.. but this only started happening with 65 degree weather.. it was working fine for summer/fall. I think on your post i remember seeing a guide/manual to troubleshoot, i will try to use that to diagnose.

But the question still remains, anyone that has real winter months - and they turn on the AC and leave it at the lowest setting (which is 68F), do you get hot air blown out or cold freezing air? I am thinking maybe because its colder than 68 degrees outside/inside, the car thinks that im actually trying to put heat on (i say this because as i mentioned, the lowest setting is 68 degrees).. so maybe its "normal" operation. I don't want to troubleshoot it if its actually working as designed.

Very odd that Lincoln Land would tell you that they cannot rebuild your ATC brain. They must not be offering that service any longer, which is odd, because they had a whole mock system setup solely for this purpose. Anyways, if it turns out the brain is the culprit, Blair Farmer in Clearwater, FL also used to offer the rebuild/test service. Might check with him.

Really your next step would be to get hands on the ‘67 ATC supplemental manual. I don’t know if Dan has this in his electronic archive or not, but you might check with him. I have mine, but it is stashed away in a box somewhere. A simple resistance check of the sensor network will tell you what is going on. They are all wired in series so if one of them is off it will throw the whole system off and it will think it is a different temperature than it is.

Normal operation is to call for the mode, fan intensity and temperature blend to get to your desired temperature. If it’s 65 degrees out and in and you set the temp to 68, it should blow heat, assuming all of the sensors are reading correctly. If it’s exactly 65 and you set the temp to 65, there should be barely any fan and the temp blowing from the vents, and which set of vents could vary

[Lee]

Really your next step would be to get hands on the ‘67 ATC supplemental manual.

It’s online at Lincoln Land
https://lincolnlandinc.com/product-cate ... ol-manual/

[frasern]

I am no expert on ATC, so usually I but out, but a couple of things come to mind. Did you unplug and bypass the sensor on the plenum? it was not used in '67, but if the wire harness is not tied together, no power will get to the dash sensor.
Dan posted that manual (I think) a while ago and I downloaded it, so if you can't download the one Lee posted, let me know. I still have 2 more "brains", if that one proves to be the problem, but one is snowed in until April.

[Emas9420]

Normal operation is to call for the mode, fan intensity and temperature blend to get to your desired temperature. If it’s 65 degrees out and in and you set the temp to 68, it should blow heat, assuming all of the sensors are reading correctly. If it’s exactly 65 and you set the temp to 65, there should be barely any fan and the temp blowing from the vents, and which set of vents could vary

EDIT - sorry i said 68F but i meant the lowest setting which is like 63F

ok so, then my ATC is working fine? I can not go any lower than 65 (or whatever the lowest setting is on all of our cars)... so if its 65 degrees and I want just air running.. I can't and it will blow hot? this is what I want to confirm with someone that has tried turning it on during winter months because if that's the case then I guess my ATC is working fine.. but that's a really crappy design if that's the case.

[Emas9420]

I am no expert on ATC, so usually I but out, but a couple of things come to mind. Did you unplug and bypass the sensor on the plenum? it was not used in '67, but if the wire harness is not tied together, no power will get to the dash sensor.
Dan posted that manual (I think) a while ago and I downloaded it, so if you can't download the one Lee posted, let me know. I still have 2 more "brains", if that one proves to be the problem, but one is snowed in until April.

i actually had a sticker on my old ATC showing that (im assuming) the dealer did the upgrade - and changed everything.. Even though i never checked, i will soon.
But your box actually was working perfectly fine and still does, but when its cold out it just wants to blow hot.. and it blow heat from the top vents.. not from the floor as i was told.. on a regular summer day (70F or more) if i put the heat it blows from the bottom.

Maybe, something is stuck inside which is why hot blows from the top when its cold outside.. but again. i am wondering if i am just having normal operation and because the controler does not go below 63 then it just wants to blow hot.

[frasern]

The potentiometer could have a dead spot, try going just a little off low, say 70F?
But my gut says the brain thinks your windshield needs to defrost, so it is reading the outside temp, but doesn't know what the inside temp is. Did I send you a dash sensor?, it will be a higher resistance than a '66.

[Emas9420]

The potentiometer could have a dead spot, try going just a little off low, say 70F?
But my gut says the brain thinks your windshield needs to defrost, so it is reading the outside temp, but doesn't know what the inside temp is. Did I send you a dash sensor?, it will be a higher resistance than a '66.

I tried , but nope. it just blows hot and hotter.
You didn't send me a dash sensor, but i honestly don't think i have an issue. i think this is how the car works. i guess in 1966 they didn't think if it was lower than 65F that anybody would put the AC on.

[TonyC]

Very likely. I'm not saying with all holistic authority that there is no problem, but that is pretty much how ATCs of yore used to work. I clearly remember frustration with how my grand's Man-Of-War would still feel not-right, be it winter or summer (the latter of which is virtually perpetual in Florida), even with every component in proper order. And, with no manual override, it's just one of those "it is what it is" scenarios. It would have been nice if the engineers had built in a manual-override function, like systems of the '90s; but the technology just wasn't there yet to make that practical. Back then you had to pick one or the other, not both.

---Tony

[Emas9420]

So I believe my issue was a dying ATC.. it started doing the same thing my last one did which was just blow one speed on low and higher on high but thats it.. no change anywhere else. Luckily i have another ATC i cant use to test that theory.. if it isn't that then it could be the potentiometer possibly on the temp knob, although i doubt that.
Just need to donwload that atc manual now to see what hose is supposed to have vacuum and which isnt.. When i put the heat on, the one thats supposed to open the blend door has no vacuum.. so it seems my issue is originating from the box itself.
How can i contact blair farmer? i have tried emailing but never got a response.. is there a number i can use?

EDIT** - Good news, it was the ATC. Luckily before Frazer sent me one he had i had purchased a NOS ATC i found on eBay... So, i took the old one out, put this new one in and everything works as it should. Today it was 61F and it was blowing cold when i had the temp down

Needless to say i am pretty happy.. but now i have 2 ATC's with the same issue.. so if anyone knows how i can contact blair farmer and if he still does repairs I'd love to send these boxes to get fixed.

[TonyC]

Well, that's a good thing! Nice to see a problem fixed.

There have to be sources that still fix those "smart" boxes. It's just a matter of shopping around. At least now you have bought some time to get them fixed.

---Tony

[Emas9420]

Well, that's a good thing! Nice to see a problem fixed.

There have to be sources that still fix those "smart" boxes. It's just a matter of shopping around. At least now you have bought some time to get them fixed.

---Tony

yeah, im still looking to see who can fix it. I still can not get a hold of Blair.. maybe he doesnt fix the ATC anymore.

the NOS part i put in, i don't even know if it works 100% but at least it controls the speed of the fan when i move it around. definitely an interesting piece of engineering.

[TonyC]

Yes, quite interesting...although I'd probably use the word "disconcerting." After experience with ATC on my grand's Man-Of-War, I decided that I prefer the manual-control setup. But, that's just me.

The important thing is that your system is working to your satisfaction, which tells me it should be at 100% efficiency. When something in that system doesn't work, it's immediately noticeable. Just keep shopping; while waiting on Blair, expand your searches. If he responds, great; but in case not, at least utilize your time checking other Usual Suspects. As commonplace as the ATC option was, along with its problems, Blair Farmer cannot be the sole rebuild source for these smart-boxes. Now, the dumb-boxes of the manual-A/C or non-A/C setups, not sure who would offer service; but I can do those. I have experience with the dumb-boxes.

---Tony

[Emas9420]

Once again... my ATC is going bad.. at this point, i don't know if something in the car is making these thing malfunction or what it is but its annoying.

This NOS ATC was working fine and suddenly started making weird noises.. like a vacuum noise sucking and relieving , sucking and relieving.. and doesn't let the flaps open or close correctly, they open for a second, then close--- then open again then close..

I am going to check the vacuum line but im 100% its fine considering its an intermittent issue.

I want to ask again if anyone knows who can rebuild these boxes please.

thanks