One other note, the A/C system compressor, dryer etc. were replaced with new within the last year.
We have a 2002 Ford Taurus Station Wagon, now with over 250,000 miles on the odometer. We purchased it used from a dealer, who has since gone out of business (Planet Ford, Centerville, OH), to replace an earlier model-year Taurus Station Wagon that I purchased new and drove until the wheels literally fell off... water entered through a tear in a rubber boot and caused corrosion failure of the constant-velocity joints in the front-wheel drive system. My fault for not having the car professionally inspected and serviced periodically. The salted winter roads in Dayton, OH, can be very destructive to automobiles.
It appeared that, although well maintained and in good running condition, the replacement car was driven a LOT, perhaps by a traveling salesperson. But this automobile has given us good service for fifteen years and we had it professionally maintained during that time... repairs are usually cheaper than monthly car finance payments!
Until be moved to Venice, FL, in December 2016, the most expensive repair was replacement of the high-tension wiring and platinum spark-plugs at about 200,000 miles. After moving to Florida the air conditioning failed the following summer. One of our sons is a trained auto mechanic living in Cookeville, TN. So, on a round trip from Venice to Dayton and back to Venice, we stopped to visit him and he offered to fix the A/C for cost-of-parts only. After several days and several hundred dollars we were on the road again, but if the repairs had been performed by a factory authorized dealer, I am sure the cost would have been in the thousand dollar or more range, far exceeding the value of this automobile.
Automotive A/C systems are among the most highly stressed mechanical components in a modern automobile. The operating environment is severe because of heat under the hood and vibration everywhere. The most common fault is a leak in the refrigerant circulation system. The most common DIY error is to simply add more refrigerant to replace the leaked amount.
This was a common practice thirty or so years ago when cars were replaced every two or three years, but over the long term it becomes a total disaster. A refrigerant leak allows moisture in the air to enter into the closed system. Moisture in the air condenses to liquid under pressure. Liquid water does not compress at all. The result is a damaged A/C compressor. The only solution is to find and repair the leak, vacuum evacuate the refrigerant system until all traces of water vapor are removed, then replace the refrigerant
by measured weight and then verify with pressure gauges that the system is working properly. It is not uncommon to also have to replace several other components besides the A/C compressor: its electromagnetic clutch, the expansion valve, the drier, the condenser, and the evaporator along with "O"-ring sealed pressure fittings and sometimes refrigerant tubing. The cost of properly repairing an automobile A/C system can easily exceed the used value of the car, which is why it pays to have the work done by a certified mechanic who uses the proper equipment. Not many shade tree mechanics are even aware of the necessity to use a vacuum pump to evacuate the entire refrigerant system after it is opened to the atmosphere. Nor are they equipped with the proper facilities to reclaim used refrigerant for proper disposal and/or recycling under Federal law.
Good luck replacing that "faulty" wire. But please be aware that if it did indeed fail, there was a reason for the failure and that reason has nothing to do with climate. Find the reason before replacing the wire. Overpriced automotive A/C service is one of the biggest scams around. Shop around and ask for referrals from satisfied customers. Actually call those "satisfied customers" and verify their experience.
