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trying to get the a/c blowing cold air

Draven1474

NAXJA Forum User
Location
ogden
I have a 2000 jeep Cherokee 4.0l and I'm trying to get the a/c going again. I have very little knowledge about the a/c system on a vehicle so any knowledge is very appreciated. the system worked 2 years ago until the air slowly got warmer and warmer till the a/c pump wouldn't engage at all (low pressure most likely a leak) it stayed that way for about a year until recently I used that DIY a/c charge stuff from the auto parts store and filled it up until the gauge read full, the pump now engages for 4 seconds shuts off and engages for another 4 seconds and has held the same pressure for a week now all seems to be working as far as I can tell, but the air isn't cold enough Luke warm, does it need more charge or is something else wrong?
 
How much refrigerant did you initially charge into the system. One 12 oz can wont be enough.
 
First off, the DIY charge bottles don't give you an accurate measure of the high and low pressures in the AC system. They only connect to the low side near your low pressure switch on top of the accumulator. If you suspect the switch, you can jump the contacts and with the AC running the compressor should engage if the switch is bad. You need a true set of gauges to see how the system is operating on the high and low sides. The best way to get a feeling for the system is to do an actual AC service. The refrigerant and oil needs to be recovered and the system needs to be put in a deep vacuum for 15 minutes to check for leaks. If all goes ok, then recharge with the correct amount of refrigerent and oil. I believe mine takes PAG 100 (The oil that you inject to lubricate the compressor). A service like that will set you back about $150-200 but at least you'll know where you stand. (No point in dumping in refrigerant if you're leaking out the condenser)

Here's what I suspect though as I chased a similar problem with my 98 for 2 years. I had corrosion on the back of the compressor clutch so when the magnetic field energized the clutch would engage sporadically or for random periods of time. As the temps rose, the clutch would finally not engage on the compressor at all. You can remove the clutch from the compressor without evacuating the system and clean the back of the clutch. You can also remove a shim if necessary and check your gap between the compressor and the clutch. There are several write-ups on this here if you search.

Here's my thread with the issue, and the fix:
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthrea...ghlight=sanden
 
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I thought that recharge stuff was to good to be true but I will take it into the shop and fork out the extra coin, thanks for your input
 
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