A/C works intermitent

My a/c will work for about 15min and then quit, when it works it blows ice cold, and from what i can see there is no frezzing on any componets.

Clutch is probably shot. Turn on the A/C and when it stops getting cold look at see if the clutch is still engaged.

I had that problem and it turned out to be the switch located on the drier had died. I replaced the switch and things were perfect again. The switch was really cheap might be worth replacing if you never have before, although I know people hate throwing parts at problems...

robsjeepxj said:

Clutch is probably shot. Turn on the A/C and when it stops getting cold look at see if the clutch is still engaged.

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I got the same problem... how do you tell if the clutch is engaged?

Does it come back on cold after waiting? If so how long? Do you need to shut the AC off first?

Could be the cycling switch, could be the clutch air gap, could just be low of refrigerant.

The system is full. How long it takes to come back on? Not sure I turn it off and rool the windows down and then I get to where i'm going. But after a while a hour or so it comes on again.

How do you know it's full? An hour after the AC is off (engine still running) or you shut down the engine and the entire engine bay has cooled off?

do you get a massive pool of water under the vehicle where you park it (freezeing up)does the amount of air blowing out the vents gradually reduce (freezeing up)
you could bypassing the low pressure switch just to see if it helps located on top of the dryer(dont leave it that way indefinitly)

iwannadie said:

I had that problem and it turned out to be the switch located on the drier had died. I replaced the switch and things were perfect again. The switch was really cheap might be worth replacing if you never have before, although I know people hate throwing parts at problems...

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worth a check-- no need to throw parts at it. The next time it stops working, check resistance across the two terminals with a DMM and see if it's open. If so, jump the harness plug and check pressures. If they are correct and the switch is still open, it has failed.

mage said:

I got the same problem... how do you tell if the clutch is engaged?

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not engaged -- outside spins, inside (center) doesn't.

engaged -- outside spins, inside spins

I have the exact same problem. In my case, I had an accident (hit a deer) and had a squeak in the old compressor when I got it back. I took it back to the shop, and got them to (supposedly) install a new compressor and belt for $240. They said they would eat the labor on it. I tested it out when I got it back, and it worked for the brief moment that I turned it on. I assumed it was fine. I didn't use it again until summer when it started warming up outside and found out that I had a problem. I popped the hood yesterday to see if the clutch was spinning, and noticed that the compressor didn't look new at all. I doubted that it had oxidized and corroded that much in 6 months, so I called to check with the store that he supposedly got the compressor from, and theirs are unmarked, whereas this one has a Sanden tag on it.

I plan on asking for a receipt documenting the purchase of a new compressor from my mechanic, but until then, I still have to figure this out.

Concerning the one comment about using the multimeter to test pressures, what sort of reading should I be getting when the compressor should and shouldn't be kicking on?

Thanks,
John

EDIT: I just reread the instructions and I think I get it now. Is this right?

1) Unplug harness.
2) Check across the terminals on the switch to see if it is open or closed (using ohmmeter).
3) If it is open, I should use a jump wire across the two terminals on the harness side to trick the system into kicking on the compressor.
4) Once the compressor is running, check the pressures to make sure they are in operating range.

johndoby said:

I just reread the instructions and I think I get it now. Is this right?

1) Unplug harness.
2) Check across the terminals on the switch to see if it is open or closed (using ohmmeter).
3) If it is open, I should use a jump wire across the two terminals on the harness side to trick the system into kicking on the compressor.
4) Once the compressor is running, check the pressures to make sure they are in operating range.

Click to expand...

yup-- that's the gist of it. You're checking that the switch is the cause of the open circuit (no clutch engagement) and then verifying that the system is actually charged and operating correctly when the switch is bypassed.