michael123

i have a civic ex 96, and for some odd reason the ac fuse keeps popping when i turn the ac on?? whats going on here,, it blows cold air for like 2 min and the fuse blows and hot air comes out?? any ideas.. summer is coming i dont want to be left sweating here in texas.

z6hatchboy

You might could try looking for shorts, i think they have relays (i took my a/c out so i cant remember) but im not sure if replacing it will help you in any way.

michael123

do u guys think it might be the ac compressor?? and wat relays might be bad


Modified by michael123 at 9:45 PM 6/2/2008

Former User

Which specific fuse is blowing?

michael123

the ac fuse in the engine bay "ac fan". the one under the footwell its cool, for some reason when i turn the ac on it will be on for aprox. 3 minutes and that fuse blows? any ideas/

Former User

Is it fuse 56?

michael123

i dont know the number but the name is ... (20A) (Condenser Fan)?? i havent checked the relay? the one thats says (Condenser Fan Relay) ??

Former User

Yes, that's fuse 56. There are four components on the circuit protected by fuse 56:

1) Condensor fan relay
2) Condensor fan

3) Compressor clutch relay
4) Compressor clutch

You can localize the short to 1/2 or 3/4 by observing whether the condensor fan or compressor clutch stops running or never runs by the time that the fuse blows.

My guess is the condensor fan has the short, though this is only speculation.

michael123

thank u sir.

96cd5

iTrader: (1)

I am having the same issue in my 93 eg hatch si. Fuse number 35 20amp (compressor clutch and condenser fan fuse) keeps blowing off after like 3 minutes it runs. I didn't had a/c before and i just hook up everything got a/c charged before fuse went out. Both compressor and fan stop after fuse goes out. i tried a 30amp fuse but also went out like 4min after.

Former User

In both cases, it might be worth trying this:

First disconnect the compressor clutch wire and run the A/C for 3-4 minutes. The condensor fan should run but not the compressor clutch. If the fuse doesn't blow, then the clutch is likely the problem. To verify, do the reverse test of disconnecting the condensor fan wire.

drdotter

I'm having the same problem with Fuse 56 blowing. I isolated the problem to the A/C compressor clutch circuit. Is there anything further to troubleshoot? What exactly should I replace? I have the Honda manual but it doesn't say what to do when the fuse keeps blowing.

I have a 97 Honda Civic LX, MT.

civic_driver

Ron, the problem with that test procedure is that if you test one component at a time it might not overload the circuit and pop the fuse. The problem might occur when both things are running at the same time.

But it could also occur when one thing is running and your test might work. So I guess it's worth a try.

drdotter

I checked the clutch coil resistance and it measured 1.3 ohms. The manual says it should be 3.2 +/- 0.15 ohms. That basically increases the current by 2.5X. I think I found the problem.

drdotter

Two different techs troubleshot my AC/fuse problem and both found the compressor clutch coil to be the problem. I feel much better about their diagnostic findings agreeing with mine.

Former User

Nice work. So is the fix to replace or rebuild the compressor?

drdotter

There was no need to replace or rebuild the compressor.

The information contained below is entirely from the factory service manual.

The compressor clutch coil is in the compressor clutch assembly (it's inside the rotor pulley).
You must evacuate the compressor and remove it from the engine compartment.
Take the armature plate off and remove the snap ring.
Remove the rotor pulley from the compressor using a "Two Jaw Puller".
Remove another snap ring to reach and replace the compressor clutch coil.
Reassemble. Its recommended that the snap rings be replaced.
Reinstall compressor, with compressor clutch assembly attached, in engine compartment and recharge compressor. Reattach belts.
Care should be taken to reassemble the compressor clutch components with the same alignment they had before they were disassembled.
Voila.

Please note that there is much more information contained in the manual than what I could put in this post. Unless you have the right equipment and expertise, I recommend you have a professional do this work.

drdotter

UPDATE:
My SRS light has come on fairly regularly the past 4 years. The error code was always and only 8-5. 8-5 indicates the SRS module has failed.
I would reset it and it would come back on within two days. Most of the time it would only take two or three engines starts before it would come on again.

Since having my compressor clutch coil replaced (20 Jun 09), the SRS light has not stayed on. After looking at the circuit again (with an general auto tech), I don't see how one would affect the other but it is way too coincidental to ignore this as possibly related.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Former User

The SRS system is known to be very sensitive to system voltage fluctuations, which were likely caused by the short in the compressor coil.

Former User

What was the cost of this work compared to installing a rebuilt compressor?

drdotter

I don't know what the cost is for a rebuilt or new compressor. I did hear that replacing a compressor is very expensive >$1K.
My repair work cost ~ $640. The compressor had to be removed before the compressor clutch assembly could be replaced. I was told that the evacuating, removing, reinstalling, and recharging the compressor was the major cost. No way around it, though.
Not to nick-pick, but compressor coil was losing resistance (not shorting) which caused the current (I) to increase (I=V/R).
The best I can tell, the compressor coil circuit is not energized until the AC is turned on.
I was told that a weak battery could cause an 8-5 error code. My only guess is the compressor coil pulley was causing an extra drag on the engine, which caused more stress on the battery, and that made the SRS show a failure.

Former User

Okay, the fuse was blowing due to substantially increased current flow through the coil. Nonetheless, I=V/R can also be written as V=IR. So, either an increase in current or a decrease resistance may produce fluctuations in voltage.

It also seems possible that this "stress" on the battery produced large but brief system-wide voltage fluctuations. This "stress" would likely be relatively brief because it would soon blow fuse 56, so the alternator should have sufficient time to recharge the battery. Therefore, I don't think a weak battery caused your problem.

drdotter

Yeah, I see your point about the voltage fluctuations.
I usually assume (I know that can be bad) that voltage is fairly stable, absent a faulty battery or alternator, and that increasing/decreasing resistance was the cause of most electrical problems.
I knew it wasn't my battery. Multiple tests on the previous and current battery were ran. I had my alternator tested also with no problems.

What stresses do you think are/were likely before the compressor clutch coil circuit was energized? Until the AC button is pushed, there should be no current in the circuit. That is the part I'm still confused about.
Thanks.

Former User

Not sure, but you can't ignore the fact that the SRS light has not returned since having the compressor fixed. I assume that you ran the A/C during the last 4 years, right? I also assume that fuse 56 didn't start blowing until more recently. Nonetheless, the compressor coil may have been gradually failing during this 4 year period, but only recently was the failure severe enough to blow the fuse. The earlier compressor coil faults may still have collectively produced sufficient voltage fluctuations in the system to trigger the SRS light. That's my speculation.