i recently installed A/C on my car again and i just notice something...(im an a/c noob...i never used A/C before because i can stand the heat but the g.f. is bitching so she wins...i win in other ways....)

when you turn A/C when you are in neutral...the idle gets really low and the car shuts off sometimes......

 

Well, im no AC expert either, but the seldom times I turn mine on, my rpm's usually go higher, and you can hear the engine work harder. Sounds like something maybe hooked up incorrectly.

 

yea it shouldn't die, the instant the ac is turned on the rpm dips for a moment. then should actually rise higher.

 

you may have to adjust the idle screw on the TB

 

I agree.. It shouldnt die but it will cause some changes in the idle

 

check the eacv/iacv. That directly affects the idle under load...if you think it works, try disconnecting it and turn the a/c on...that's a gurantee stall.

 

At least you have a/c. I have it but the pulley got bent from an accident. Must get that fixed cause I have no cold air damnit.

 

usually what happens is when the a/c is turned on and say ur driving around town. when u get to a light the condencer fan kicks on and makes the engine idle drop due to the electrical strain. so it sound to me that ur idle is low to start with. do determine for sure if the relay is working, usually the engine will idle at say 1k then u will hear a click and that the conderser or rad. fan kicking on. when this happens u should notice the RPM's drop due to the new strain. but it should click off in a min or so and the RPM's will jump back to 1k, like normally when theres no a/c on.
hope it helps man

 

What happen if the needle stays below the 1k rpm? When I slowing down while my ac is on, the needle does drop and sometimes it drop almost to zero but it never did. then when my car finally stop, the rpm will go back up but just only 1/2 way between the zero and 1. Is this good or bad?

Thanks

 

I have a major drop in RPM's when I turn on my A/C as well. But not to the point where it kills my engine.

I believe that mantegra is 100% correct. Your RPM's are too low to start with! The RPM's should come back up when you start to drive again, with the A/C on.

It will feel sluggish though.......and that's why I don't use the A/C.

 

I wish my ac worked. ****** wiring problems OWN me. Ill probably never figure it out cuz im to lazy to actually try and fix it.

 

mine will drop then adjust itself.. but i dont stress too much. its an older car.. working harder.. as long as the ac blows cold and the car runs, im happy.

 

What causes the idle to drop a ton is the compressor kicking on. The clutch engages and takes a moderate amount of mechanical energy from the engine. The iacv kicks in and is supposed to increase the air entering the engine to compensate for the lack of power. When you get to the light, you will hear the compressor clicking on and off, or "cycling" to reduce the pressure in the system. The compressor actually cycles all the time regardless if its at a stop, that is why you may feel a "surge" of power while driving with the a/c on...then suddenly feel all slow agian.

If a fan (electrical) makes your car stall or die, you should have your batt or alt checked.

when this happens, you'll see the rpms dip, then return to normal, if not higher than before. Acceleration should feel sluggish with the compressor on, as it is taking power from the engine. Hence a decrease in 1 mpg with a/c.

 

my car idles at around 500ish and flucuates....sometimes going near 0 rpm....do you know what is the cause of that?

 

I personally have this problem with my 89 civic lx. the needle seems to "bounce" off of stalling. The first dash mark on your tach is already 500rpms, according to people in the automotiveforums.com for the 89 civic. (which I am a member of)

The reasons that your idle will fluctuate are as follows:
-you have air in your cooling system (radiator, etc.)
-your eacv/iacv may be faulty. (if it fluctuates when warm)
-your throttle cable is stuck

that is all i can remember for now.

cleaning the iacv with carb cleaner is what people suggested. However I tried this method and it seemed to make it worse (on my civic). Just make sure you dont get carb cleaner into the motor part of the iacv, or put it on before it <u>totally</u> dries. I am not entirely sure where the iacv is on the integra though, as I have not had any problems with it...yet. GL