Well let me start off by saying that i have a 97 Civic DX Coupe. Everytime when i press the AC button, the AC fan kicks on but I notice the AC compressor doesnt engage. I know the compressor is good because i run a wire to the positive wire on the compressor and it kicks on. My question is there a relay or fuse that connects to the AC compressor? I know that my freon level is good because i recharge it myself and not leaking.

 

bypass the low and high psi switch, but first jumper the clutch relay

 

sorry i dont understand

 

might need recharged.

 

as stated in the post, its fully recharged

 

Do you have similar problem like this?
When the weather is HOT, the A/C won't work OR work for 10-15 minutes and stop.
If you turn off the A/C for awhile, then it will work again.

Or the ac compressor just not turning on at any condition

 

well actually now i got the compressor to work. but for some reason it wouldnt be cold at all. i thought freon was low so i recharge it. but its still doing the same. its not cold on hot days, and at night when the outside temp is cooler, i can feel a little bit of cold coming from the AC

 

[QUOTE=hmtcrxsir]well actually now i got the compressor to work. but for some reason it wouldnt be cold at all. i thought freon was low so i recharge it. but its still doing the same. its not cold on hot days, and at night when the outside temp is cooler, i can feel a little bit of cold coming from the AC


if the compressor's working fine and its not cold during the heat of the day and a lil cooler at night , you could have charged it too much, therfore theres to much pressure in the lines and the fan (with the hot ouside air during the day)cant cool the refrigdent done, then at night its a cool air outside so its able to cool it some.You need to hook some guages to your a/c system and see what the psi. is should be @ 35-40psi usualy i know mine's at 31psi and i live in south tx 104 with 89% humitiy yesterday and a/c was ice cold.

 

the AC pressure is just right 31 psi. anyone else have any ideas?


Modified by hmtcrxsir at 5:52 PM 6/14/2008

 

check fuse 17 underdash. check compressor relay. test continuity at pressure switch.

did you turn your a/c on full blast while you were adding refridgerant?

if the compressor clicks but doesnt come on when you turn the a/c on, the relay is bad, the fuse is blown, the pressure switch and or wiring for the pressure switch is bad or the pressure switch isnt reading the refridgerant.

 

i see the ac compressor clutch spinning but i dont hear the clicking sound like i do with my other cars. btw you mean the compressor clutch relay thats in the engine bay fuse box?

 

i keep hearing everyone mentioning pressure switch but where exactly is the pressure switch?

oh btw, i got the ac clutch to spin but it still isnt blowing cold AC air.

 

yes.

if the outter most part of the compressor is spinning along with the belt part of the compressor, then your compressor is engaging. if its not spinning along with it, its not engaging. pretty simple. do what i told you, ive troubleshooted many a/c systems on ek's and the info i gave you is everything needed to find out why the compressor isnt engaging, unless its locked up.

 

on top of the receiver/drier which is behind your driver headlight near your washer fluid tank.

 

oh btw, i got the ac clutch to spin but it still isnt blowing cold AC air. I use a guage to see how much PSI is in it. The guage reads 31 psi which is normal. The AC fan spins, Compressor clutch is spinning. Theres a tiny bit of cold air coming in when its a nice cool day but when the weather gets hot i dont feel it at all.

 

you need a GOOD recovery and recharge. also try changing your cabin filter.

 

thanks for your help. but what is a GOOD recovery? and why should i recharge if my psi says 31psi? Isnt that good enough?

 

i mean with a a/c recovery and recharge machine, not a can.

psi doesnt mean **** if the quality of the contents is junk. i can put 31 psi of **** in your a/c system, i dont think **** cools you down well though. well, maybe.

 

haha...

 

Hello,

This is where the AC pressure switch is located? My sister's car is having similar issues. The freon levels were adjusted then it went downhill from there.

It is blowing non cooled air. The compressor was not engaging. I jumped the relay and the compressor kicked on, but still non cooled air. I replaced the relay and now the compressor kicks on at least.

Possibly the AC pressure switch? Then a vacuum and recharge?

 

guess what your cars not running freon its running r134a refrigerant, i hate when people say freon. sorry.

And yes get a good recharge, and also check the high pressure. follow the AC lines and see if they are freezing up anywhere, that could be restriction in the system (usually by the dryer/reciever). I'm not sure about our cars but most AC systems have an expansion valve right before the condensor (on that note see if your condensor fan turns on) so you might want to check that valve...

Also if you have the tools you can do a decent recharge yourself, you need to put the AC system in a vacuum, around 20in hg or more for about half an hour, this boils out any excess... and it needs to be a constant vacuum, not a sealed vacuum..

 

I apologize... freon is alot easier to type than R134 lol - i'll be more specific when listing a problem though.

The AC lines are not cooling at all once the compressor kicks on. I believe this to be AC pressure switch or R134 level issue. The day before it stopped blowing the R134 levels were adjusted, I believe that to be just too much of a coincidence to have something clogged. Guess it could happen though.

I will check the condensor fan once I get off work. It should turn on when the compressor is activated, correct?

I do not have the tools to do a correct recharge myself right now. I went to AZ yesterday to rent the vacuum and a decent set of guages, but all the dang AZs are out of the vacuums right now. I may go buy one from HarborFreight today.

I understand now that the low pressure should be around 30-40 with the car running, stablized gauages, and AC full blast. What should the high side be around?

Thank you for the reply, it is much appreciated.

edit: does replacing the AC pressure switch open the system to the atmosphere? (just looking to be prepared if it comes down to it)

 

yes it will. also make sure the vacuum you apply is circulating, you know what i mean? like not putting a vacuum and capping it off, otherwise it wont suck out the refrigerant vapors as its boilng...

High pressure, i think around 250 - 300 is where I liked it, i can't really remember its been a while... most gauges will have a little "zone" area on it for reference. Also make sure that the high pressure side isn't bouncing, if it is, time for a new compressor. (and i mean eratically, it will go up and down as compressor kicks on)