I usually use my AC and today, while I was driving it started to blow out hot air, after a while it would blow a mix of hot and cold air. I popped the hood and the car hesitates and looks as if it is about to die. My AC is already charged. What can be the problem.

The car does not die, the engine/timing belt area shakes and then stops and happens again after 10-15 seconds. This ONLY happens when the AC is on.

UPDATE- There is a clicking noise every 10-15 seconds, clicks a few times and while that clicking occurs the engine looks like it is about to die.


Modified by kelviiv at 4:28 PM 6/20/2008

 

I checked the fuse under the hood and it seems to be fine.

What else can I check for? Both of my fans are blowing.

 

Clicking noise and engine vibrations are caused by the a/c clutch engaging. Who charged your freon, if you did it yourself, you may either have water or air trapped in your a/c system. You might wanna take it to a shop and have them evacuate the system and remove any moisture that's trapped.

 

^^ good info , i research on here and ti and no one said anything about that

are there any possibilities it can be something else?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by all-mtr-teg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Clicking noise and engine vibrations are caused by the a/c clutch engaging. Who charged your freon, if you did it yourself, you may either have water or air trapped in your a/c system. You might wanna take it to a shop and have them evacuate the system and remove any moisture that's trapped.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I just called a few shops and explained to them, they said there since there is already freon in there they doubt that just flushing/charging the ac again would fix the problem and would like a diagnostic test done to it for $100 :[

i would rather try to fix it myself, although i've read that it is nothing to mess around with.

there was a article here recently on some guy flushing/charing his ac through the compressor, does anyone have the link? i couldn't find it anymore.

 

I would get a shop to recharge it but I do not want them to diagnostic and charge me a fee with that ontop of that a fee for recharging it.

MY MAIN QUESTION IS

Since my engine is shaky just very little every 10-15 seconds and my rpm drops at that time, Could it just need a recharge meaning there is a leak? My idle is at 500, when it shakes a little it drops to 200-300 and back to 500. This ONLY OCCURS when the AC IS ON.

 

some help

 

That guy might be me. I recently had problems with my A/C...
Abort the diagnostic fee and try to get a lender, like from AutoZone, gauge pressure/refiller kit that you hook up to your high and low side valves. On the end of the hoses attached to these gauges you attach a special vacuum(not sure if you can find a lender but it usually costs $200) that sucks all the air out and it instructs you to leave it on for a minimum of 30 minutes. Then you fill up with around 24 ounces of 134a(I recommend Artic Below) BEFORE TURNING ON A/C SYSTEM.

And yes, I believe your car is studdering from struggling to stay running because the A/C compressor is struggling to pass uneven refridgent/gases through it. This would be very unhealthy for the compressor.

 

Ok thanks for your input

do you have the writeup?

 

Just yank that sh*t out man. You don't need AC.

 

too bad valerie complains hahahaha

 

Get your idle problem taken care of first bro. Car shouldn't be idling at 500 rpm. That's to low to begin with, and then with the added load of the a/c compressor, the car will feel like dying.

 

If you absolutely want to see quickly if the A/C is causing the problem or not, grab a 12mm wrench and loosen the A/C Idler pulley enough to take the belt off and let it hang on the lower driver's side mount. But don't drive like this of course.

 

LIke that guy said, Fix your idling. My a/c kept making clicking noises too but that was when my car's idling was messed up and it was very low like yours (seems like its gonna die). I fixed the problem by fixing my idling.