Hi all. I joined the forums looking for help because I'm in need of assistance. I've looked online but can't seem to find anything that matches my symptoms. My 01 Civic started blowing hot air the other day while driving down the road. I checked my ac compressor and the clutch plate (for lack of a better word/knowledge) on the compressor pully was missing as was the lock nut. I figured they fell off somewhere down the highway So I went to a shop in town that rebuilds compressors and got a new clutch plate and nut. Using a clutch tool I tightened the new clutch and thought that'd be it. Nope. My clutch won't engage now. The pully still spins fine when the engine is running so I'm fairly sure that's still good. I can manually turn the clutch with my bare hand so I don't think that's locked up. I checked all the fuses I could think of both under the hood and beneath the dash. I tried changing the relay switch with another one of the same kind and still nothing. Also of note, neither of the fans behind what I'm assuming is the condensor are running regardless of the AC button being on or not. I think I've covered it all. Help. Thanks!
Micah

 

Did you shim the compressor clutch to have the proper gap between the pulley and armature plate?

Did you voltage test fuses 1, 4, and 14?

 

No on both fronts.

What should the shim gap be?

Assumedly the voltage should be 12 volts when testing the fuses?

 

Within a volt of voltage measured across the 2 battery posts. Click the Test Fuses link in my signature.

 

The circuit diagram may also help:

 

Awesome. I'll get on both of those in the morning.

 

Gap looks good. Got a feeler gauge and adjusted it accordingly. Fuses 1, 4, and 14 show 12.11v, 12.11v, and 12.09v respectively.

 

Can you locate the A/C pressure switch? It's attached to the receiver/dryer near the condenser. Unplug it. Turn key to ON(II), and ground the Blu/Wht wire terminal in the connector. Do both fans run? Does the compressor clutch engage?

 

Both test tabs of each fuse?

 

Yes. Both tabs of 1 and 4. 14 is a 40 amp and didn't have the test tabs so I popped off the cap and tried both sides.

 

When you say ground the Blue/white wire would you run a length of wire with the ends stripped from that connector to a ground source like the neg terminal of the battery?

 

 

Yes. Ground to the battery (-) post or chassis.

 

Grounded blue/white wire. Fans came on, clutch just sat there.

 

Be prepared, there's more than one problem.

Start here. The Blu wire of the pressure switch runs to the heater control panel in the dash. Unplug the connector to the heater control panel. Turn key to ON(II), and then ground the Blu wire in the heater control panel connector. Do the fans run again?

 

I have 2 blue wires, one in each plug, both with little silver spots on them. No pure blue wires.

 

Checked the ac pressure switch and its blue with silver. So I gounded both blu/slv lines on the heater panel, one at a time and no, the fans did not come on for either blue w/silver line.

 

The one at pin 4:

 

I don't have a blu/slv at pin 4. I have pink/silver there. Blu/slv is pin 3.

 

It's pin 4. The connector views are from the rear side.

Plug the heater control panel connector back in.

Unplug the pressure switch. Use a piece of wire to short the two wire terminals of the switch connector. Turn key to ON(II). Turn on the cabin blower and press the A/C button. Do the fans in the engine bay run? Does the compressor clutch engage?

 

The fans came on but the clutch didnt budge.

 

Okay, the system is low on refrigerant or the pressure switch is bad. That's the first problem. Would you like to do more electrical to pinpoint the clutch problem?

 

Lets do it.

 

Unplug ECU connector E. Turn key to ON(II). Ground the red wire at pin E18. Does the clutch engage? If not, measure voltage to body ground at the red wire pin at E18. What's the voltage?

 

The clutch still doesn't engage. At pin 18 the voltage measures 11.54 volts.