hi all
i have a 2.2 diesel civic 08
my air con has been faulty for a while, but with the UK in its hottest summer for decades decided to try sort it, it sometimes works 1st off but soon stops after 5 mins, never works when hot!
my obvious 1st call was to recharge the gas but still no joy, the guy said civics are temperamental to get it checked at an auto electrical but sounds pricey
looked online and read the relay is a common fault and located it on my car (changing a fuse/relay is about my limit on cars) however mine pictured below says "toyota ABS" on it?
is it worth spending £5 for a new unbranded relay off ebay?
failing that with the normal UK weather i'd probably just leave it faulty

any help will be appreciated
ta

 

I'm not aware of the laws in the UK compared to the US regarding A/C systems and refrigerant. Make sure you don't do anything illegal if they don't allow you to work on them.

A relay is a relay is a relay. The important thing to note here is it says DENSO, which is the OEM supplier for a bunch of Honda parts. Does it still click when you engage the A/C unit? Can you grab a spare relay from an auto salvage yard for basically free?

You need to grab a multimeter when the compressor shuts off to check if there is power (about 12 volts) at the compressor clutch. If there is, you need to check the compressor clutch gap. Running for a few minutes and cutting off SCREAMS clutch gap issue. Sometimes you can tap on the outer clutch hub while the car is running with the butt end of a screwdriver to get it to re-engage. If it does, you likely need to remove a shim.

If there is no power, then you need to work your way back through the system with a multimeter and wiring diagram to see where it went wrong. It can be the climate control, engine computer, fuse box, relays, or any wire in between. This task might be better for an experienced friend or shop to do if you're not familiar with electrical work.

 

thanks for the reply
my head is definitely better behind the wheel and not under the bonnet

yes it can run fine for a few minutes then it just blows out whatever the air is outside, i'll try a different relay, that's about my limit with cars, then see what happens

 

as soon as it starts blowing warm air immediately check the ac lines going into the cabin from the engine bay and see if they are frosting over