I ran through search looking for a good AC trouble shoot guide, but came up empty.

My '94 Si has a B18C1 swap, still uses the EG AC system thanks to the del Sol compressor bracket.

My AC is intermittent, when it works, it blows cold. Often times, after a day parked outside at work, the AC will not turn on for the drive home - no compressor clutch actuation, no condensor fan.

I swapped relays over the weekend - no love.

The closest I have seen to a resource is @deschlong posted these: https://honda-tech.com/forums/appear.../#post51642385

Thanks all!

 

Intermittent problems are the worst. You worked through the troubleshooting section of the 1995 guide I posted?

 

jump the pressure switch on the line, its near the dryer.

 

No sir. I got as far as swapping the relays over the weekend, and then driving her yesterday and having all my dreams shattered into little pieces.

After my tears subsided I went looking for some type of AC help thread.

 

I drove my little hatch at lunchtime today. On the drive to lunch, the AC started working when I pressed the switch, but during my drive compressor and fan stopped working.

Same for the drive back to work.

Not sure if I can definitively say that this is heat related, but it seems to be so far...

 

Run through the troubleshooting process in the service manual docs I posted and see what happens. It sure helped me!!!

 

I saw this as one of the steps in @deschlong AC manuals he posted, sounds like I will have to get to this when the system is not working - IE. nice and hot!

 

I bet it will, those processes are usually laid out in the correct order.

Question, it looks to me like the AC compressor clutch does not care if the fan is energized, and vice versa? In other words, they are blind to each other, eh?

 

Switch isn't hard to get to so dont worry, lickety split.

 

could be the blower motor resistor starting to buy the farm.
when it conks out the blower and a/c are disabled.
electrical stuff likes to rise from the dead to drive everyone crazy.
it's a cheap and easy fix and a part that will bite it eventually.

 

btw i found this thread very helpful when i refurbed my a/c last year:

https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-...-home-1665946/

 

Good link, that thread is solid!

Thanks...

 

Good to know. My fan is still moving air, you just feel the air getting warmer and warmer...

 

moving air but how fast? are the fins on the condensor clear/bent?

 

the resistor can also fail in a manner that results in blower motor running at only the highest speed
which (maybe) also shuts down the a/c. see this:

https://www.yourmechanic.com/article...motor-resistor

if you cant change blower speed and your a/c button no longer lights up then i'd look into it.

 

Great resource thread, thank you for posting this!

 

Condensor or evaporator? I thought the prior post was about the blower fan on the evaporator.
I'm sure the condensor looks like it has been abused by road debris...

 

evap might also be somewhat clogged if original, mine was pretty nasty when pulled since it's from the pre cabin air filter era
so it acts as a crude air filter of sorts.
i might try to cram something in there to prevent future nastiness.
this fits 2001 civic anyone know if it would cram into a 1995?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ACDelco-CF3...QAAOSw-hVdN2Hh

 

This makes sense. I pulled the rear seat a few years ago and found hair from my German Shepherd who had been gone since 2002. So there may be a bunch of dog hair occluding air flow, which would not help heating or cooling.

Is there a way to inspect and clean the evaporator and heater core w/o evacuating the AC of freon?

Am I correct that you can't get to the heater core w/o pulling the evaporator unit?

Thanks!

 

you'll have to pull the dash to do the heater core afaik.
not really difficult but time consuming. pull the front seats too.
you might be able to sneak around pulling the evap
after that but if not just consider it an opportunity to replace
evap/condenser/receiver drier/o-rings and schrader valves
(dont forget krytox grease for those last two). vacuum pump and gauges can be rented for free
at many auto parts stores. might sound like a nightmare
but just review that everything a/c link above it's not brain surgery.
also: there's a hole in the ozone above my garage dont tell anyone. 8)

 

you'll have to get the crv box that will take a cabin filter

 

I pulled a box out of a junk 99 Civic LX that has a cabin air filter slot, but my 2000 LX didn’t have one originally. Did any Civics come stock with them?

 

do you have a gauge set ? have you checked the pressure ? also there are I believe 2 relays under the hood bolted to the core support, might hit a junk yard and grab some relays, also check the pressure .

Harbor freight sells a gauge set you can usually get it for 50 or less and I think autozone has it for loan a tool

if you are in central florida I have a gauge set you can use

 

Europe, yes. Many CDM/USDM 98-00 came with the space for the slot but no filter and frame per se.

 

Wondering if all the debris and dog hair gets trapped on the evaporator? If I can pull the evaporator, will that allow me to clean both the evaporator and any debris that may be obstructing air flow through the heater core?

And yes, very good time to replace o-rings. And condensor if the fins are all mangled. And then I guess the drier if you crack the system open that much!