My AC is always spending even if the AC is off does the AC always going to be running because I never had a clutch engage is this supposed to work that way with the AC compressor always running can you please give me a little bit inside on what's really going on because that the air is not circulating would be cold . b) With clutch disengaged, rotate pulley by hand. Put a little oil in the intake port and turn until some oil might come out. With engine off and cold, try hand turning the compressor hub for a start, should be less than 1 ft lb of torque, and should go 360* several turns with no binds. 2004 Lincoln Aviator. The van stalled and would not start for about 10 minutes. The compressor started turning after I added some of the refrigerant. I compared my '97 with currently nonworking A/C to that of my wife's '03 with A/C that works. Why AC clutch won’t engage. There are a couple of ways you can fix the problem to bring back the air conditioning system in order. On the contrary, the AC continued to work properly. If you are looking at the pulley side of the physical compressor on the vehicle, the external pulley will ALWAYS be turning when the engine is running and so you might mistakenly think the A/C is on when in fact all that is turning is the pulley. The next time that happens see if you can turn the compressor by hand, if you can then perhaps this is the case. You dont think by chance the belt is slipping perhaps? That depends . It is good idea to have some hands on experience with handling your car’s minor faults. this is often effective at mitigating leaks. If only the pulley is turning, but the clutch disc isn’t, there’s a problem somewhere in the system. Not uncommon for an AC compressor to seize up like that. A/C Magnetic Clutch is not engaging when A/C button pressed. ***There is no need to pull a vacuum. Suspected Clutch Rotor Bearing Noise. The clutch air gap should be 0.016-0.031 in (0.4 - 0.8 mm). If you get that the air conditioning (AC) compressor clutch is not engaging in your car, you might need to get some answers. If you feel a good suction then replace the expansion valve, evacuate, and recharge. Could try to find one in a bone-yard. I would then check the clutch clearance and compare it to spec. I pulled the clutch wires and put power to the positive side, the clutch engaged or clicked. 1. replace those if you need to attempt a fix. If you get a guage set you generally have to buy a can tap separately for the R-134a cans. Compressor Clutch Is Not Moving. On the contrary, the AC continued to work properly. If the air conditioner is newly filled and there is still a very low pressure on the high-pressure side, there could be a problem with your AC compressor clutch. I'm guessing I used 50 to 75% of the contents of the bottle. If the clutch doesn’t engage, the problem could be a blown fuse, an open in the wire to the clutch coil, a bad clutch coil, a poor ground, or a low pressure lockout. Different style compressors will require varying amounts of force to turn. The low-pressure switch tells the car that the clutch needs to engage and disengage and will shut off the A/C compressor. Some refrigerant will escape, but as long as you get the new valve in quick enough, air will not get into the system. Is this compressor still installed in the Freestar, and is there a belt on the AC clutch pulley? I could turn off the AC button on the dash control and then turn it back on and sometimes the compressor would stay on for hours, sometimes just for a few seconds. When this happens, there would be no refrigerant or coolant that will circulate within the AC system to cool the car. He can check for the dye, recover refrigerant, test pressures and otherwise diagnose the system. Your advise was spot on. AC compressor clutches receive power in a number of ways. To determine if the clutch is operational or not, try these techniques: Switch on the AC controls to MAX AC; Run the engine When you turn the A/C system "on", a clutch behind the pulley mates the pulley to the compressor itself and it is ONLY at that point that the compressor turns and begins … If the compressor doesn't turn on, you probably need 16-18oz. But for now it all seems to be working great. Turn off the power leading to your air conditioning unit. I had a set of gauges from Harbor Freight but the connectors were so poorly manufactured that they did not fit on all the R134 systems that I had. 4. Have an assistant turn on the AC controls to maximum. Spray the running side of the belt and see if the … It is screwed into the refrigerant canister and has two wires extending from it toward the wiring harness. To clarify, I was comparing the feel of hand turning the part of the A/C compressor that you see when looking at the front of the engine. With the fan belt removed the compressor should rotate freely. My car has 167000 miles. Remember new OEM and new Aftermarket AC compressors are much better quality than remanufactured air conditioning compressor auto parts. If excessive roughness or wobble is found, replace the clutch rotor assembly. Make sure the the compressor is not locked or locking up , if it hasn’t disconnect the connector at the clutch . I'm trying to minimize cost sunk into this since I'm considering selling the car this winter. Now, turn on the air conditioning and look again. 4. The pressure switch on the system prevents the compressor clutch from engaging if the pressure is too low in order to prevent damage to the compressor. I installed a new compressor myself. The good news is – it’s not. Another sign of a problematic compressor is the clutch not moving. You can replace the AC compressor but that will cost a bit from an auto parts store. On the Santa Fe the clutch will not turn even without power. I would get a set of these gauges if you are comfortable with working on an AC system. They were very tight on the ones they fit on and would just not go on some others. The good set only cost me about $20 more than the one from Harbor Freight. Another sign of a problematic compressor is the clutch not moving. The Magnetic Coil has been replaced and works when hard wired to 12v, the system has refrigerant (checked by garage) and functions when hard wired. 3. If you do not feel any suction then you have a compressor that is bad. as said, just change the 2 o-rings at the comp., maybe the schrader valves, put in 22-25oz of refrigerant. Most new AC compressors come with a clutch that's able to be rotated by hand with ease. If such problems happen frequently, you need to have it checked by an electrician. It doesn't hurt to have a guage set IF you plan to do AC work on a lot of cars. Also, if pressure is where it should be, then I am going to ask you to check the wire that runs to the compressor clutch to see if it gets power when you turn on the AC. The AC compressor-clutch doesn't activate unless the signal-wire has voltage applied to it (this happens when the refrigerant is at the correct pressure). OK, an update. I at first thought a battery problem but after cleaning, charging, and testing it the battery is fine. If so, try the troubleshooting techniques described here. For … Stand in front of the AC compressor at the front of the engine. The best remedy for this is getting your A/C serviced. Method 1: Add More Coolant. To me "close" on correct amount is good enough, and I bet I have serviced some 50+ cars this way, with no problems. Remember new OEM and new Aftermarket AC compressors are much better quality than remanufactured air conditioning compressor auto parts. Start your engine, turn on the air conditioner, and check whether the compressor clutch shoe is rotating with the pulley. Another way to check the compressor clutch is to simply apply 12v to it. It was fine of course but had to try. Can't hurt, but make sure to flush the compressor … The symptoms were flashing air con indicator when air con switched on and under the bonnet the clutch ( the centre part of the air con pulley connected to the compressor) would not kick in, it would however turn by hand indicating that the compressor was not seized. At least the pulley will rotate. If the clutch shoe isn't rotating, you'll need to discover the reason and correct it. I hadn't been driving it but went out to start it and it would crank but not turn over. buy one of the "A/C kits' that have all the orings in it. Engaging the AC compressor clutch at home is not rocket science. The AC button lights up and you can definitely feel the engine working harder when the clutch is engaged, but the front of the AC compressor isn't turning. I looked at those $30 DIY recharge kits that connect to the low pressure side, but in reading reviews it sounds like the gauges are often wildly inaccurate. The AC compressor continued to turn even after I pulled the 12-volt supply wire to the unit. Measure with a feeler gauge and adjust as advised by the manufacturer. Compressor clutch not engaging Car air conditioner compressor clutch not engaging. ***There is no need to pull a vacuum. Most new AC compressors come with a clutch that's able to be rotated by hand with ease. Related: How Much Does an AC Recharge Cost? But it sounds like to use that correctly, one really needs a vacuum pump and that's another thing that I don't have. They felt different when turning by hand with the engine turned OFF. Popular Answer. outback_97, October 27, 2014 in 1990 to Present Legacy, Impreza, Outback, Forester, Baja, WRX&WrxSTI, SVX. You do not want to remove a schrader valve if the system is pressurized as you could be badly injured. Drop me a note if interested at fish6525@yahoo.com...........Rooster2. Locate the Identification Tag on the compressor body - the part number is stamped on the tag. The vacuum pump is for systems that are completely empty and air may have gotten in, or the system is opened up. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Press J to jump to the feed. One is for ground and one for the 12-volt power cable. A guage set certainly isn't necessary to recharge a system though. Slow down and keep this simple. The clutch on the compressor is what allows the pulley to … I stopped the engine and i was able to turn it by hand, but it was difficult. Drive belt or slipping clutch inner hub should be every easy to,! 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