Air Conitioning
3rd Gear Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 843
From: THE AlbuCrackie,NM
RE: Air Conitioning
Jeff, It could mean either I suppose....
From the sounds of it, the switch is bad. Especially if the gauge is reading overfilled by his readings.
I've always taken the trick as a shortcut to finding a bad switch. 90% of the time it is and that's all that the customer needs.
We cheat at work, we have books AND tools to help us do the job.
Most of us "roots/backyard Mechs" don't have but a half set of Craftsman tools that Uncle Jesse gave us way back in the day.
I'd replace that switch.
Good luck,
-Ivan
From the sounds of it, the switch is bad. Especially if the gauge is reading overfilled by his readings.
I've always taken the trick as a shortcut to finding a bad switch. 90% of the time it is and that's all that the customer needs.
We cheat at work, we have books AND tools to help us do the job.
Most of us "roots/backyard Mechs" don't have but a half set of Craftsman tools that Uncle Jesse gave us way back in the day.
I'd replace that switch.
Good luck,
-Ivan
Thread Starter
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 215
From:
RE: Air Conitioning
Ivan, maybe I am confused on this one. You said if the switch was bad that the clutch would not come on right? Well if that was the case the compressor would not even spin would it?
ORIGINAL: Bad Karma
as far as testing the LP switch...
again, if the clutch is coming on then you shouldn't need to do this at all...
Unplug the harness going inot the LP switch. Should be a two wire deal, nothing serous.....take a paperclip and bridge the two wires going into the harness, not the actual switch which you just unplugged from. If the AC Compressor kicks on now (engine running mind you), then you have a bad switch....$27 at any Ford house. Easy to install, but you may lose some R134A Freon.
If bridging the switch does not work, then it may be an electrical issue of the switch inside your cabin (the actual AC switch on the HVAC controls) or that there is no/not enough Freon in the system....
If that's the case, then you have a leak and the only way to nail it down would be to have a professional do a Dye leak check for you....most places around here charge $39.99 for the actual check but it's money well spent unless you have a UV light and dye
Keep us posted.
Thanks,
Ivan
as far as testing the LP switch...
again, if the clutch is coming on then you shouldn't need to do this at all...
Unplug the harness going inot the LP switch. Should be a two wire deal, nothing serous.....take a paperclip and bridge the two wires going into the harness, not the actual switch which you just unplugged from. If the AC Compressor kicks on now (engine running mind you), then you have a bad switch....$27 at any Ford house. Easy to install, but you may lose some R134A Freon.
If bridging the switch does not work, then it may be an electrical issue of the switch inside your cabin (the actual AC switch on the HVAC controls) or that there is no/not enough Freon in the system....
If that's the case, then you have a leak and the only way to nail it down would be to have a professional do a Dye leak check for you....most places around here charge $39.99 for the actual check but it's money well spent unless you have a UV light and dye
Keep us posted.
Thanks,
Ivan
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 296
From:
RE: Air Conitioning
Thanks Ivan. That's kinda what I thought and you're probably right -- the switch is an easy item to replace and is relatively inexpensive to buy so it doesn't really do any harm to give it a whirl. Thanks for the clarification!
- Jeff
- Jeff
3rd Gear Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 843
From: THE AlbuCrackie,NM
RE: Air Conitioning
If the switch is bad, there is no way the clutch will engage against the pulley on the AC Compressor. If you have a clutch that is "grabbing" onto the pulley on the AC Compressor, then let me know. The switch could be working if you added enough freon earlier.
Did you add any Freon with the kit you got today? What is the reading you have on the dial if any?
-Ivan
Did you add any Freon with the kit you got today? What is the reading you have on the dial if any?
-Ivan
3rd Gear Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 843
From: THE AlbuCrackie,NM
RE: Air Conitioning
ORIGINAL: Frebius
The AC unit is turning off and on so I would assume it is.
The AC unit is turning off and on so I would assume it is.
Ok, so the clutch comes on ang goes off with the activation of the switch inside your car?? If this is the case, there are some issues that will probably need some professional help. You might have a clogged compressor orifice screen (not a big deal) or your compressor itself could be dying (****ty) and not doing it's job correctly of compressing the Freon.
Either way, it wouldn't hurt to take it to a reputable shop. You might even be able to find a reman compressor if that's what it ends up being.
Now, if it's turning on and off with you not doing anything, than that could end up being a better thing. It would definitely be the LP switch. I mean, if you have the car running, calling for air (AC ON in the cabin) and it's cycling between clutch engagement and disengagement, then replacing the LP switch would cure the issue.
-Ivan
