Air conditioner not working

Tiny
PURECHE
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
I started the car again the compressor clutch did not engage at all for the almost 10 minutes I let the car running. So when I started the engine I put the A/C button on high speed, the fan on right side (passenger side) started running. After 4:37 minutes of running the car the fan on the left side (driver) started running also. In all those 6 minutes, both fans were running, the engine temperature gauge at dash was always between hot and cold. The air at dash blew cold air for maybe less than a minute from when I started the engine.
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Monday, August 3rd, 2020 AT 11:08 AM (Merged)
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
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The fan action is normal. Having the A/C on should start one fan, then when the engine coolant gets high enough it should start the second one. However it sounds like there is a blockage in the A/C system, please run the high and low side pressures at start and running. Those numbers could show the problem.
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Monday, August 3rd, 2020 AT 11:08 AM (Merged)
Tiny
DES1956
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  • 1 POST
  • 1998 DODGE AVENGER
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 162,000 MILES
My AC is making a loud ratteling noise. Not blowing any air hot or cold
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Monday, August 3rd, 2020 AT 11:08 AM (Merged)
Tiny
SERVICE WRITER
  • MECHANIC
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Sounds like the clutch assy is bad on the compressor. You might be able to get the clutch assy. Separate, if not, a compressor.
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Monday, August 3rd, 2020 AT 11:08 AM (Merged)
Tiny
PURECHE
  • MEMBER
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I will do that.
Also to mention, if I start the car when car set for hours, and bypass with a paper clip the wire plug at the pressure switch (the switch that is attached to the top of the drier) the A/C compressor clutch engages. But only stays engaged for about maybe 1 minute, then shuts off and never comes back on unless I let the car sit again for some hours.
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Monday, August 3rd, 2020 AT 11:08 AM (Merged)
Tiny
MHPAUTOS
  • MECHANIC
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Hi there,

First thing to do is get the system pressures tested this will tell the tech where a number of faults may lie, you say it is not blowing at all? Is the blower motor working, do you have any air movement at all?

Mark (mhpautos)
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Monday, August 3rd, 2020 AT 11:08 AM (Merged)
Tiny
TOUGHDIVER
  • MECHANIC
  • 224 POSTS
When you jumper the low pressure switch it is over heating the A/C relay opening the circuit. Evacuated and recharge the A/C system sounds like it is overcharged or to much Pag oil in the system. Or like Steve said you have a blockage in the A/C system. Let us know if this was helpful.

Thank you
Joe T.
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Monday, August 3rd, 2020 AT 11:08 AM (Merged)
Tiny
PURECHE
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
System being overcharged might not be the case as a month ago, I took it in to the Dodge dealership, they said they checked the system for too much or too low Freon and pressure and couldn't find anything. The Dodge mechanic said that it could be an electrical issue. Where could an electrical malfunction be at? Or if there is a blockage in the lines, couldn't he had that detected then when pressure test was performed?
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Monday, August 3rd, 2020 AT 11:08 AM (Merged)
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
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Electrical wise it looks like you already replaced most of those parts. I don't see the A/C relay on there though, however it sounds like it is working as jumping the switch is activating it. It's a long shot but you might want to test the fin thermo-sensor that is in with the evaporator core. It could be skewed and thinking the evaporator core is freezing up and shutting down the compressor, then taking a long time to tell the ECM that it's thawed out. A somewhat crude test for that would be to run the A/C until it stops, now crank up the heat to the dash but close the vents so the heat goes into the HVAC case. Normally you say it has to set for hours, if you can get the heat to shorten the time to say 30 minutes then replace the sensor. The chart is the resistance reading it should have on the two wires depending on the temperature. If you connected an ohmmeter to it and it was say 70 degrees out and you tested it and found it thought it was 40 degrees, it is likely the problem.
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Monday, August 3rd, 2020 AT 11:08 AM (Merged)
Tiny
PURECHE
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  • 9 POSTS
I went ahead and pulled again the evaporator unit out and replaced the thermistor sensor that attaches to the evap fin, I also replaced all AC lines L and H and other 2 AC lines. Fully recharged the AC system with Freon and still the same issue. AC clutch engages at start the pressure was showing good L line getting freezing cold with nice cold air blowing in the cabin and after a minute the Ac clutch stopped and gradually started blowing warm air in the cabin. I pulled the two fat plugs at the ECU and engine oil was present on the upper plug. I removed the ECU unit and also at the bottom underneath the ECU there were 2 other separated harnesses wires that were each ending up into a white plastic plug that they both attached to a plastic sleeve support. Both of those plugs were full of old white oil. I cleaned them all with electrical cleaner spray and cleaned the ECU plug and let it sit upside down overnight. I will plug all back in later today. I hope that was the issue
Do you think that if that oil being there, at first cold start for the car, the oil would have warmed up in the plug and shorten some other components in there therefore tripping the AC clutch into a safe mode?
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Monday, August 3rd, 2020 AT 11:08 AM (Merged)
Tiny
ANK1981
  • MEMBER
  • 24 POSTS
  • 1997 DODGE AVENGER
  • 2.5L
  • V6
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 123,000 MILES
Hello, just a quick question. I just need to know why I don't have cold air coming out my vents in my vehicle. I did have to disconnect the hose from the A/C compressor to do some work to my car. I recharged by putting some Freon in the system but still no cold air. My question Is what can I do to get cold air to work?
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Monday, August 3rd, 2020 AT 11:08 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,289 POSTS
Welcome to 2CarPros.

Is the AC compressor turning on when the AC is on? How much Freon did you add?

Take a look through this link and let me know if anything helps. If you find the compressor isn't engaging, it could just be low on Freon.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-air-conditioner-not-working-or-is-weak

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/air-conditioner-how-to-add-freon

Let me know.

Joe
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Monday, August 3rd, 2020 AT 11:08 AM (Merged)
Tiny
PURECHE
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Update as of 2/21:

I plugged all cables to the ECU back and started the car. The A/C compressor clutch started working once the fan starred and I counted about 7 minutes for the clutch and the A/C fan going on and off with cold air blowing inside the cabin. Then the A/C fan stayed on but the A/C clutch never engaged back. The second day I started the car again and I counted 10 minutes of normal working between compressor clutch and A/C fan until the A/C fan remained on but clutch stopped engaging. I noticed when the AC fan felt like it increased its speed is when after that the compressor clutch never went on again. I stopped the car, started it again, A/C fan coming right on but not the compressor clutch anymore. Before I cleaned the soaked in oil two wires under the ECU box and the two plugs going into the ECU, the clutch was only running, from start the car, for about 1 minute.
Do you think the ECU unit went bad?
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thank you
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Monday, August 3rd, 2020 AT 11:08 AM (Merged)
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
Good evening,

Can you give me the low side and high side readings of the Freon system with the engine running and the AC engaged?

Roy
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Monday, August 3rd, 2020 AT 11:08 AM (Merged)
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 13,003 POSTS
Oil in the wiring isn't a good thing, it can cause some strange problems. I would suspect the ECU if the oil got inside but that is hard to check the way most are potted inside.
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Monday, August 3rd, 2020 AT 11:08 AM (Merged)
Tiny
PURECHE
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  • 9 POSTS
So I replaced the PCM unit with another one that has same features, and no change, car does the same thing, A/C clutch at compressor (from starting the car) only engages for about 7-8 minutes then the A/C clutch stops. When the A/C clutch stops coming on, the engine A/C fan will continuously stay on. Before that, the A/C compressor clutch and the A/C fan stop and start every about 10 seconds.
It seems to me that when the engine gets warm, the A/C clutch stops and the A/C fan stays on non stop. The engine temperature gauge at dash always goes to the middle so I am not running on an overheating engine.
Besides that A/C clutch only working for 8 minutes (blowing nice cold air inside the car for those 8 minutes), the car drives excellent (drove it for long distances with zero issues and excellent performance).
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Monday, August 3rd, 2020 AT 11:08 AM (Merged)
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 13,003 POSTS
Okay, what happens if you shut the engine off after the compressor stops working? Does it come back on when you restart the engine? Or does it take a few hours or days to work again? How about if you shut off the engine, then disconnect the battery? Does the A/C start working on start up or does it still stay off? You had this issue before replacing all of the parts correct? Did the new compressor include a clutch? What is the air gap on the clutch?
What are both the high and low side pressures when the compressor is engaged and what are they both when the compressor stops working?
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Monday, August 3rd, 2020 AT 11:08 AM (Merged)
Tiny
PURECHE
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Thank you for your quick reply
So, last time after the A/C compressor clutch stopped engaging, I turned the engine off and let it sat for 25 minutes then started it back up. The Ac compressor clutch engaged but only for about 2 minutes. If the car sits for about 1 hour or so, it will run the clutch for about 8-9 minutes. So it seems that when engine warms up, the A/C clutch stops.
To answer your question, from cold start the A/C clutch works for 8-9 minutes then stops, if stop the car and start right away, the A/C clutch won't come back on unless the car sat for at least 20 minutes, at 20 minutes sat to cool off, the Ac clutch will only engage for about 2 minutes. Last time, I did disconnect the battery after the clutch turned off (had to put the original PCM back since the replacement PCM wasn't making a difference) and did no difference.
Yes, I had this issue before replacing all the Ac components.
Yes, I purchased the OEM Ac compressor that came with the clutch already installed on it, I never checked the gap at the new Ac clutch since I thought the problem at the beginning was maybe the old compressor but still having the same issue I eliminated the Ac compressor as being the issue here.
I remember when I took the car to the local shop about maybe 3 weeks ago to take the air out and refill the entire system with Freon after I replaced with new all the Ac lines, that the cold line (blue gauge) was showing 30 when the Ac clutch was working (engaged) and then when it stopped it was showing very high maybe like 90, that is when the mechanic said this is not right. He then poured some water on the radiator to make it cool off but no change, he then checked the voltage at wire going to the Ac compressor and was okay, he then checked voltage to the wire to the dryer switch and was okay, he then unplugged both plugs at the PCM and found at the top plug to have oil present in the channel, he then said you need to try to change the PCM and see if that fixes it, I did that too and no change.
One thing to mention, the car was not in my possession for about 6 years before I took it back from this relative of mine and when I stated to put it back in shape I noticed that the coolant thermostat in the housing was not there. Why would a mechanic leave that off. The relative is no longer around to be asked what happened to my car all these 6 years when it was in his possession.
I replaced the engine coolant t-stat that goes into the front of the coolant housing and also replaced the small engine coolant thermostat that goes underneath it, I used pipe tape on this small one. Could it be possible that the gauge at dash is not reading the correct temperature (it goes from cold to middle while engine warms up) I also read online and saw on you tube that if using tape on that sensor when threaded in it might not get a good ground therefore sensor not reading correctly ! But this A/C issue happened before I even replaced all with the new parts.
Let me know what you think.
Thank you
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Monday, August 3rd, 2020 AT 11:08 AM (Merged)
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 13,003 POSTS
Okay, try to get an A/C gauge set and get the current pressures in the system. With those we can proceed. Without them you are stuck. It still sounds like a blockage in the system though.
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Monday, August 3rd, 2020 AT 11:08 AM (Merged)
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
As I stated in the beginning, we need the high and low side readings both when the engine is off and when the compressor is engaged.

Roy
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Monday, August 3rd, 2020 AT 11:08 AM (Merged)

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