A/C clutch not working

TONY02

MEMBER
2004 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER
160,000 MILES

So recently I did a timing belt job on my car listed above and I discharged the A/C system and when I was ready to put refrigerant back in it the A/C clutch wasn’t kicking on. So I ended up jumping the relay and it turned on and now the system is fully charged. But my A/C clutch still isn’t turning on by itself. I swapped the relay and still nothing. I checked the fuses and it’s all good. I also replaced the low pressure switch on it and I’m still getting nothing. Any advice on what I should do next? It seems that the only way the A/C clutch turns on is when I jump the relay.

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Friday, May 8th, 2020 AT 10:18 AM

26 Replies

ASEMASTER6371

MECHANIC
52,797 POSTS

Good afternoon,

I attached a wiring diagram for the A/C compressor.

Can you remove the relay and with the key on? you should have 2 powers in the connector.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-an-electrical-relay-and-wiring-control-circuit

Can you verify this?

Can you check for power as well at the high and low pressure switches?

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-wiring

Roy

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Friday, May 8th, 2020 AT 10:36 AM

TONY02

MEMBER
63 POSTS

Okay, so with the key on at the relay I do have two power connectors, but as for the high and low pressure switches I have nothing, but when I turn the car on and A/C on I do get a ground at both switches but no power.

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Friday, May 8th, 2020 AT 6:00 PM

ASEMASTER6371

MECHANIC
52,797 POSTS

The power for the switches comes from the control head. If there is no power, go to the control head and see if the wire, brown, has power when the A/C is commanded on.

If it does, you have a wiring issue, if it does not, then the control head is bad.

Without the signals from the 2 pressure switches, the PCM will not ground the control side of the A/C relay for the compressor to come on.

Roy

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Saturday, May 9th, 2020 AT 1:54 AM

TONY02

MEMBER
63 POSTS

The control head would be inside the car right the instrument panel that controls all the A/C stuff by the radio? If so then yea the brown wire isn’t getting no power so that would mean the control head is bad then?

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Saturday, May 9th, 2020 AT 8:54 AM

ASEMASTER6371

MECHANIC
52,797 POSTS

That is correct. That is where the power comes from.

I attached a picture of the control for you.

Roy

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Sunday, May 10th, 2020 AT 2:26 AM

TONY02

MEMBER
63 POSTS

Okay, thanks so much for the help. I will go head and replace it and I’ll update it when I do.

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Sunday, May 10th, 2020 AT 5:34 AM

ASEMASTER6371

MECHANIC
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You are welcome.

Always glad to help.

Roy

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Sunday, May 10th, 2020 AT 5:35 AM

TONY02

MEMBER
63 POSTS

Hey, so I know it’s been a while but I finally had a chance to replace the control head with a brand new one but still the A/C clutch doesn’t engage. I also back probed it to check for power at the brown wire and I still have nothing.

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Tuesday, May 19th, 2020 AT 6:36 PM

ASEMASTER6371

MECHANIC
52,797 POSTS

Okay, when you checked the brown wire, was the engine running and the A/C commanded on?

Roy

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Wednesday, May 20th, 2020 AT 6:17 AM

TONY02

MEMBER
63 POSTS

Yes, I put the A/C on high.

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Wednesday, May 20th, 2020 AT 10:56 AM

ASEMASTER6371

MECHANIC
52,797 POSTS

If you disconnect the connector with the key on, does the brown wire have any power?

Roy

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Wednesday, May 20th, 2020 AT 11:03 AM

TONY02

MEMBER
63 POSTS

No the brown wire doesn’t have any power.

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Wednesday, May 20th, 2020 AT 11:26 AM

ASEMASTER6371

MECHANIC
52,797 POSTS

I attached a wiring diagram for you.

check the voltage on both sides of the fuse with the key in the on position.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-a-car-fuse

Roy

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Wednesday, May 20th, 2020 AT 11:33 AM

TONY02

MEMBER
63 POSTS

Okay, so I checked the fuses you said to check and they are good. I used a test light connected to battery ground and it lit up on both sides for all of them.

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Wednesday, May 20th, 2020 AT 5:36 PM

ASEMASTER6371

MECHANIC
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Okay, it is pointing right back to the control head again.

Where did you get the control head?

Roy

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Thursday, May 21st, 2020 AT 4:21 AM

TONY02

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63 POSTS

I got it at AutoZone.

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Thursday, May 21st, 2020 AT 6:02 AM

ASEMASTER6371

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I would return it for another one.

All tests show it is this unit that is bad.

Roy

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Thursday, May 21st, 2020 AT 6:07 AM

TONY02

MEMBER
63 POSTS

Okay, I returned it and got another one at O'Riley’s. I will update when it comes in to see if it’s good or not.

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Thursday, May 21st, 2020 AT 10:29 PM

ASEMASTER6371

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Sounds like a plan.

We will be here.

Roy

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Friday, May 22nd, 2020 AT 4:08 AM

TONY02

MEMBER
63 POSTS

Okay, so it came and and I installed it and still same thing I’m not getting power at the brown wire and the clutch isn’t engaging. At this point I’m thinking of just jumping the relay with a jumper wire and leaving it like that, but my only concern is will this mess up the compressor by having the clutch engaged at all times?

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Thursday, May 28th, 2020 AT 4:08 PM