1999 Chevy Cavalier A/C not working - now engine is hesitat

Tiny
TK-99CAVALIER
  • MEMBER
  • 1999 CHEVROLET CAVALIER
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 167,000 MILES
I own a 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier with about 167,000 miles on it. About 10 months ago, my A/C system started losing pressure. I bought a recharge kit and added refrigerant myself. Over the next few months I found myself adding refrigerant more and more frequently. 2 months ago, after recharging the unit, the A/C stopped working completely and would only blow warm air even with a full charge. Since it is winter, I decided to wait until the summer to fix or replace it. However, since the A/C has died I have noticed a squeeking noise coming from the compressor, usually when the engine is cold and idling but sometimes at other times. Over the last 3 or 4 weeks, I have also felt the engine hesitate when accellerating from a stop and while at cruising speed. I suspect the two problems (the A/C malfunction and the hesitation) are related. I cannot afford a major A/C unit repair right now. Would disconnecting the A/C unit from the engine until I can afford the repair be a good idea?
Monday, January 18th, 2010 AT 1:27 PM

1 Reply

Tiny
RASMATAZ
  • MECHANIC
  • 75,992 POSTS
Sounds like the compressor is locking up and causing an extra load on the engine-I recommend you eliminate the compressor for the time being till you can afford it

Also hesistation can be caused by the following below:

Oxygen sensor
Dirty fuel injectors (cleaning the injectors often fixes this).
Bad MAP (manifold absolute pressure) sensor
Bad TPS (throttle position) sensor
Bad or dirty MAF (mass airflow) sensor
Low fuel pressure (leaky fuel pressure regulator or weak fuel pump)
Vacuum leaks (intake manifold, vacuum hoses, throttle body, EGR valve)
Bad gasoline (fuel contaminated with water or too much alcohol)

Sometimes, what feels like a hesitation is actually ignition misfire rather than lean misfire. The causes of ignition misfire may include:

Dirty or worn spark plugs
Bad plug wires
Weak ignition coil
Wet plug wires
Cap or Rotor
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Monday, January 18th, 2010 AT 8:01 PM

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