A/C doesn't work

Tiny
C5WRENCHTURNER
  • MEMBER
  • 2000 NISSAN FRONTIER
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • MANUAL
  • 86,000 MILES
My A/C is blowing hot air. I have checked the relay. The wiring is showing a current and my compressor's clutch clicks and turns when the A/C is turned on. I recharged it and the charge only held for 3 days then started blowing hot air. I took it in to a shop, they ran a check and said there was no leak and that the compressor was running all the time like it was overcharging or something (had no idea what that meant). What do I do?
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008 AT 6:35 PM

22 Replies

Tiny
TECMAN
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
I have had the same thing. I have had to replace upper and lower A/C hoses over the past year. in fact I have replaced my A/C hoses about five times in the last eight years. I have had two different shops tell me that the A/C hoses on the frontier go out a lot your lucky if you get more then a year out of then. if it was cold then went warm again due to freon loss there is a leak somewhere.

Read the guide below on leak detection, it will help

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/air-conditioner-leak-detection
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Tuesday, June 17th, 2008 AT 6:44 PM
Tiny
HAYNOSITY
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
  • 2002 NISSAN FRONTIER
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • MANUAL
  • 130,000 MILES
My truck quit blowing cold air a couple of weeks ago. The compressor is still engaging and the system is holding a vacuum @ 30psi. I recharged the system and it was ok for a day, then the same symptoms, compressor still working but no cold air. I rechecked the system and both the low and high sides are reading around 60 psi with it static and running. I used a snooper and did not find any evidence of a leak. I do hear a noise coming from the evaporator area that sounds like a faucet that is turn on low. My next thought is that maybe the expansion valve is stuck shut or the accumulator is bad. Any help on this would be great thanks in advance.
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Monday, July 1st, 2019 AT 7:11 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DOCFIXIT
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,828 POSTS
You have equalized readings the compressor is shot
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Monday, July 1st, 2019 AT 7:11 PM (Merged)
Tiny
HAYNOSITY
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Whats throwing me off is that the ac will work when you charge it for about a day and there are no leaks to be found. Its done this to me twice.
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Monday, July 1st, 2019 AT 7:11 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DOCFIXIT
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,828 POSTS
Any blockage in system would give really low side readings and highere high side readings. 60 psi static and comp running indicates no compression occuring.
After evac and charge was oil added to system?
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Monday, July 1st, 2019 AT 7:11 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DWPANIUSKI
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
  • 1998 NISSAN FRONTIER
Air Conditioning problem
1998 Nissan Frontier 4 cyl Two Wheel Drive Manual 176K miles

The air conditioning works fine in the morning, blows cold air; clutch seems to cycle on-off fine. But then in the afternoon when it gets warmer outside, sitting in a parking lot, a/c seems to works fine in the first few minutes, clutch comes on but then after a few minutes, it sounds like the clutch is coming on but it doesn't and a/c blows warm air. If you rev the motor at a high RPM you can hear the clutch come on and a/c blows cold. When you let the truck come back to an idle, the clutch does not come on and a/c blows warm air. If you get on freeway, a/c will start blowing cold again and clutch seems to cycle on-off just fine. Could you please tell me what you think might be wrong?

Thanks,
Dave
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Monday, July 1st, 2019 AT 7:11 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DOCFIXIT
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,828 POSTS
Hi
Think you have a faulty fan clutch and fan will not cool condensor enough and thermal sensor cuts out comp.
With engine at operating temp and off. Grab fan blade rotate feel resistence any side to side movemnet?
Let me know
Thanks for donate
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Monday, July 1st, 2019 AT 7:11 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DWPANIUSKI
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
Thank you for your help to my previous question regarding the a/c problem. I replaced the faulty fan clutch but still having a problem. Do you think it might be the thermal sensor too? If so, where is it located? Is it located on the a/c compressor? Or could it be the low/high pressure sensor? Is it located on the dryer near the condensor? Again, thanks for your help. I appreciate your time.

Dave Paniuski
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Monday, July 1st, 2019 AT 7:11 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DOCFIXIT
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,828 POSTS
Thermal switcg on compressor follow black wire to clutch to it. Switch cuts out at 280 deg. If not that dual pressure switch cuts out below 30 psi and out at 384 psi
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Monday, July 1st, 2019 AT 7:11 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DWPANIUSKI
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
Thank you for your reply. I think I have figured the problem out. In the morning when it's cool the a/c clutch engages and disengages properly, but in the middle of the day after the truck has run for about twenty minutes when 12 volts is applied to the clutch to engage, the clutch does not engage and all I have to do is take a screwdriver and tap on the front of the clutchplate and clutch engages. I think I have a bad clutch. Is there anyway to to adjust the air gap on the clutch? I would appreciate you letting me know. Again, thank you for your time.

Dave Paniuski
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Monday, July 1st, 2019 AT 7:11 PM (Merged)
Tiny
COREYWELSH87
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
  • 2006 NISSAN FRONTIER
  • 2.0L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 160,000 MILES
My first two levels of my A/c do not work. The air does not blow out, but the light for the a/c is on. Then level 3 and 4 work and blow air but the a/c doesn't work and the light for the a/c flickers or doesn't show up and blows no cold air. When i have level one on and switch to level 3 and 4 the cold air blows out for a moment. I think i had the same problem as this guy.

https://www.2carpros.com/questions/2006-nissan-frontier-4-0-c-only-works-on-level-1-turn-2-light-clutch-off-you-thi

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Monday, July 1st, 2019 AT 7:11 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DOCFIXIT
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,828 POSTS
Yes adjustment shims. Remove center nut and pull off drive plate. Use magnet to pull out shims gap should be.012 to.024 in.
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Monday, July 1st, 2019 AT 7:11 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 110,176 POSTS
To be honest, it does sound like a blower motor resister. The resister is what provides different levels of voltage for the fan motor. When a blower motor only works on higher speeds and not the lower ones, 99% of the time it is the resister. However, your issue also includes the AC turning itself off when the fan starts to work. This leads me to believe the problem may not be the resister but rather the climate control unit itself in the vehicle. The only way to be sure is to do some tests. First, I would suggest checking to see if there is power to the resister when you switch the blower on low (and the AC works). If there is no power to the resister, then the problem must be in the climate control switch in the vehicle. If there is power, then I would replace the resister to see if that eliminates the problem.
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Monday, July 1st, 2019 AT 7:11 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DWPANIUSKI
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
Thank you again for the information. Can you do this without removing the compressor from the vehicle? Are any special tools needed to remove the clutch disc? Could it be possible that the clutch disc and pulley are worn and need to be replaced due to the problem I'm having or do I just need to remove shims to lessen the gap? I appreciate all of your help.

Thanks,
Dave Paniuski
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Monday, July 1st, 2019 AT 7:12 PM (Merged)
Tiny
COREYWELSH87
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Well on level 4 the a/c works sometimes with the blower but it flickers and goes on and off. Same for level 3.
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Monday, July 1st, 2019 AT 7:12 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DOCFIXIT
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,828 POSTS
No need to remove compressor. Measure gap first if in spec. Then coils mangnetic field weak and needs replaced. Getting nut off maybe a little tricky cause it will turn on you. If have air tool easy otherwise hold on and unbolt. May need couple screw drivers to get off. Then inspect if badly grooved replace. If need to replace assembly remove snap ring and remove hub.
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Monday, July 1st, 2019 AT 7:12 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 110,176 POSTS
The cheapest thing to try would be the resister. However, I feel it is the control unit.
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Monday, July 1st, 2019 AT 7:12 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DWPANIUSKI
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
Again thanks for your answer. Where can you buy clutch disc and pulley if needed, after market or do you have to get from nissan, if so do you have nissan part numbers.I can not find breakdown of clutch to get part numbers. How much do you think nissan would charge to do this, again thanks dave
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Monday, July 1st, 2019 AT 7:12 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DOCFIXIT
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,828 POSTS
Your compressor is a Zexel DKV-14C Rotary Vane clutch assembly # 92665-3S500 for $324.13.
Try after market most likely you can replace compressor for what clutch costs.
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Monday, July 1st, 2019 AT 7:12 PM (Merged)
Tiny
NGDOWDEY
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2005 NISSAN FRONTIER
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 50,200 MILES
Hi, I am having a bit of a problem with my 2005 Nissan Frontier LE 4X4. When I turn on the A/C, the light will turn on (on the AC button) and the air will cool on fan setting one. However, the fan wont blow while on setting one! And on fan settings two, three, and four, the air WILL blow but the light on the AC button shuts off and the air heats up to outside temp. If I push the AC button, it will not light up, and the air is not cooled. However, I can move the fan setting back to the first position and the fan shuts off, but the compressor kicks on! PLEASE HELP! It's so hot here in SC!
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Monday, July 1st, 2019 AT 7:12 PM (Merged)

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