A/C Issue

[riskman1]

Hello All,

Have an A/C question about my 1995 Explorer. For months, my compressor was cycling on an off about every minute or so. Finally had it checked out by a mechanic and the system was low of freon. He added freon and it seemed to cool for about one day and then the compressor quit working. The clutch will not engage. I checked the A/C fuse and it is okay. I am unemployed and don't have any money to spare for anoher trip to a mechanic.

I know that there is a WOT relay. Could a bad WOT relay be the cause of the clutch not engaging? Could it be the clutch cycling switch? I realize that there are a whole lot of other possibilities causing the problem. I am looking for a cheap fix to my problem if possible?

Any feedback would be very much appreciated.

 

[deweyville65]

You could always use a jumper wire from the battery to the compressor to see if it will run. If it does, you can jump, with a paper clip, the pressure switches to see if you have a bad switch somewhere. If it runs with any of these tests, you can figure out what is wrong.

 

[my98nnj]

If the system was low on refrigerant, it has a leak.
Charging it back up may have aggravated the leaky spot and now you've lost the charge again. The low pressure safety switch is most likely keeping the compressor from running at this point. Do not jump anything as you can burn out the compressor which will be costly to repair.

Have a qualified a/c tech check the system for leaks, repair it, evacuate and recharge by weight from a vacuum state. That's pretty much your only option.

 

[riskman1]

Thanks for your feedback. I have a friend who might be able to assist me.

 

[deweyville65]

And you don't think a mechanic won't jump the compressor to check it? What ever happened to common sense? Oh, I forgot, some people read a book, and thats all they know. You don't jump the thing and let it run for a long length of time. But you gotta test it some how, especially if you don't have all the tools.

 

[my98nnj]

And you don't think a mechanic won't jump the compressor to check it? What ever happened to common sense?

Common sense says a mechanic has a multi-meter and a set of a/c pressure gauges and uses them to troubleshoot the vehicles systems he's qualified to repair.

The mechanic that's using a jumper wire to "test" things sure as hell isn't working on any of my vehicles.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Ok, deweyville, what's the gig?

This is like what- 3 threads that you seem to go off on my98nnj for a reply- is there some pre-existing animosity or something?

 

[deweyville65]

No, no anamosity. But, I live in the real world, and speak from experience. I haven't lived for over 65 years and worked on equipment and cars and trucks, big trucks, not pickups, not to have learned something. Not everybody has the money to go to a shop to have work done. I like to help the little guy. If you have money to pay someone, go right ahead. But some of these comments sound like someone read or was told something, now that is the only way to do it. There are alternatives to everything, except dieing. Some work, some dont, but you can at least use some common sense and try.