Yes low refrigerant will cause the compressor to not turn on. You can try putting a little r134a in the system to see if the compressor will come on dont put too much in the system in case you have a leak. If the compressor does turn on then I would add a little of ac system uv dye into the system and let it run for a few minutes and start looking for leaks (you will need a uv light). If the compressor does not turn on you have one of three problems a bad compressor, bad pressure switch, or bad compressor clutch.
If the system is leaking at the evaporator in the dash you will not be able to see it with the uv dye for that you will need an ac sniffer tool.
If you search YouTube for Ericthecarguy ac repair he has some good diagnosis and repair videos for ac systems.
