*A/C doesn't turn on..???*

[PRIMOCB7]

just finished re-installing my a/c lines and compressor. when i turn the a/c on, i noticed the clutch of the a/c compressor isn't engaging. my a/c was working fine last summer, especially after i had it retrofitted to R134. i know i have to recharge the a/c system again coz the oil / freon was drained out prior to my swap last winter. could this be the reason why the a/c compressor isn't engaging ??

[clarksterdotcom]

it shouldnt be the reason why it isnt even trying to engage...id expect it to just not blow the cold air....but im not an HVAC tech...i havent even messed with mine yet, and im trying to install my digital CC LMAO...all i did was wire mine up

[Granite CB7]

Yeah, I'm not sure what your problem is. This may help: So I'm planning on taking out the ENTIRE a/c system. Went down to local garage and asked them to evacuate the refridgerant for me (want to play it safe). The guy tells me I have close to nothing (only about 1 psi)! So I'm like, there's $30 down the drain!

Funny thing is my clutch doesn't engage either. Tried today after I got home from ^ and won't engage. It should engage, charged or not! So maybe it's b/c you have nothing in there?! Hope I helped Primo.

Dan

[evol90accord]

i know i have to recharge the a/c system again coz the oil / freon was drained out prior to my swap last winter. could this be the reason why the a/c compressor isn't engaging ??

YES. The dual pressure switch senses low pressure (your out of refrigerant) and won't allow the compressor to kick on. This is to prevent damage to the compressor from running it dry. Get your system recharged and it'll work fine.

[PRIMOCB7]

YES. The dual pressure switch senses low pressure (your out of refrigerant) and won't allow the compressor to kick on. This is to prevent damage to the compressor from running it dry. Get your system recharged and it'll work fine.

THANK YOU!!! i was hoping to here that from someone who knew more about this than i did. i feel better now

[evol90accord]

Glad I could help

[Granite CB7]

Thanks for the info, was wondering about that even though it's coming out!

Dan

[evol90accord]

too much coolant and low coolant will keep it from engaging.......sometimes, overfilling it, turning it on, then bleeding it off until it kicks in is the only way hondas will begin to work.........all i can figure out is that an airlock gets in there and until you get it out, you won't get a/c (sometimes).........

i've noticed this most on r12 a/c systems, whether converted or not didn't matter, but i've always had luck filling it up as much as possible, turning it all on, then bleeding it off and boom, works fine then

you can bypass the switch completely, but that's more trouble and if something isn't just right, it could cause the compressor to burn up

Again, the dual pressure switch is causing a problem (well actually its doing its job). If you overfill the system, the pressure is too great and the sensor shuts it down for safety, otherwise you'll blow a schrader valve god knows what else. This is why when you pull a vacuum on the system, close off the high side and fill through the low side while the compressor is running. You'll hear it click on. Then you just have to monitor your pressures and vent temps to get the optimum cooling/pressure ratio. Too much refrigerent will get you colder with more frequent cycles (burns compressor clutch quicker) where lower pressures means less cool air but cycles are longer. There is a happy medium, it just takes an a/c tech who cares about you sweating your balls off to do it right. usually thats you and you only.

[evol90accord]

Well whatever works for you. In my experience it was easier to do it the *ahem* right way. Overfilling it and bleeding off pressure just makes the compressor turn on and off over and over until you get stable. thats really annoying when your trying to monitor pressures but they keep equalizing from the compressor turning off and on. Why not just slowly fill through the low side like your supposed to until your pressures are close and then keep bumping up slowly as much as you can until its unstable? Back it off a touch and its done. Its kind of like overclocking a computer if your into that... I'd just hate to see a member here do what my uncle did, which put 8 stitches in his lip. Screw litigation problems, how about good ol fashioned personal injury.

[evol90accord]

i'm dying to know, what did your uncle do that garnered stitches.

He overfilled it and somehow God only knows the high side coupler blew off and hit him in the face. It's alright, you can laugh now.

Do what works for you, just understand that guidelines and books and rules aren't just there to keep a man down, they're there to keep you from hurting yourself.

[xtremeskier97]

fizzBob7...what temps are you getting at the vents when doing it the way you did it?

Oh...and does anyone know how much refrigerant our system is supposed to hold? I replaced my radiator support and forgot to take the sticker off before I threw it away.

Thanks.

[green5thgen]

Go by 26 to 30 oz as a guide to start off. Yes, bot Fizzbob and Evol are right. The compressor will not kick idf there is no, or too much refergriant. But, if you want cold air, you will need to pull a vacum to get rid of the moisture. In a vacum, moisture boils at a lower temp thus making it easier to get out. Doing this can lower vent temps as much as 30 degrees. You want the low side of the AC lines to have around 35 pound of pressure while the ac is on high fan, and after it''s run for 2 minutes constant. Do these steps and you'll have cold air in no time.

[xtremeskier97]

What is you'lls definition of "cold air"? 40 degrees?

[jhondayaaj]

just finished re-installing my a/c lines and compressor. when i turn the a/c on, i noticed the clutch of the a/c compressor isn't engaging. my a/c was working fine last summer, especially after i had it retrofitted to R134. i know i have to recharge the a/c system again coz the oil / freon was drained out prior to my swap last winter. could this be the reason why the a/c compressor isn't engaging ??

if you don't have any refrigerent in the system of course the compressor clutch will not engage.

[green5thgen]

I was incorrect in the oz of 134a, it is 21.6 to 22.9 oz of freeon sp???