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Repair Topics > Air Conditioning Symptoms… > Compressor clutch

not engaging

Compressor clutch not

engaging
Car air conditioner compressor
clutch not engaging TOP ARTICLES 5/5

If you’re here, chances are you’ve tried to recharge your AC system

and found a compressor clutch not engaging issue. If so, try the
troubleshooting techniques described here. This is a full explanation
of how the system works. After reading, go to this post to learn how
to diagnose a compressor clutch problem.

What makes an AC compressor clutch

engage? CardealPage [O cial] Ford Extended
Car makers use an electro-magnetic clutch
Japanese Used Warranty
Carstofor Sale andfor
engage …
disengage
the air conditioning compressor.
Cardeal Page OPEN
When power
energizes the clutch
coil, the magnetic eld
pulls the clutch in
towards the pulley.
The clutch disc is
splined to the
compressor shaft. As
the clutch disc pulls in
towards the pulley,
the pulley provides
the rotating power to
operate the The three components of a car’s air conditioning
compressor. compressor clutch

If the clutch doesn’t

engage, the air
conditioning
compressor can’t
pump refrigerant. So
1997 NISSAN 2004 TOYOTA 2005 TOYOTA
start your diagnosis DATSUN DYNA MARK X
by determining if the TRUCK
$3,067 $975
compressor clutch $2,540

works. Learn more Learn more Learn more

Turn the air

conditioning controls
to MAX AC and start
the engine. Then look at the front of the compressor clutch. Both Find what you are
the pulley and the clutch should be spinning.TOP
That means the
ARTICLES 5/5clutch
looking for
has properly engaged with the pulley. If only the pulley is turning,
but the clutch disc isn’t, there’s a problem somewhere in the system. Search for:

Why AC clutch won’t engage

Search
If the clutch doesn’t engage, the problem could be a blown fuse, an
open in the wire to the clutch coil, a bad clutch coil, a poor ground,
or a low pressure lockout. AC compressor clutches receive power in
CardealPage
a number of ways. They can [O cial]
activate through aFord
relayExtended
that’s
energized directly by a proper condition
Japanese forWarranty
of the
Used Cars low for …
Sale and high
pressure switches. Or, the relay can be operated by the PCM which
Cardeal Page OPEN
has interpreted the condition of the low and high pressure sensors.
In that case, the PCM would see that the refrigerant pressures are
within bounds and the PCM would provide a ground connection to
the control coil side of the AC compressor clutch relay. In both of
these scenarios, you’d start the diagnosis by checking the
compressor clutch fuse.

New type grinding mill

If the fuse is
3-80 t/h Mineral grinding mill for
good, disconnect calcite, dolomite, quartz, limestone.
the electrical Closed system

connector from
the compressor
clutch coil. Move Follow Rick’s Free
it away from Auto Repair
moving parts so Advice
you can safely
check for power
and ground. With
engine running
In some vehicles the and the AC set to

compressor clutch relay is MAX, use a digital

In a computer controlled voltmeter to Recent Posts
turned on and o by the
system, the compressor check for battery
low pressure switch and Honda P3400 P3497
clutch relay is grounded by voltage and good
the evaporator Use a tire plug a tire after it’s
the computer. ground at the run at?
temperature sensor.
connector. P0300 Mazda 3
Tier 2 supplier
If you’re not getting battery voltage, pull the compressor clutch relay Tier 1 supplier

and check for power and ground on the relayTOP

control coil terminals
ARTICLES 5/5
in the socket.

Wiring varies by make, model, and year. Some car makers trigger
the relay control coil ground through the PCM or ECM. In order for
the computer to provide ground, it must receive a good signal from
the low pressure switch, high pressure switch, and evaporator
temperature sensor.

In other vehicles the power ows through the air conditioning

CardealPage [O cial] Ford Extended
switch to the fuse and from the fuse through the low pressure and
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Sale for …
evaporator temperature sensor to the clutch coil.
Cardeal Page OPEN

Is the compressor clutch air gap set

Is the compressor clutch air gap set
properly?
The compressor clutch air gap is critical to the AC compressor clutch
engaging. To learn more about AC compressor clutch air gap, read
this post

Should you jumper across the low pressure

switch?
NEVER! Air conditioning compressors need a constant supply of oil
to prevent catastrophic failure, and it’s the refrigerant that carries
the oil through the system. That’s why car makers install a low
pressure switch–to prevent the compressor from running if the
system is low on refrigerant.

DIY recharging kits tell you to recharge through the low pressure
port while the compressor is engaged. But if the system is low on
refrigerant, the clutch will never engage. Some DIYers then hotwire
the low pressure switch to force the compressor clutch to engage
while they recharge.

BAD MOVE. At that point you’re running the compressor with little
to no oil. You may get it to accept a charge, but you may have
already damaged the compressor before the system reaches full
charge. NEVER try to bypass the low pressure switch. Doing so will
force the compressor to run with inadequate oil and can destroy the
compressor.

Is the AC system too low to charge?

TOP ARTICLES 5/5
If an air conditioning system is so low on refrigerant that it can’t
engage the compressor clutch, it’s really too low to be recharged
with a DIY kit. The leak is large and should be repaired, because
there’s probably air and moisture in the system. Moisture reacts
with the refrigerant and oil to cause acid and sludge that can
destroy the system. Then the system should be fully evacuated to
remove all air before recharging.

Can you check ACCardealPage

charge with a DIY
[O cial]
Ford kit?
Extended
Japanese Used Cars forWarranty
Sale for …
Not really. DIY kits come with a low pressure side gauge and they’re
designed to provide a static pressure
Cardeal Page (engine not running or AC o )
OPEN
and a running pressure. Static low side pressure won’t give you any
idea of system charge. You could have a low side target range of 50-
psi and see that static pressure on your gauge. All that tells you is
that there is some refrigerant in the system. But 1 ounce of
refrigerant will provide a 50-psi reading the same as a full system.
The only thing a kit gauge can tell you is that your system is
completely empty if you attach the gauge and get a reading of 0-psi.
Getting a static pressure reading on the low side will only tell you if
there’s enough pressure in the system to over-ride the low pressure
cuto switch. Period.

1997 NISSAN 2004 TOYOTA 2005 TOYOTA

DATSUN DYNA MARK X
TRUCK
$3,067 $975
$2,540

Learn more Learn more Learn more

A static pressure taken on the high side is a slightly better indicator

of system charge
because the high side is
much more responsive
to ambient
temperature than the TOP ARTICLES 5/5
low side. But even then,
it will only tell you if
there’s some
refrigerant in the
system. However, to
read the high side
pressure, you’ll need a
manifold gauge set.
CardealPage [O cial] Ford Extended
However, I’ve been aroundJapanese
long enough forWarranty
to know
Used Cars you’ll tryfor
Sale to …
recharge it against my advice. There is a way to add more
Cardeal Page OPEN
refrigerant without hot wiring the low pressure switch and running
the compressor. Be warned that I take no responsibility for any
damage you cause by using this technique.

R-134a TEMPERATURE STATIC PRESSURE

CHART
Ambient Temperature °F/°C Low-Pressure Gauge High-Pressure
Gauge
65°F Low side pressure 25-35 psi High side pressure 135-155 psi
70°F Low side pressure 35-40 psi High side pressure 145-160 psi
75°F Low side pressure 35-45 psi High side pressure 150-170 psi
80°F Low side pressure 40-50 psi High side pressure 175-210 psi
85°F Low side pressure 45-55 psi High side pressure 225-250 psi
90°F Low side pressure 45-55 psi High side pressure 250-270 psi
95°F Low side pressure 50.55 psi High side pressure 275.300 psi
100°F Low side pressure 50-55 psi High side pressure 315-325 psi
105°F Low side pressure 50-55 psi High side pressure 330-335 psi
110°F Low side pressure 50.55 psi High side pressure 340.345 psi
Ambient temp is the outside atmospheric temperature.

How to charge AC compressor even if

compressor isn’t running
Connect the recharging kit to the low pressure (suction) port. The
low pressure tubing is always a larger diameter than the high
pressure line. Plus, the DIY kit tting will only attach to the low
pressure port. Turn the key to the RUN position and turn the blower
fan to HI. Turn the AC to MAX to start the radiator fans. Then start
adding refrigerant.

TOP ARTICLES 5/5

If your vehicle is an ori ce tube system, the refrigerant gas will ow
through one of the open compressor reed valves and into the
condenser coil. The radiator fans will cause the refrigerant to
condense and turn back into a liquid. It won’t be under pressure
since the compressor isn’t running. But chances are some of it will
still reach the ori ce tube and ow into the evaporator coil. With the
blower fan running, any liquid that enters the evaporator will boil
and turn back into a gas. After a few minutes, you may be able to
build up enough pressure CardealPage
to close the low
[Opressure
cial] switch. So try
Ford Extended
starting the engine and checking the
Japanese compressor.
Used Cars forWarranty
Sale for …

Cardeal Page OPEN

If you have an expansion valve system, the blower fan will prevent
the sensing tube from shutting down the expansion valve while you
try to add refrigerant.

If this technique doesn’t work, take it to a shop. Do NOT hot wire the
low pressure switch.

© 2014, Rick Muscoplat

Air conditioning compressor and clutch

assembly

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Rick Muscoplat

TOP ARTICLES 5/5

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