Swift_01_z-28

iTrader: (1)

So I got my car back from the body shop the other day, and now all of a sudden the a/c isn't working. It worked fine on the drive home from the shop, but after I turned it off and restarted it about an hour later, I noticed that the a/c was blowin hot air. I turned off the radio and listened and you can hear tell the compressor turns on, it stays on for just a few seconds, and then cuts back off.

I assumed it was just low on refrigerant. I went to add some, and it reads full. The fan that I believe is supposed to turn on when your a/c turns on isn't turning on. What could cause this to happen? I checked all m fuses and everything seems fine, the fan for the engine coolant is worknig, but not the one for the a/c.

Somebody give me some advice please!!!! I live in Texas and it is summer now, wayyyyyy to damn hot to not have an a/c.

Choppers

iTrader: (60)

yea usually when it does that it means that the freon is low. Could it be a bad low pressure switch. What all did the body shop mess with. Could shed some light on your problem.

Swift_01_z-28

iTrader: (1)

I was thinking it may be the low pressure switch, but would that cause the fan to not turn on? When i hooked the gauge up to it, it said that if the psi was in the green, it meant add freon, it said if it read yellow, that it could be a possible overcharge, and if it went into the red it could possibly have a mechanical problem. The gauge jumps to the red every time. If it is the low pressure switch, how would I fix it? I have heard it's not expensive, but I don't know how to replace it.

Breathing Fire

That is what it does when the system pressure is low like choppers said. It turns off and on to try and regain pressure. The shop may have damaged a hose and it is leaking would be my guess. Go get a pressure gauge from a parts store and see what it reads.

Swift_01_z-28

iTrader: (1)

I have a pressure gauge, and it is reading close to 200 psi when the car is just sitting there, but when the compressor kicks on, it drops down to around 100 psi.

Swift_01_z-28

iTrader: (1)

It says on the directions for the gauge that it is calibrated to read the psi when it is between 75-85 degrees. I checked it when it was about 103 or so degrees, but would it really throw it off that much?

Or do you guys think I should just bite the bullet and take it to a mechanic?

koolaid_kid

iTrader: (21)

You should have 2 gauges. Blue goes on the low side, and should read 30-40 psi when the compressor is off. Red goes on the high side, and should read 140-180. We need both readings to diagnose your problem, but you definitely have an issue.

3800RS

iTrader: (15)

i have an extra compressor if u need it. pm me an offer

samson_420

iTrader: (1)

Bite the bullet and take it to a mechanic < Ha, ha. . . .

Get, some good manifold gauges and go at it.

Swift_01_z-28

iTrader: (1)

Okay, the low side is on the accumulator and the high side is by the radiator right? I bought a can of R134A, and it came with a gauge on it. It just has colors on it and it says to connect it to the low side with the a/c set on max cool, and the pressure stays around 180-200 psi when the compressor is off and then drops down to close to 100 when it trys to kick on.

Am I possibly doing it wrong?

3800RS

iTrader: (15)

it gets to 200psi ? i thought the lowside was like 40psi. i can be wrong though

Choppers

iTrader: (60)

no. the low pressure on a hot day needs to be around 35-45. i always run 45 in mine when its 100 degrees out. Says it 75-80 i run 37 psi. If you over charge a a/c system most of the time water won't drip from it and it never gets really cold. If its to low the lines will freeze up(most of the time). I think your looking at a high pressure gauge instead of the low pressure one.

Swift_01_z-28

iTrader: (1)

Well guys, I feel like a dumbass but at the same time, I have discovered another problem. I was checking my fuses and everything about 1:30 this morning, and I found a fuse that was blown out. It was a 40 amp that said it was for the cool fan.
Well, I drove to wal-mart, cuz that is the only place open around here that time of night, and the only set of 40 amp fuses came in a big *** box that was 25$. Well, i get home swap the fuse and everything turns on, and i'm all smiles........POP, little spark, and there goes that new fuse I had just put in.

Needless to say I was pissed, I replaced that bitch with a 50 amp, which worked for just about as long as the 40 amp when it popped as well. I was just about ready to shoot somebody when I decided **** it and put a 30 amp fuse in.

It is still working, and I have had the a/c running and the coolant fan is working and everything. I know it's more than likely just a temporary fix to the real under-lying problem, but oh well I am happy for now.