Sylar

Hi all,

1998 Trans Am with warm blowing air. Went to the auto parts store and got a can of R-134 with the gauge and we filled it to spec. It took a long time to get it in there as the clutch wasn't kicking in. Once it did, it filled up fine and the air was ice cold!

A few minutes after that, I found that there was a leak in the valve core on the low pressure valve. That was a few weeks ago and I haven't been using the air as the weather has been great here in Florida.

Today I was able to replace the valve core and I would like to recharge the system, but I cannot get the clutch to kick in to accept the refrigerant. I can get it to go into the port, but the dryer is not getting cold and the pressure is going very high >125psi.

I believe my issue is that the compressor clutch has not kicked in to equalize the pressure. What steps can I take to make sure that the clutch is on? The leak has been fixed, but there is not charge in the system which is why I believe it is not coming on. Can someone tell me the steps and how to get this to kick on so I can get the charge in there?

Thanks!

BILLFISHER21

Simple enough the two wire pressure switch can be jumped. Or another simple way is to add power to the compressor wire If i can remember correct it is a one wire clutch that just requires a power and is self grounding. But the correct way to do this is actually get the system vacuumed to remove all moisture. It will affect the final temp and effiecency of the a/c. Where in fl? I can vacuum and charge here in wpb for cheap.

Sylar

I am up in Land O Lakes, north of Tampa....where can I find the pressure switch and do I just connect them together?

BILLFISHER21

The low side presure switch is located on the low side line ( the larger diameter one) generally near the dryer. Yes just take a paperclip and gently short the two pins on the plug.

Sylar

I could not find a switch anywhere near there....I did find a 3 wire sensor that is on the high pressure line. Could this be the one?

BILLFISHER21

It might be a low and high pressure sensor. in that case i would need a diagram to see which is low or high. So skip that and just add a power to the compressor. Once you get one can in it will run on its own from there.

Sylar

If I understand it correctly, the compressor is under the vehicle so I am going to need jack stands to get to it....dang! Hoping there was an easy way to get this in...

Think I might have to end up taking it to the shop!

BILLFISHER21

If you understand how a relay works you can do it right from the ralay box as well. Its a little harder to explain but il give it a shot. remove a/c relay there will be two powers and one ground the second ground generally energizes the relay. You have to get to the switching pins and send power to the ground pin and that is the comp power wire There will be a pic on the relay telling you which pins are which.

Sylar

When I look at the compressor from above while the AC is off, I can see the pulley moving, but the center is not engaged. Once I turn the AC on, the center engages, so I believe my clutch is engaging correctly....

So when I attempt to charge the system, initially, the dryer gets very cold, but it does not stay that way for long. I am wondering if I have a clogged orifice tube?