Question90 Honda Civic LX 4dr 1.5L using R134
My A/C clutch will not engage or stay engaged.
Both of my fans work, come on as they should.
Checked low side and found the system to be low about a can. Put a can it and the clutch would engage on and off for about a week.
Found the stem on the high side to have excess oil in the cap.
Recaptured the R134 and changed the valve stem.
Evacuated the system and held vacuum without leaks for 1 hour before recharging. Put in approx 32oz R134 low side at 35 to 40. I don't remember what the high side reading was.
Clucth engaged during recharging with no problem. Driving the clutch will initially engage but going from a high speed to a stop the clutch disengages and say disengaged for various lengths of time. The compressor is on, the fans are on and I get normal drainage from the condesation hose. The air dryer has been changed a year ago, the sight glass shows foamy, normal for R134 [R12 should be clear]. I replaced the expansion valve a year ago with no problem ie leaking.
At times when initially starting the car and turning the A/C on the clutch will engage. If I turn the car off or turn off and on the A/C after this initial start of the car the clutch will not engage the second time. The car during this event is up to normal operating tempt.
I've done all this myself in the garage.
The only thing I can think of that I haven't done is rule out the air gap on the clutch. I don't know how and besides this being a Honda the work would require benching the compressor. If I was to do that I may as well replace the darn thing.
My question is; is there any thing I'm over looking such as high or low switches that cut off the clutch?
Thanks
/R
Bill
AnswerIf you turn ON the A/C system and set the engine rpm's at about 1500 for about 1/2 can you visually see a heavy frost or icing occurring on the A/C line(s) near the accumulator ?.
If so, You may have a faulty LOW PRESSURE SWITCH that is NOT cycling the compressor and is causing the system to freeze up while your driving it. Once you slow down the system takes several minutes to DEFROST the ice before it resumes normal operation.If the AIR GAP for the A/C clutch was excessive you would hear a loud CLACK sound when it engaged everytime and it would be quite annoying. If it were to close the clutch would burn up and get severly burnt looking.
What I do in cases like this is that I purchased extra long A/C hoses so that I could put the manifold set in the vehicle with me as I drove it sown the highway so I could watch the low and high side pressures and by watching the pressures tells you when the cluch is engaging and disengaging.
What I think is happpening is tht the clutch is NOT disengaging (cycling) as it should at highway speeds and is freezing up your system.
I would put the gages on it as described above and drive the vehicle.
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