Chrysler Repair: 00 Sebring AC compressor clutch wont close, clutch action, fuse block


Question
QUESTION: My 2000 Sebring convertible Air conditioning has stopped working suddenly.  It was fine one day and dead the next. When the button is pushed, nothing happens. There is no green light and there is no solenoid click and there is no change in engine speed or sound. I am assuming this is an electrical problem. The blower and the heater wok just as they always have.  My first thought was a fuse. I checked both the fuse block at the left side of the dash and the power distribution center under the hood. There is no fuse identified with the A/C so I removed, cleaned and metered each fuse to assure it was good. There is a relay for the AC so I swapped it for the power top relay. The problem did not follow the relay, Is there another fuse block that is not as obvious as what I have checked? Is there other places I should check?

ANSWER: Hi Eugene,
Other than the relay, fuses 9 and 19 under the hood are what activates the compressor clutch. If those are good, the only other reason for no compressor clutch action is that you have to low (or too high) pressure in the refrigerant system. Usually this happens because of low amount of refrigerant in the system. The compressor relay will only get the signal to close if the voltage on the pressure transducer (which measure the pressure in the system) is between 0.45 and 4.51V. You can measure what it is by probing the wires between pins 42 and 43 of the psm module. If it is outside this range, then that would explain why it won't operate.
Roland

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for you very informative response.  Could you tell me where to find the "PSM Module?"

Thanks again.  

Answer
Sorry for the typo. The PCM is the next box to the power box which has the fuses and relays, under hood. It has 2 plugs on the top, and pins 42 and 43 would be located on the rear plug.  You will see numbers associated with each wire engraved on that plug which would range from 41-80 so they would be at one of the corners of the plug. 42 is dark blue/yellow and 43 is black/light blue.
It would probably be easier to probe the same wires directly at the pressure transducer which it connected to one of the refrigerant lines right above the compressor. It has a gray 3-wire plug, so just look for the plug and stick fine straight pins through the insulation of those specific 2 wires, and measure the voltage reading between the pins while the engine is running and you have requested AC.
Roland