Chrysler Repair: a/c in 1998 chevy malibu, chevy malibu, safety switches

Question
there is aa a/c button on the dashboard which has a small bulb light on it which lights up when the button is activated. the problem is that when the button is pressed in to activate it, it will stay on for just a few seconds and then turn itself off. this also happens when car is idleing in a parked position. the bulb on the button goes on and off on its own. when the light is lit it blows out cold air as it should, when the goes out the air still blows but it is not cold as it should be. does it sound to you like the button switch for the a/c is faulty and in need of replacing?

Answer
It sounds like the light on the dash is an indication as to whether or not your compressor is being powered up.  Light on= a/c compressor running.  
Light off= a/c no longer running.

I would suspect the vehicle to have a low charge on it which is why it does not stay powered up very long.  The system has built in safety switches that protect against excessive pressure as well as too low of pressure.  The low pressure switch usually cuts out around 20-30 psi.  This really is not alot of pressure as I have seen cars come in with a little over 1/5 of their full charge have 50psi or more.

I would recomend either having a mechanic look at the car or buy a can of refrigerant that has the gauge on it and hook it up to the low side fitting (if accessable).  The guage will tell you if you've got a low or high charge and you can add refrigerant if needed.  Without a guage or machine then you'll really have no way of knowing how much is in there and what steps need to be taken to correct the charge.
Doug