Air Conditioning

Hello All,

I have a small leak in my AC unit ( one of the connections to the lines ) and whenever the AC cycles on/off it causes my RPMs to jump up or down. I know that the condenser is always on, regardless if the ac is turned on. My question is: Will disconnecting the AC clutch, will that suffice to turn of the AC?

Thanks
Dion

On my '99, the compressor does not stay on .... unless the ac or demist is on.

Disconnecting the compressor clutch will surely keep the ac off ... but may not affect the refrigerant leak much ... depends where it is.

The 96 is a cycling clutch type of system. So the compressor cycles on and off as the system needs refrigerant. If the system is low, it will cyle on and off a lot more. Yes, pulling the connector off the clutch will disable the clutch and not cause any other damage.

Thanks!! I know I've had this problem for the last several years, and all I do is keep topping up the freon. As soon as the levels are low, my clutch cycles very rapidly, thus causing the van to become jerkey, more especially at a stop light.

My daughters' '97 Escorts have that same blasted run-all-the-time system.

You shouldn't let your system get that low in refrigerant. You can turn the ac fan on high speed, .... open all the doors and watch the clutch ... it should stay in ... "forever". If not, its time to refill.

As you refill, use a pressure gauge and continue to fill as long as the inlet pressure to the compressor remains in the safe range ... don't overfill, but get the pressure up to the high side of the safe range. Then you have the system properly filled ... and a small leak won't run you crazy.

Note: Don't read the gauge while you are allowing new refrigerant to inter the system ... that will be a "too high reading" .... read while the compressor is running, the doors open, the inside fans (front and back) are running, the radiator fans are running ... but nothing else going on except the engine idling. A garden hose spraying on the radiator is OK on a really hot day.