Intermittent engagement of AC clutch?

[Recoil spring]

The AC clutch on my 2000 Town Car has an intermittent engagement, when the AC is on you can see it clicking into position where it will hold ok for a few seconds, and then it disengages, and so on and so on. The AC puts out cool air and I checked the pressure connecting up to the low side port with a gauge yesterday. Plenty of freon in the system. Right now I am operating on "vent" to keep the car inside cool.

The sales man who sold me the Lincoln thought it was low on refrigeration, but I thought it was the clutch. Could it be a wiring issue, or a faulty switch? Ironically the small Ford wagon with a 4 cylinder engine I almost bought the previous day had the exact same problem, and both of them had around 102,000 miles. So it is something that all Ford products can have. Any ideas on what I should fix?

Thanks.

[olopezm]

There is no problem with the compressor, you might want to have it checked the refrigerant but other than that there is nothing to worry about.

That's the way these systems work with the automatic controls. Even if you're using the heater the compressor will kick in. That's why many users disconnect the compressor or one of the pressure sensors during the winter to keep it form engaging.

Oscar.

[Mx5guy]

You either have a system leak, low on refrigerant, or have a blockage somewhere in the system the best way to find out is hooking it to manifold gauges.

[rprough]

Their probably is nothing wrong but in any case it might be the orifice tube.

[aleekat]

That's the way these systems work with the automatic controls. Even if you're using the heater the compressor will kick in. That's why many users disconnect the compressor or one of the pressure sensors during the winter to keep it form engaging.

Many, many yrs ago that how the systems were designed. Then someone figured out not running the a/c for months in the winter was probably not a good idea. So then they decided to wire it when you put it in the defrost mode the compressor would cycle on. But it shouldn't cycle "every couple seconds"..

[Recoil spring]

I have seen several other Ford AC's and even a Jeep one on You Tube doing this, engagement thing. The design of the clutch looks like it is intended for this function with the notches and the rubber bumpers on the clutch front plate. Older Lincolns have a different shaped AC assembly, perhaps it was a period design? With Summer coming I will run my AC and see what happens. Thanks for the replies.