air conditioner

Air conditioner is clicking every couple of seconds, idle is going up and down. Any idea what the problem is and how to fix it?

Sounds like freon is low. When there is low pressure the low pressure cutoff switch kicks in. If you vehicle uses R134A you can go to Kragens, AutoZone etc and get a recharge kit and fill it yourself. You can only do this a few times (2) before you have to take it into A/C shop to have it serviced.

If it is still blowing really cold you do not have to recharge it, But my 97 does that and has been recharged and still does it. It also kicks when the heater is on, because they run off of each other, I was told my A/C compressor was going bad.

your compressor is going bad or low fluid. a way to tell is if on front of the compressor the clutch will click on and then back off if it is going bad or it will just not work.

Use a feeler gauge when vehicle is turned off and see what the air gap between the clutch and the shoe in the front. If it is somewhere between.019 and .027, gap is OK.If it is wider than that or more narrow, replace the clutch assembly. If it is in range, check the refrigerant for proper charge. If it is OK, look at the low pressure cut out switch.

It is possible that the system is operating normally. What is the ambient temp in your area? If it's still pretty cool, your compressor won't have to run very long at all to drop low side pressure to where the low pressure switch breaks contact. If it is hot, though, you probably have a low charge, indicating a leak.

your Evaporater is probably warn out i would replace it.. its cuasing freon to leak

Rapid clutche cycleing usually indicates low refridgerant charge, but it can also indicate a drop in low side pressure below the cycleing switche's shut off psi. Its always a good idea to check system pressures with a manifold so you can compare high and low side pressures. If low drops rapidly while high stays put there could be a clog! As a pro I'm a bit squeamish about shadetrees attempting to troubleshoot and repair HVAC systems because alot of things can cause them to go bad! But the first thing to look at is the system pressure when the system is shut off (pressure will vary depending on outside temp, but assumeing your in a warm climate; temp 80-90F = PSI 90-110 should be about right!) (quick check gauges are available at your local auto parts store!) If drasticly lower then the examples I gave you have a leak that needs repair. If it slightly lower you can try topping the system off and check sys performance again. But what I generally recommend is take the vehicle to a shop for assessment because if things turn out to be ugly (LEAKS> CLOGS> COMPRESSER FAILURE> ACCUMULATER FAILURE> ETC :swear: ) its their headache not yours! :banghead: :swear:

Hello? Chilling yet?

where is the most common leak area? I refilled my system and it lasted about 3 weeks..........

On Exsploders my vote would be the service ports and rusty accummulators.

On Exsploders my vote would be the service ports and rusty accummulators.


can you rent gages and vacuum pump or do you have to take it to a shop?

:confused: I've never seen those items available for rent :sorry: , also the service units required by the EPA cost in the $3-4k range! :eek: So you may want to consider haveing a shop look at it. :disappoin

can you rent gages and vacuum pump or do you have to take it to a shop?

Just found out AutoZone has a vacuum pump and gauges on a loaner program, for a large deposit.