A.c. clutch not engaging all the time
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
A.c. clutch not engaging all the time
Hi guys, so I have a 2008 F150 XL 4x4 and I am having a.c. troubles. I'm going to start off with this. Last year I charged my a.c. system and it worked fine all summer, it even worked during the winter and it read normal pressure when I filled it then. Now as of recently it would turn on and sometimes stay on, or when I got to a light or idle it would stop and blow warm air, and now it's gotten worse. I can see that that the clutch is not engaging and all day yesterday 7/12/19 it would not engage all day, I got home, let truck cool for an hour and went out and tried it and it kicked on for a minute and shut off and hasn't engaged since, it's not making funny noises and the clutch seems to work when it wants to so I'm not sure if that is the issue. I have checked all the fuses(11,14,32)and relays and they are all good. I jumped the cycling switch at the a.c. accumulator and you could hear the relay clicking whenever you turn the a.c. on but the clutch would not engage. I only have a gauge for the low side and when I put it on it was reading warning in the red at about 90.(This is where I got in a argument with my father Mr.fordknowitall because I said I think it should read high because the compressors not cycling, and he said it shouldn't matter and that it's overcharged and to let some out) so I tried letting a little out to see if it would drop and it did not, it looked like it went up a little after. I'm kind of at a loss here now and need some professional advice going forward. Did I jump it in the correct spot? Is this a common issue? What do I do next? I'm going to head to the auto store and have them see if it's throwing a code of it they have a gauge for the high and low so I can test both and post what I find. I'm also going to mention I had 2 blow outs on the highway within a weeks period with Goodrich ko tires filled to 70psi They were older and getting worn so it did some damage to truck, but they both blew on drivers side front and rear, but it was acting up before then and I can't find anything damaged or that looks out of the ordinary around my ac system. Need to know what I should next please
#2
When the system is not running and has been off for a few minutes it will equalize and the low and high sides will read the same pressure. Your 90 psi seems about right for a hot day. They usually read around what the outside temp is from my experience. Have you checked the connector going to the compressor when it won't engage to see if you are getting power? That would tell you if it a compressor/clutch issue or if it is something else in the system.
#3
05 5.4l 3v s.crew lariat
Letting out pressure when clutch not engaging is not good . Overcharge should be checked only when clutch running . Pcm will not let clutch come on for low or high pressure. You have a small clutch relay on drivers fender ,contacts get burnt . I would guess your system low if anything don't mess with charge unless you can get clutch going . There's a lot to learn about ac systems . Car ac systems have an rotating seal on compressor that is exposed to outside to leak slowly . House ac are sealed no drive belt or clutch ,they just get pin holes in large outside units.
So replace your clutch relay and clean connector on compressor .Then take your readings .Your big line coming out of dash should get colder as you charge and sweat,then condensate will start dripping on ground . If you can add charge every 6 months thats good ,no sense trying to fix that small of a leak .
So replace your clutch relay and clean connector on compressor .Then take your readings .Your big line coming out of dash should get colder as you charge and sweat,then condensate will start dripping on ground . If you can add charge every 6 months thats good ,no sense trying to fix that small of a leak .
#4
Junior Member
Thread Starter
It's weird now because the a.c. has been engaging all day now and when I checked the low pressure line it was reading normal but right before the line of low, but I let some Freon out yesterday and I'm thinking that's probably why, the relay didn't look bad and when I tried jumping it from the cycling switch you could hear the relay clicking everytime but the clutch would not engage, the relay didnt look burnt but it had some marks on it that look like from it sliding in and out . My check engine light has been on since I disconnected the cycling switch, but the codes are Evap and fuel system codes, nothing with the a.c.. I think I'm going to have to wait for it to do it again and go from there. Is there another spot I can try and jump clutch from? Im kind of at a loss now on what to do next. When it work though it works fine and is nice and cold like it should be