AC issue

[idreamidrive]

Having a weird ac issue, that I don't even know where to start diagnosis. Sometimes pushing the ac button I don't get cold air, but if you then shut off the car and restart it, the AC will come on. It's really intermittent with this happening, but has been happening more and more lately. Once it comes on, it will stay on, though. No, I have not checked the pressures yet (I know, I know). Yes, I know it's November, but I am using the ac to defog the windows at this point. I haven't looked at anything yet, but just wanted to get an idea of where to start looking. Two summers ago had the compressor, drier, expansion vavle changed out, and this past summer had to replace a hose from compressor to the drier due to crack at one of the fittings.

 

[transparentdsm]

short in the A/C switch in the car.

 

[idreamidrive]

Really? Wouldn't cycling through the switch (econ then ac then off and then back to econ) be the same as restarting the car or does the restarting process somehow do something else that I can't think of?

And we are talking about this switch?

 

[iceman69510]

Seems electrical if once it is working, it continues working (does it?). Could be the controller, or wiring. Check if the compressor clutch is kicking in when you operate the switch, for both working and non-working occurrences. If the clutch is not engaging, you won't get any cold air of course.

 

[fuel]

it could be low on refrigerant gas, as there is a sensor switch on one of the lines that measures pressure and if the pressure isn't high (or was that low?) enough it will trip preventing the A/C pump from burning out.

 

[transparentdsm]

Quoting idreamidrive:
Really? Wouldn't cycling through the switch (econ then ac then off and then back to econ) be the same as restarting the car or does the restarting process somehow do something else that I can't think of?

And we are talking about this switch?




i am talking about that switch, with the car on you can hit that switch as many times as you want, but there is still going to be power to it. once you shut the car down it removes all power from the switch letting whatever is wrong to "reset" for a period of time before doing it again. it could even be something as simple as a wire in the back of that harness coming slightly loose, like the tabs on the harness side are spread apart a bit to much and sometimes making contact and sometimes not and when you shut the car down and turn it back on the electricity arcs back over and reaches the other side

 

[idreamidrive]

I won't be looking into this for another couple of days as it decided to snow here yesterday. So pissed that the pre-brined the streets when they knew it was supposed to rain and be above freezing before the snow hit. I need to get a winter beater.