Archived Need help in a hurry

[mfurrh55]

I'm in Louisiana for the floods and it's hot, my ac just quit on me , wires feel ok, fan clutch is working, I cAnt find a fuse for it, I can turn ac clutch by hand, I was running great then nothing but hot air, ac is not kicking on, I have a crew with me and we need some ac bad, I'm desperate for any solutions, thanks in advance, Monte

 

[B.G. Smith]

How are you turning on the ac clutch by hand? if the comp.comes on does the lines at the firewall get hot/cold? Does the ac blower work? bg

 

[mfurrh55]

I can move the ac clutch by hand, when I turn the ac on from inside the cab, the light comes on and the blower comes on, but the ac clutch doesn't kick on, the lines are warm

 

[mfurrh55]

Where is the service port for adding freon, all I find is the high pressure port up front, the fitting won't fit the port up front

 

[p-Bar]

Could be low on freon that's why it wont engage

 

[B.G. Smith]

Where is the service port for adding freon, all I find is the high pressure port up front, the fitting won't fit the port up front

I have 06 and I believe mine is on the side of the accumulator near the firewall, hard to get to. bg

 

[JR]

I'd put some gauges on before you add anything so you don't over charge the system. I know that's easier said than done on the road but adding freon to a system that's already charged will just add to your problems.

It could be a low pressure switch or possibly something in the TIPM (I believe that is how the 07s are controlled)

 

[Missouri Mule]

I believe you add freon in line behind the compressor. The one at the sccumalatoris the high pressure switch. The low pressure switch near the compressor. At least that is how itid on my 96. Could be relay.

 

[GAmes]

Could be relay.

Knowing Dodge it could be something completely off the wall. On the '97s it could be the horn fuse. That isn't a joke either.

 

[mfurrh55]

We hooked up gauges to both ports and the low side was extremely high and the high side was very low, so I guess I have a blockage somewhere in my line, monte

 

[RustyJC]

We hooked up gauges to both ports and the low side was extremely high and the high side was very low, so I guess I have a blockage somewhere in my line, monte

That's with the compressor running, I assume? If so, you could have a duff compressor (broken valve on a reciprocating piston-type compressor would be a likely suspect, as would one or more broken vanes on a vane-type compressor) as it's not pulling down the suction side or raising the pressure on the discharge side sufficiently. A failed expansion valve (if you had a TRUE expansion valve, not an orifice) could also give these symptoms if it failed full open.

Rusty

 

[Bill Stockard]

We hooked up gauges to both ports and the low side was extremely high and the high side was very low, so I guess I have a blockage somewhere in my line, monte

According to the FSM troubleshooting guide, when the low side pressure is too high and the high side pressure is too low, it could be caused by:
1. Accessory drive belt slipping
2. Fixed orifice tube not installed
3. Faulty compressor

If your belt isn't slipping, it's possibly a faulty compressor.

Bill

 

[RustyJC]

According to the FSM troubleshooting guide, when the low side pressure is too high and the high side pressure is too low, it could be caused by:
1. Accessory drive belt slipping
2. Fixed orifice tube not installed
3. Faulty compressor

If your belt isn't slipping, it's possibly a faulty compressor.

Bill

Bill,

I didn't mention the belt or compressor clutch slipping in my previous post #11 as I figured one could hear or smell those. A missing fixed orifice tube would behave exactly like a bad thermal expansion valve that had failed in the open position.

Rusty

 

[mfurrh55]

I'm getting voltage to the compressor,but it wont kick in,the belt is not slipping, could it be a collapsed expansion valve? low side pressure is extremely high, high side is low, just before this quit , i had to gas on it to get out in traffic and the air got warm, then it got cold again for about 1hr, then just quit altogether, Thanks for the replies, Monte

 

[B.G. Smith]

Some lesser powered vehicles have a compressor cut out under heavy acceleration but don't know if ours do or not. You don't have expansion valve, just orifice tube. Even if the tube plugged the low side should come down when compressor is running, high side probably would go up some but basically the system would just pump down, (refrigerant all condensed into condenser). The low pressure or high pressure switch will keep comp. from running. Low switch should be closed at about 28#, high pressure switch would be way up there. probably 300# or so. I'm not even sure there is a high pressure switch but there is a high pressure relief valve. No help I know but just keeping thread alive. bg

 

[bigblock_doc]

The pressures are normal if the compressor is not turning. If clutch has power, check the ground or grounds. The pressure switch's could complete the
ground side. If all OK then a bad clutch.

 

[Bill Stockard]

The pressures should be about equal if the compressor isn't running which would make the high side low and the low side high. To test the compressor clutch, since you have 12-volts at the clutch, connect a jumper to the ground side of the compressor electrical connector and momentarily ground the other end. If the compressor clutch doesn't engage, you have a failed clutch. If the compressor does engage, you have a failure "downstream" in the compressor clutch circuit.

Bill

 

[mfurrh55]

Ok Bill, i'll try that, Thanks for the advice, Monte

 

[mfurrh55]

Well ordered new compressor and drier today, hopefully that'll fix my Ac problem, Thanks guys for yall's input, Monte

 

[RVTRKN]

Clutch should be engaged with high temperature/pressure when calling for AC. Have someone turn on AC while you are watching the clutch and confirm the compressor is engaging. If compressor turns with the clutch engaged and you have a high low pressure and a low high pressure, your compressor, is what we in the AC business, call a low capacity compressor The possible wide open refrigerant control is unlikely and your compressor would have an abnormal sound due to liquid refrigerant entering low side of compressor.