That can be an indicator of whether or not the system is undercharged, has a leak, etc. Open the low and high side buttons on the tool gauge and check the reading. Step three is not that complicated but it is delicate. But the most important thing to remember is the numbers printed on the AC as this will aid you on what wires to jump to one another. You can do this in under 2 minutes with a test light. $8499. In other words, the system is low on refrigerant. Start the engine, and then see if the clutch and the pulley are running. Components used in the Ford Escape AC system Cylinder head temperature sensor Engine coolant temperature sensor Evaporator temperature sensor Low pressure AC cycling switch Dual function high pressure switch However, this is seldom the case today. $62.21. Started 13 hours ago, By There is an AC relay in the relay box next to the battery. How much does a Car AC Repair cost? In some cases, the wiring may be fine but the harness is the problem. This gives power to the pump rotor that keeps the compressor running. Ill need to figure out where to go, but thanks again for all your suggestions. It also gives an insight into how the system works. My 2010 Ford Escape will blow cold air for about 3 seconds when the AC is turned on. If it looks good, its time to move on to testing the relay and seeing if you can manually get the compressor to turn on. Previously the air didn't work when set at level 2 and 3 of the four levels. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled, A/C stops working on 2012 Ford Escape 2-3 weeks after recharge/evacuation. This article covers both causes and fixes for this issue. Its possible to have too little or too much refrigerant causing the problem. All Rights Reserved. Basically youre creating instant fog from the high dew point, saturated air, and sudden cold. If theres a problem with any of them, the clutch could fail to work. Has it been verified there are no leaks at the service port fittings? The AC relay (number 20) reads good voltage to the relay outlet. This indicates some form of wiring problem. Common Causes (& How to Fix), Windshield Wiper Fluid Not Coming Out Causes and Fixes, Car AC Smells Like Vinegar Causes and How to Fix It, 5 Signs Of A Bad AC Compressor Clutch and Replacement Cost, 9 Reasons Your Clutch Pedal Is Stiff And How To Fix it, Manual Transmission Hard to Shift? And another thing i notice is,when i driven the compressor works very well but when i stop the car in a red light or something like that the compressor die but when i hit de the gas works again. Now the AC compressor clutch is engaging and disengaging in about a 4 second 50/50 cycle. But this is just a symptom. . . Turn the AC to high while looking at the serpentine belt for any issues. Just driving to nowhere alone, with your friends, or your . Purging and re-filling is the correct procedure, so it sounds like youve got a good shop. Condenser may be blocked. . The 3rd Time Alright, When My Vehicle Is At Operating Temperature And I Turn On The Heat It Will Blow Heat Then Get Cool After About A Minute. Then 2-3 weeks later, my wife says she saw a puff of smoke come out of the vents (not sure if it was smoke or vapor or what). I am, so far I have checked the serpentine belt and tensioner and checked to see if there is voltage to the . Ask your Ford dealer. That's the only way to tell what's really going on. This is ok as a diagnostic test, but there is a problem if you use it long term: The compressor will be damaged if pressure is too low, as it will not get the oil it needs, which is in the circuit with the refrigerant. How to Fix A Hard Shifting Automatic Transmission: Tips And Tricks From The Pros. This necessitates compressor replacement, by fully eliminating the possibility of clutch renewal. I can put 12V and ground on it directly from the battery and it will run, but not as a result of using the EATC control head. Next is to remove the fuse from the system and check it using a multimeter. The next step is to check the high and low-pressure switches in the AC system. If theres an electrical short with the AC system, too much voltage can run through the compressor. How to check whether your AC clutch is working, Common reasons why the AC clutch doesnt engage, What you can do if your AC clutch wont engage. Get at least 20% off selected Ford parts on eBay View parts on eBay now! With This 2012 Ford Escape I show you the location of the AC magnetic clutch relay and the AC fuse under the hood. You may turn the air conditioning controls to FULL AC, then fire up the engine. Need to fix your car's air conditioner? On the front of the compressor, sandwiched between the belt, youll find about a 1/8 gap. What have you tried so far? Slipping Belt- A slipping serpentine belt can cause the vehicle's AC compressor to turn slower than it . Whenever you want to use the air conditioning in your car, all you have to do is to activate the clutch compressor. Or they charge it, then cant find a leak? Sounds to me like you have a leak somewhere. Get it Jan 26 - Feb 2. If the pulley and the clutch are both spinning it shows that the clutch is engaged with the pulley correctly. Let it bleed until it reaches the right level of pressure. That is why the pressure switch is there. If there are readings on both the high and low sides but they are not . In this website, you will have access to a wealth of tips, techniques as well as important nuggets of car wisdom essential to maintaining your ride. A vehicle's air conditioner compressor clutch serves as the make/break point for power distribution to an A/C compressor's internal drive components. A vehicles air conditioner compressor clutch serves as the make/break point for power distribution to an A/C compressors internal drive components. The easiest way to diagnose a problem with the AC clutch is to measure the voltage sent to the clutch coil. The AC compressor pulley is always being turned by either the serpentine belt or a dedicated belt (its going to depend on the model year and engine type). 0 %. Inspect the compressor and check to see if the belt that goes over the pulley is in good condition. One of the most common of all A/C system-related faults is those which manifest as an inoperable A/C compressor clutch. Remove the AC connector, check a wiring diagram, and pull a fused wire from the battery to the connector. The power going to the AC compressor relay is going to be fused, so check that fuse while youre at it as well. Started 12 hours ago, By Over the past few days when I have wanted the AC the cooling system hasn't worked, I am just figuring out what it could be. Read on to learn more about the causes of an inoperable A/C compressor clutch, as well as how to remedy such issues should they arise in the future. When the engine is on. In many situations, an A/C compressor clutch fuse can be to blame for a clutch not turning on or engaging. With no pressure in the system the low pressure switch will not allow the compressor cycle so that's probably the issue. Do this quick check to know why. We recommend starting with the power wire to the AC clutch. Try checking if the clutch is in good condition by applying these steps: Here is a useful tip: If youre not confident to do the examination yourself, it is best to work with a car expert. Posted: Oct 21, 2019. However, if the clutch is engaging but the AC isnt cold, then there could be a leak in the AC system. I think if it happens again and the shop continues to insist theres no leak, ask them to check for debris in the AC system. Check Low and High AC Pressure Switches. The clutch resembles a friction plate. If you found out that the problem is because of an overcharged compressor, then drain the refrigerant with a discharged valve that is located near the gauge. If the fuse is fine, then you need to check the clutch relay. If it does have power and you bypassed it then you need to verify power to the compressor. Your AC system may read an abnormally high pressure if a refrigerant has overcharged your compressor. No, old AC compressors with a clutch should not spin all the time. Symptoms. This is to maintain system pressure and keep the seals from drying out. The AC compressor is getting a command to turn on but is no longer able to, which would indicate that it needs replacing. However, one must also determine the reason behind the fuses failure. If there are air and moisture in the system, it probably leaks. The high pressure is less likely, only if the system is overfilled, or you leave the car in the Sahara desert in full sun for a few hours! PRICE: 84.99. We recently bought a 2012 Escape as well and have run into what sounds like the same problem. Thanks for the input guys, there are only 2 relays in the engine bay behind the battery - bit concerned about pulling them incase it resets something I shouldn't - do you know what colour the relay was? That is RIDICULOUS, Cheryl. Also, it is quite labor-intensive to take out an old compressor and fix a new one. It should be replaced if not functioning properly. So, to know the exact operating pressure on the high-pressure side of your AC system, it is best to check the user manual. I appreciate the help and sorry for me english it's very rusty. You should hear a clunk sound as this magnet is activated (particularly with the engine off). If the switch is not operating correctly, the AC system will not be pressurized correctly and will not work as efficiently in cooling the air. There should also be a fuse for the solenoid here. If it has blown, your only option is to replace it. 2. However, when a vehicles A/C system is turned off, the accompanying clutch coil is de-energized. I bought a recharge can which indicated that pressure was not the problem, rather something else. You can try disconnecting the low pressure switch and bridging the connector , run engine briefly with air con on and see if compressor engages. Cold air started blowing again! Inspect with the Engine Off . It is also important to consider the fact that A/C clutch replacement requires the use of specialty tools, and is typically far more involved than the complete replacement of an A/C systems compressor. Pulley: If the compressor pulley bearings are failing, they can make noises, generally a grinding, roaring or squealing noise. Mark helpful 55,895 Tracy answered 8 years ago The leak could be from the compressor itself or anywhere else across the AC . Here is to hoping its a 60 cent o-ring. You should check for leaks from the condenser, receiver, and any areas where metal piping connections are made. This means you would have to spend to get a new compressor, however, it will save you time and money. The AC compressor cannot pump the refrigerant if the clutch does not engage. I think you want one of those at this point. If it is not the refrigerant that is the problem, it may be because the oil level is low and needs to be replaced. This is called diagnosing and fixing the problem. Touch the positive terminal to see if the test light is working correctly. It seems pretty predictable that a recharge/evacuation resolves the problem short term. the heat will not shut off and airconditioner wont engage when control knob moved from heat to cool. If you hear a thunk or clunk noise after turning the AC on, the compressor is engaging. Make sure that you are loading it with an oil that is matches your compressor. They ended up diagnosing it as a problem with the core and we paid a good chunk of money to have it replaced and now under warranty, but much to our disappointment we were right back in the same place after approximately a month. Options. I am thinking that the puff of vapor is the result of hot gas warming the evaportor and driving off condensed moisture i.e. I am tempted to simply bypass the switch and see if I can get the AC clutch to engage correctly by putting 12v across it - there is no tell tell 'click' when you press the AC button. Is the Fan behind the condenser working? In this guide, we cover the different problems you might encounter. Fixing or getting rid of the rust in the clutch plate wont help so you should avoid such fixes. Performance upgrades, maintenance, modifications and problem solving. 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Marvel Mystery Oil vs Seafoam: Which is The Better Choice? If this situation occurs, you will need to empty the system to have all the air removed before it can be recharged. But if the pressure is too low, youre probably looking at a leak in the AC system. There is only 1 fuse for the AC that I can find which is in the glovebox - the fuse is fine and if you pull the fuse the switch doesn't light up. Thank you so much for the feedback thus far. When i turn on the A/cthe compressor beginvery well for 20 seconds but after that time the compressor stop working and then after a few second latter start again. Get a click, we can start troublshooting wires. If there is a ground wire, you should also check the ground. Causes & How To Fix, 5 Reasons Why Your Starter Is Not Engaging & How To Fix It, 6 Symptoms Of A Bad AC Compressor and Location, 9 Reasons Why Your Car AC Is Not Blowing Cold Air, P0456 Code - What It Means and How To Fix It, P0496 Code Meaning, Causes, Symptoms (& How To Fix), Car Wont Accelerate But RPMs Go Up: Causes & Fixes. The compressor is functional year round even when the HVAC is not activated. Bypass the 3 wire AC pressure switch through B1 to B4. They repeated the same evacuation/recharge process again and the A/C started working again. On 7/22/2016 at 5:26 AM, Tdci-Peter said: This is ok as a diagnostic test, but there is a problem if you use it long term: The compressor will be damaged if pressure is too low, as it will not get the oil it needs, which is in the circuit with the refrigerant. To enable your AC clutch to re-engage, you may try doing these troubleshooting techniques: You may check your AC compressor oil level on the display glass thru a red line. Even if a particular vehicles compressor were to feature a serviceable clutch, one is often money ahead to replace the A/C compressor clutch as a whole. Route the wires to the car battery. However, if the clutch does not connect with the compressor, the compressor will not work and the air conditioning system will fail to cool the car. That activity is pre-programmed into the PCM so it's done regardless of the settings of the HVAC system. Unfortunately, A/C related issues of varying severity can, and do, occur on occasion. If there are two belts, theyll both be attached at the crank pulley. Free In-Store or Curbside Pick Up. When the shop did the evacuation, how many ouces of refrigerant did the machine recover? Air is cold. Upload or insert images from URL. Use special gauges to determine if the system has too little or too much refrigerant. Hence, it is also important that these two is well-maintained at all times so that it always functions properly. . 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Anywhere else across the AC system and do, occur on occasion sandwiched. Clutch relay and the pulley correctly avoid such fixes that fuse while youre at it as.! Relay and the pulley correctly unfortunately, A/C stops working on 2012 Ford 2-3... Belt can cause the vehicle & # x27 ; t work when at! System, too much voltage can run through the compressor pulley bearings are failing, they can make,! Is well-maintained at all times so that it needs replacing vehicles air conditioner compressor clutch fuse can be an of! But if the clutch are both spinning it shows that the clutch is engaging the here! The solenoid here on eBay View parts on eBay View parts on eBay!. Regardless of the rust in the AC system may read an abnormally high pressure if refrigerant!