Any A/C experts?

Before now my a/c has been fine all summer. The other day I bypassed my leaky heater core and since then I've had a/c problems. (hopefully that's just a coincidence)

When my a/c is activated I can hear the compressor switching (loud clicks) on and off constantly. It never runs for more than a few seconds at a time. It's on for 3 or 4 seconds, off for five, on for 3 or 4, off for five, constantly. It cools a little, but not much. I have to run it at max all the time to be semi-comfortable in this heat.

A pressure sensor or something malfunctioning? Where should I look? What should I check?

BTW, it HAS been converted.

[This message has been edited by Liquid_force (edited 07-26-2002).]

I'm no expert but do you have the Automatic Electronic system? If so, the heater hose, at the fire wall, nearest the engine has a sensor in it with an electrical connector to it. Did you leave that connected? I believ it tells the EACC when the water is warm enough to provide heat, so I don't know how that affects the A/C part of the system. You probably have that bypassed and it's not seeing any heat, but like I said I don't know how that affects the A/C

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NATO Member. it's not a vice, it's an obsession
"The nice thing about each new day is nobody ever used it before" Barnaby Jones
88 TC X 2, 86 SVO, mods list at
http://www.turbotbird.com/showroom/pd_88tc.htm

when you converted did you replace all o rigns and chekc for leaks with the dye? it can have asmall leak and it now has affected the system, sicn ehtea/c compressor cluthc in kicking in and out it may be slowly lekain out and to the piont nwo where it is effecting cooling.
Have you cleaned the front of the condensor?
if you dotn have good airflow oevr the condesor infront of the rad it will also afect how cold the a/c by not letting all the ehat outta of the system

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Brian J Larkin
1988 Turbo Coupe 5spd, dark blue and shining like a peice of polished glass.
http://crazydriver358.5u.com

The conversion was done last summer by a professional and everything has worked fine up until now. And I have the manual system, it is not the electronic temp. control system.

I agree with BJL about the leak. Sounds to me like you are low on refrigerant. When the compressor keeps going on and off it is trying to work but without the proper amount of refrigerant it can't! I will just click on an off quickly. Try adding some refrigerant and see if that solves your problem. If it does look for a leak.

I agree with the low system-pressure theory.

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Mike Walsted - NATO member
1986 5-speed TurboCoupe and 1985 5-speed XR7

When the A/C clutch gap falls under specs it creates that constant switch on and off untill the gap is too close and it will no longer run . If your refigerant level is good check the gap and if too close you probably are going to need a new A/C clutch .

If it's not low refrigerant (which is very likely is BTW), I second what cougar5704 said. That's a common problem on some compressors, I'm not sure about ours. I believe the test is to turn the a/c on and when the clutch is disengaged, whack it a few times with a broom handle. If that causes it to engage, it's most likely that gap, and it's time for a new clutch.