A/C Question

[gtd65]

Recently the A/C has been intermittent in the first 10 minutes or so of the car running, I'm driving along and then it is as if the A/C has been turned off.

The A/C will return after a few minutes as normal though and will work consistently thereafter.

Is this a sign of some component about to demise?

[quiksilvia]

thats pretty vague my friend, is it in any certain conditions? maybe a relay is bad or something.

[gtd65]

It is the only way to explain it though I'm afraid.

You get in the car and the A/C works fine, then perhaps 5 mins or so into the journey the A/C will possibly cut out (just regular outside temp air blowing through).

The green light stays on to show that the A/C is on so the A/C power switch should be OK.

Then after a few mins of just blowing normal temp outside air the A/C will come back on and I can cool down again

It is only when the car is first started up that this has ocurred. It never used to do this though.

Perhaps somebody who has experienced their A/C failing could comment on what happened.

[DAEDALUS]

Could be a problem with a few things, but my first guess would be that the low-pressure switch is cutting off early on as the compressor moves fluid around. Later, as things warm up, the pressure increases and the switch turns back on. This could be due to a couple things:

1) You have a slow leak and are a little low on R-134a, 2) your pressure switch is bad, or 3) both.

I would try adding just *a little* bit of R-134a from Pep Boys and see if that fixes the problem.

[Hurrikane]

you have two pressure switchs in your car.a high. cuts out around 300psi (or less) a low that cut out around 25 psi. also you may have a switch that run off of the RPM pickup in your obc. my 97 has this and it will turn the a/c off at around 6000 rpm this may be going bad.your low psi should be some were around 30 to 40 psi at 3000 rpm high side around 180 to 230 psi. if the a/c is low look for oil leaks on the tubing and the comprasser.high and low switchs do go bad. unplug them and jump the plug out with a paper clip.if it run fine plug each one in one at a time.untill ti starts to act up.if is actting up with both jump out then the system is fine. and the problem is some were elas.it might just be a lose wire some were.try and do most of the work your self. most so call shop will charge up to 800 bucks to fix a lose wire and tell you its a major job.if you need more help just ask.

1-800-hurrikane-:help

[yellow_jacket]

I've seen an awful lot of clutches go bad. When the thing shuts off and stops blowing cold, check to make sure you have power at the clutch. If you do, clutch is bad. If you don't Check all the stuff listed above.

[gtd65]

I'll check all the suggestions tomorrow then.

Thanks