AC compressor clutch not engaging

Nissan Rogue forum - Includes Nissan Qashqai and Nissan Dualis as well.
weekend warrior 71
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Car: 2008 Nissan Rogue - this is a coworkers car I am helping with

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Hello, I'm trying to help out a coworker with her car, a 2008 Nissan Rogue with approximately 130k miles. She said the AC was blowing hot with the AC set to max. I have done some preliminary diagnosis on it and could use some advice. The compressor clutch is not engaging no matter how long I watch it on a 70 degree day with AC set to max. I have verified the controls are moving the actuators on the blend door and the blower is changing speed ect... The owner indicated she just had the blower motor replaced this last winter and I don't think the guy did a very good job. The screw holding in the blower wasn't even put back in. She had it into the guy twice, the first time she got it back, she complained the fan was making a loud noise and then he said it was the fault of an after market cheap fan. He charged her more saying he would install an OEM one. I think he didn't have it set in the housing correctly causing it to rub and he only had to reset it to fix it. Is there something he could have screwed up that would cause the AC not to work?

The low pressure side does not get cold and when I hooked up the cheap can of Freon gauge to it, it went to around 85 or 90 psi in the red without the clutch engaged. Today I hooked up my manifold set and confirmed 90 psi on both the high and low side, still no clutch. That pressure seems normally high with no clutch engaging. I did try to add a bit of Freon, but it doesn't seem to be drawing in any. There is no evidence of leaks and seems like it should be working with the amount in it. I will check tomorrow for voltage at the compressor connector. I've read on this forum of the computer test with the door switch, I will try that too. I've read as well that the pressure switch can be jumpered to check if the compressor clutch will engage. I'm not sure if it is a 2 or 3 pin connector, if it is a 3 pin, which 2 get the jumper? Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. In my experience, the owners on these forums usually know more than most dealerships so I'm hoping for your help.

Thanks in advance!
Last edited by Rogue One on Sun May 03, 2020 6:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: TYPO


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Rogue One
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:welcome:

Sounds like you're on the right track. I didn't see it mentioned, but did you check the fuse? And given the description of the work the other guy did, he may have damaged something along the way (let's hope not).
If the clutch doesn’t engage, the problem could be a blown fuse, an open in the wire to the clutch coil, a bad clutch coil, a poor ground, or a low pressure lockout.
Read more at: https://ricksfreeautorepairadvice.com/c ... -engaging/
I don't know if you know this, but here at NICO, we have Factory Service Manuals available free to members. Here's the direct links to the HVAC sections for the '08 Rogue.
Heater and Air Conditioning System
Heater and Air Conditioning Control System

weekend warrior 71
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Thanks Rogue One. Looking under the dash, I don't know what he could have damaged, there isn't much there that a bull in a china shop could break. He definitely cut corners on the job including breaking plastic clips and stuff, just sad. As to the fuse, I looked in the fuse blocks but I could not find any fuse labeled AC. I forget what it said but there was one 10 amp fuse in the cabin I thought might be it but the fuse was fine anyhow and 10 amp seems too small anyhow. Will have to do more digging to find where that fuse is, I was starting to think Nissan did something weird and didn't need one.

Googling for info led me to NICO and seems to be the foremost on Nissans. I think I saw on one post about the service manuals being here, just hadn't found them, so thanks for the links, that helps. I love car forums, those of us that prefer to fix our own rather than get ripped off by dealers need to stick together.

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Rogue One
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:dblthumb:

1st gen Rogue AC fuse and relay location.

weekend warrior 71
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That stinks, I even opened that compartment partially and looked down and didn't see fuses so I thought it might be the computer compartment. Crossing fingers that it is the silly fuse, that would be glorious. I performed the door switch test and I did not hear the compressor clutch try at all. The horn beeped, windshield wipers went, headlights on and off, then fan revved up. No clutch test on compressor in that cycle that I could hear. I let the cycle go 3 times but nothing. Where in the cycle should I hear the clutch engaging? I don't know if I did something wrong, do I dare put my hand down on the compressor to try feeling the compressor clutch sliding? I'm thinking just putting 12 volts to the compressor and bypassing everything to see if the clutch will engage for a second.

weekend warrior 71
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A bit off topic and I apologize for that. I am curious if there are other Rogue standard maintenance things I should look at that owners just know that know these cars. I am an S series Saturn nut and know that car inside and out and know what work around maintenance things need done such as knocking the carbon off the throttle body once in awhile, ect.. Do Rogues have some standard tricks to keeping them tip top that she may have not done and the dealer doesn't do on her oil changes? I figure while I got it, go through it to do any tune up stuff that is just simple easy things before giving it back to her.

weekend warrior 71
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Hmm, unfortunately not the fuse. The relay is in the computer so no help there, correct? I wish the compressor had a female plug on it to make jumpering it easier, I have to try scavenging a jumper somehow off old harnesses. Will report back on that. Would be easier if I had four hands. There are three wires off the ac pressure sensor, which two get jumpered to test that bypass? That would be easier than jumping the compressor I think but I don't know which wires. I think the wires were blue, white and yellow.

weekend warrior 71
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Update, I know I have 12 volts at the harness going to the compressor. I have been unable to get 12 volts directly to the compressor bypassing the harness to try engaging the clutch. That location and the small dinky connectors are impossible to know if I have a solid connection or not. I scavenged two small female connector pins from an old harness, insulated them and stuck them on the male pins of the compressor connector. I think I had a solid connection but so hard to tell down in there. I wish this were a gen 1 Rogue with the easier harness to jumper that I keep finding posts about. I've already hit the fan twice with my hand trying to get 12 volts to the compressor, just too tricky to know if I have good connection and kind of dangerous.

I think my hope is finding which two wires to jumper at the pressure sensor, any ideas?

weekend warrior 71
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Ok, so in conclusion I think I have my answer. The clutch failed to activate during the door switch computer test, it did not engage when directly supplied with 12v when jumpered to the battery, and now it measures Infinity measuring across the two pins on the compressor meaning it definitely has a bad coil or something internal. That just sucks. I figured it is so rare that clutches go out before bearings/seals killed the compressor. I've thrown every test I can except using my scanner, that is in the car I lent to my coworker, to check the live data to see if there is voltage at the pressure sensor. I am certain all other components are good since it is commanding 12 volts at the compressor harness. Now I get to give the bad news to my coworker. If anyone has any other tests I should throw at it, feel free to chime in, I would love to be proven wrong and have it be something easier.

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Rogue One
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Okay, that's a lot of territory you've covered, so I'll try and tackle some of it.

I think in your 6th post you meant to say 2nd gen, as the 08's were the very first Rogues. You know, it takes all the fun out of it if they're easy to work on. :chuckle:

Anyway I'm gonna be the bearer of bad news and say that you'll probably need to perform last rites on the compressor. Yeah it sucks that a component that normally lasts longer on other vehicles took a dump sooner than it should have, but that's been par for the course for Nissan for about the past 15 or so years.

When you get a moment read the comments people left here: POLL: Would You Buy Another Nissan?

Here's another thread worth reading: I AM DONE WITH THIS BRAND!!!--- Rant!

The CVT's in the 08, 09 and 10's were really problematic, so much so that Nissan had to extend the warranty on them. Nissan recommends that the CVT fluid be checked every 30k miles. The engine is pretty solid, so I can't recall any major issues that need tending to. Otherwise most everything you'll need to know can be found under this heading: 08-13 ROGUE DIY REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE, FAQ & INFO, TIPS, etc

weekend warrior 71
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Sweet, you guys run a pretty tight forum. Thank you for the feedback, sometimes having that knowledge base and sounding board can make or break a DIY project. I will read through the posts for sure. Sorry for the mix up in gens on my post, obviously I'm not that up on Nissans in general. Thankfully standard knowledge base applies minus the hidden fuse box. I know Nissan had their flop with their CEO being crooked but didn't know it was that bad.

Thanks again, if she keeps the car, I may be back later to pick more info up. I think I will stick to my Saturns myself, so much easier in my opinion except where they stopped making them... Every car has its quarks and an owner just has to learn them.

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Rogue One
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Cool beans.

Oh, I forgot to mention. One of the WORST cars I've ever owned was a 1992 Saturn SL1. To this day we still make fun of it's abysmal turning radius. I mean it's pretty laughable that a GMC Safari had a tighter turning radius than the Saturn. Only car I've ever own that had to have the tranny and the rack and pinion system rebuilt. :mad:

Rogue Jarhead
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The clutch on these compressors fail, I replaced mine last year for exactly the same issue, no engagement. With a set of long nose snap ring pliers and a couple of sockets you can get your friend back in business. Here is a short diy explanation, in post #2.

post6802594.html?hilit=Ac%20clutch%20re ... t#p6802594


Here is a fix kit from amazon. Double check the model number on the compressor make sure this kit fits, all I did was do a Nissan Rogue 2008 search and there may be more than one compressor for that model year.

https://www.amazon.com/Compressor-Clutc ... NrPXRydWU=

Notice the small shims in the kit make sure you put them back in exactly the same order as they come out, so pay attention when you disassemble the clutch assembly. They give you extra shims usually so don’t feel compelled to use all of them.

weekend warrior 71
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Thank you, I was in fact just considering this option. Normally I consider fixing a compressor to be a lost cause, but since the seal isn't leaking, I thought it was worth looking into. Where do they hide the number on the compressor though? Hard to get down near the compressor without taking things off. I spent a decent amount of time watching vids on servicing and think it is straight forward enough and hopefully can be done while still in the car connected. Bonus if I don't have to have the system drained.

weekend warrior 71
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The reviews on the Amazon one are horrible though. I was already looking at this one on Ebay, thoughts?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/AC-COMPRESSOR- ... 0#viTabs_0

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Rogue One
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2008 Nissan Rogue Clutch Assy-Compressor
Nissan Clutch Part No.: 92660-JM01B
The vehicle options this part fits: Production Date: 08/2007-08/2009
Image

Rogue Jarhead
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The eBay one looks fine, I just linked that amazon one so you’d know what to look for if you had no idea what I was talking about.

You do not have to open the system, you don’t even have to take the compressor loose from its mount. Once the front tire and fender liner are off the compressor is right there in front of you. This is actually a relatively easy job on the Rogue. I’ve done this on my vw and I have to take the compressor loose from its mount and lower it, still attached to the lines of course, it just takes a little more time and effort.

The clutch is actually an electromagnet and they eventually short out and stop working, at that point most dealers and garages say “you need a new compressor “ which will cost anywhere from $400-1200 plus labor. It’s not unusual to have a total bill between $1000-2500, vs a 30 minute job with a $50 part.
,
Make sure you have a good set of long nose snap ring pliers. Make sure when you put the new snap ring in that it’s fully seated in the groove. Watch where the shims are and the thickness, I usually reuse the old ones, replacing them in the same order and position that they came out.

Rogue One has the part numbers for you, he always seems to know where these miscellaneous tid bits of info hide.

weekend warrior 71
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Sounds great, thank you guys. I will order the one off ebay. I tried to find the part number on her compressor for confirmation but I couldn't find it I'm just going to go for it, I'm sure it is the orginal one. I will report back when I get it in. Thanks for confirming this isn't too bad of a job. I was dreading a solidly pressed in bearing needing very special tools. Snap ring pliers I have but didn't want to buy some special tool for a one time use application.

weekend warrior 71
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Hey all, sorry for the delay. Had to wait for parts and then access to the car. I got in the parts on Thursday and it was the problem. Compressor works great now. The old coil was actually singed like it had been burnt or on fire at some point. What a poor design on the three screws holding in the coil though. Who puts phillips heads on torqued applications. The heads immediately stripped out from being on there too tight and even heat wouldn't budge them. I ended up using left handed drill bits to drill into the head and rip them out. Thankfully the kit I ordered had new screws. Hopefully I never have to do that again, it stunk to get them out. Other than that, not too bad and AC works great now.

Thanks again, having you guys as a sounding board helped immensely :)

In summary to anyone that comes to this thread later looking for answers to their own AC compressor not engaging, Ohm the connections on the compressor. If it isn't around 3.7 Ohms, the coil is dead and is a 50 dollar fix. I still can't believe this is a normal problem on these cars, just odd.

Rogue Jarhead
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I was hoping you’d chime back in and let us know how it went. I’m glad you got it. Fortunately I didn’t have any problem with those 3 screws, they came right out for me, so that would definitely be a point to consider if others plan on doing this repair.

Even with the trouble you just saved yourself at least a $1000 dollars parts and labor. Good job.

radarvector
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I was attempting to do this repair on a 2011 Rogue SL. The clutch will engage most of the time but on the 15 percent of the time it doesn't, it is miserable. So I pulled everything apart up to removing the 10 mm bolt in the center of the clutch. From what I have seen, the clutch should easily separate from the coil/flywheel at this point to allow access to the snap ring but mine is stuck on. I have tried and prying this thing off with a heavy duty screwdriver and a chisel but it doesn't come loose. Anyone else encounter this problem and what is the solution. Would sure love to avoid replacing the entire compressor as I know the system will still blow cold air.
Last edited by Rogue One on Mon Jun 01, 2020 3:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Merged

Rogue Jarhead
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So the clutch is stuck? If so try tapping/hitting the clutch like you were trying to install it. Tap it around the perimeter and in the center and then see if it pops loose. I know it seems counterintuitive but it works with brake rotors and drums.

weekend warrior 71
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If you are replacing the clutch and pulley anyhow, I would use some PB Blaster on the center where the screw was and as Rogue Jarhead said, tap on it to break the spline rust free. If that doesn't work, heat is your best friend when getting rust to break free. Just use a propane torch on the clutch only and try not to heat the compressor just in case of pressure building in the compressor from the heat. Shouldn't take much at all.

radarvector
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Gave up for today. When I put it all back together the clutch actually engaged, I figured that prying on it as hard as I did would have for sure ruined it. I will give it another try, probably over the weekend and try hammering on the clutch. I did give the center screw hole a good dose of lubricant to no avail. Thanks for the suggestions!

antnythr
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Car: ‘08 Nissan Rogue

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Replacing the AC clutch on my ‘08 Rogue. Got everything back together and I’m at the point where I’m putting in the spacers and the final bolt.

With only the original 2 spacers, the pulley doesn’t move very freely by hand. If I add a 3rd spacer, it moves quite a bit better, but still not super easily.

Would it make sense to add a 4th spacer? I just don’t know how freely they are supposed to move relative to each other.
Last edited by Rogue One on Sat Jul 18, 2020 11:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Merged

Rogue Jarhead
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Put the spacers back in exactly as they came out, number and position.

weekend warrior 71
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You were supposed to flat feeler gauge it when you took it apart but if you watch a couple you tube vids on it, they give an approximate feeler gauge size, I don't remember what that was. Rule of thumb is it should move freely. I know I had to add one washer to get it to move freely and was prepared to take it back apart if the clutch did not engage when told to meaning there were too many washers.

amc49
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.015"-.030" airgap there.

radarvector
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Looks like I forgot to follow up on the suggestions that Rogue Jarhead and Weekend Warrior posted. I tried banging the old clutch with a rubber mallet but in the end heating it up with a propane torch is what broke it loose. It still required some prying to get it off, seems like there was some sort of glue holding it on rather than rust, go figure. The gap I had with the new clutch was about .018 using the old spacers. Works fine although when the clutch engages it is very loud and my gas mileage seems to have suffered just a bit since the install. I imagine all that banging and prying probably wasn't too good for the compressor itself. I'm hoping it still has a few miles left on it.

weekend warrior 71
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radarvector wrote:
Sun Jul 19, 2020 8:55 am
Looks like I forgot to follow up on the suggestions that Rogue Jarhead and Weekend Warrior posted. I tried banging the old clutch with a rubber mallet but in the end heating it up with a propane torch is what broke it loose. It still required some prying to get it off, seems like there was some sort of glue holding it on rather than rust, go figure. The gap I had with the new clutch was about .018 using the old spacers. Works fine although when the clutch engages it is very loud and my gas mileage seems to have suffered just a bit since the install. I imagine all that banging and prying probably wasn't too good for the compressor itself. I'm hoping it still has a few miles left on it.
When you replaced the clutch, you also replaced the pulley and bearing, right? If not, I would revisit it and throw a new bearing at it. The glue you found was probably thread locker and they probably used too much. If you reused the old bearing after heating it, it could have dried up the grease and damaged the bearing. If you did replace the bearing with a new one, make sure the clutch isn't dragging too much and is fully disengaging when off. Or reversely that it doesn't have too much gap that it is banging hard when engaging due to excessive travel. Hard to say without being there in person, I'm not an expert. Rogue Jarhead knows more about this then I do so hopefully he can share some insight.


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