I don't know what forum this belongs in, so... Boo! Hiss!! Oh, it worked so good for a while, but now when I hit the switch to turn on the AC in the Riv, the compressor won't engage. The clutch won't click or anything. It worked fine when I shut it off after returning from Salem, and this is the 1st drive since then. The clutch on the front of the compressor won't spin. The blower motor spins fine, and the fuse is OK. But what makes it so the compressor won't kick on? I know it is getting power because the accelerator solenoid kicks on to raise the engine RPMs, and that solenoid is wired into the clip at the clutch of the compressor. Anyone? Is there a way to tell if the clutch is bad? What does a bad clutch act like?
Jeff, check the ground at the compressor plug. Also, check for power on the other wire. If you can rotate the compressor clutch by hand easily it is not siezed. If it was siezed, and the clutch engages, it'll smoke like hell. If you have power to it you will be able to hear it click on with the engine not running. I think you have an electrical problem.............it could be the dash switch on the a/c controls or a dirty contact on the connectors. :bglasses:
I know I have power to it because like I mentioned I have the accelerator solenoid wired into the plug at the clutch. The solenoid works, so I have power to the clutch. It does spin freely by hand. Even if it gets power, and spins freely, could the clutch be bad? I'm assuming that if it were NOT siezed and got power, and the clutch WERE bad, I'd not hear it clicking? Or will it click, bad clutch or not? Thanks.
Jeff, there shouldn't be a low pressure switch in your system so I'm thinking electrical problem. CONFIRM you have power AND a good ground at the compressor clutch. Also, turn on the ac with the car running and try shaking wires to see if the system reacts. I'm thinking a bad ground, but you have to verify power and ground.
I've never seen a burned out clutch coil on that style compressor (A-6). Try running a jumper to it from the battery directly. :bglasses:
I thought I had the same problem on my deuce, but narrowed it down the the switch in the dash. Wiring the clutch up to the battery pinpointed it exactly! On my '70, there's another relay on the right inner wheel well....if you have one of those, it could be that, too. -- Larry '70 Electra Convertible
I will try jumping it from the battery. I suppose I should have suspected the dash switch all along. It only worked in the RECIRC mode and not the fresh air mode. So I guess the switch finally went bad. You have NO idea how impossible it is to remove that dash unit! I have to pretty much pull the entire dashboard apart. So, I suppose I have that project to do this winter while waiting for my seat covers to be made... Funny thing is, I have power to the clutch because I see the solenoid at the carb working which is jumped off that connector...
Well, the clutch clicks when I jump it from the battery. Oh well, I need to start looking at the dash switch. Let's see... the shop manual says that to remove that switch I must first pull the engine, transmission, driveshaft, the entire front suspension, the front clip...
Thermal limit fuse? When you say the fuse is okay - are you looking at the fuse in the fuse box? I believe there may be a thermal protector that will burn out if the system is low on freon so that you won't burn up the compresser. We use to loose these alot on farm tractors. Check out your wiring harness and look for a black odd shaped plastic device that is connected to your wiring harness. This will also have a metal clip on it to mount on a bracket to hold it in place with the replacable thermal fuse plugged into it. I have attached some pictures of my son's 72. It is all apart and was not connected when we removed the wiring so I can not tell you where to look. I would guess near the carb. solonoid you speak of or near the compressor.
Thermal limit fuse? When you say the fuse is okay - are you looking at the fuse in the fuse box? I believe there may be a thermal protector that will burn out if the system is low on freon so that you won't burn up the compressor. We use to lose these a lot on farm tractors. Check out your wiring harness and look for a black odd shaped plastic device that is connected to your wiring harness. This will also have a metal clip on it to mount on a bracket to hold it in place with the replaceable thermal fuse plugged into it. I have attached some pictures of my son's 72. It is all apart and was not connected when we removed the wiring so I can not tell you where to look. I would guess near the carb. solonoid you speak of or near the compressor.
It's my understanding the Thermal Limiters started in 1972 and up. Jeff, where did you hook up the idle compensator? If the dash switch is sending out 12V to the idle switch, then it's operating OK. I'll say it again, CHECK FOR 12V AND GOOD GROUND AT THE COMPRESSOR PLUG......:rant: You know what they say about assuming Jeff.....:Brow: Unless you like pulling dashboards out for practice.....ou:
Well, now the idle compensator solenoid doesn't work. I know it did earlier when the compressor wouldn't click on. I get nothing at the connector when I check with the voltmeter. The ground dumps right to the compressor base from that connector, and I'll check tomorrow to be sure there is no corrosion at it. I know it is tight. I can get the "selector" part of that entire assembly off (once I get a 1/4" u-joint) and I'll clean it real good then reassemble.
Yup, it's the selector switch in the dash. I just unplugged the power connector from the switch and ran a jumper wire asross the 2 female connectors in the plug. I got full power out at the AC compressor. So I'll be refurbishing that switch tomorrow.
You know what I think I might do? You know how most new cars have a separate switch to activate the AC? The selector for vent/RECIRC/Defrost works independantly of the compressor, right? I think I'll just add a button to the dash that turns on the AC independantly of the selector switch. I'll see if I can refurb the selector switch, but if not, I'll go modern.
I connected a relay to mine in conjunction with the kickdown switch so that the a/c clutch drops out at full throttle. I wired it so that the underdash relay is only powered at full throttle and is normally closed to complete the circuit to the compressor clutch. Trick, huh? :Brow:
Oww! OWW! OWW!!! I am too old to be stuffed under the dashboard for so long anymore! But, I was able to stuff my mitts into the dash and remove the selector part of the switch from the entire climate assembly. There are actual points contacts in there that get pinched when the lever it moved to the 2 AC positions. A little filing and viola! Good as new. I can't say the same for my back and neck though. Thanks all for the advice!
