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FAQ Info on A/C: please read if not working

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coolant
162K views 241 replies 72 participants last post by  foradrive 
#1 ·
Many people are concerned for their A/C now that summer is coming up. A common problem that many of us have come upon is the A/C is not working. Some have tried refilling the R-134A to get it to work, and others have tried other things only to find that there is some wrong with the clutch not engaging. This is NOT the result of a bad relay, etc. It is the fault of the pressure transducer. These cars are notorious for the transducer going bad and it will cause the A/C to not engage. The part will not be available from a local auto parts store (unless you are very lucky) so it'll have to be purchased from the dealer or online. I've heard that they are around $100-$110.

Also, make sure that you do not have any leaks in your system. If you just keep recharging it, its not good for the environment and will probably be better off just getting the leaks fixed or running without the A/C. Any questions... just search the site for the answer. After all, thats what that little search button is for on this site. Thanks.
 
#28 ·
No offense, but this has to be one of the most unorganized FAQ posts i've seen in a while. I'm so confused after reading all of the replys, i'm beginning to think AC is the same as Heat!

Anyways, I have a Code 33 is this for sure either a bad relay, or a bad pressure transducer? Will no freon in the system trip this code? Will a bad clutch coil trip this code? Could it be anything else?

Can the pressure transducer be tested or bypassed to determine if that is the problem?

Is there anyway to do a "dirty" test to see if there is freon in the system without AC tools?

Thanks for a clear explanation ahead of time!
 
#29 ·
Ussually you can jump the Clutch if it has 2 wires gooing to it. pull it out and one goes to positive battery one to neg. it shoul run. do you have a set of gages. If you do and when you hook them up, if the Blue side(low side) goes in a vacuum them it is probbally a Expansion valve or orvice tube.
 
#30 ·
I discovered that you don't lose the charge when changing transducers, the fitting it is screwed on to has a shrader valve in it. I just ordered a transducer for my 96 Eagle Vision. If this turns out to not be my problem I will probably be willing to sell it to someone else at a discount. Stay tuned.......
Kywookie
 
#31 ·
Good luck selling it! I've been advertising mine for the last month with no luck. :)
 
#32 ·
Intrepidude said:
Good luck selling it! I've been advertising mine for the last month with no luck. :)
I didn't even think to check the for sale forum here. I could have helped us both out. I paid $70 for mine, plus shipping. I would like to have known where I got have got one for $42. None of the aftermarket places had it. Maybe if you were real tight with the guy at the parts counter at the local dealer you could pick one up that cheap.
Kywookie
 
#34 ·
Hell, you could even go to the parts yard and check for a wreck 97, in which they actually changed the style and everything. Thats what I did, and got mine for less than $5. Btw, when I get my pictures back, I'll post them and show the difference between the 2 transducers.
 
#35 ·
the hissing is the refrigerent going through the expansion valve and expanding in the evaporator. Its perfectly normal, although if memory serves me right...it gets louder if the refrigerent charge is low. Dont quote me on that though. If its blowing cold air and all the functions on the climate control work, i doubt anything is wrong with it
 
#37 ·
And I bet it was easy to do too. Probably a couple minutes of work, and easy enough to do yourself!
 
#38 ·
yea i recharged it and it stopped the hissing but its so friggin weird and im totaly clueless on this but theres like a whining noise whenver the a/c and only when the a/c is and it is related to engine speed cause as the rpms get higher it gets louder directly proprtinal to rpms, i have no idea at all what this could be.
 
G
#39 ·
'94 3.5 A/C transducer wiggle

I have a '94 3.5 with the 'wiggle the transducer and the A/C comes on' problem. I played around with the connector to no avail, and I'm guessing that the terminals inside the transducer are actually the problem. Inserting the connector slowly or pushing it slightly to one side must temporarily (maybe for 1 second, maybe for a day) make the connection again. And yes, the compressor clutch does engage, not just the fan.

I can get the new one from a dealer, but why won't any junkyards sell them? Even if they have the car, they want to sell it with the condensor or they say they 'can't' sell it to me.
 
#40 ·
how many times have you needed to recharge it? Its possible that there is a little bit to little oil in the compressor and its making noise...but that tends to be more of a knocking noise. Either way...its probably a good idea to add some PAG 100 to the system since some has obviously leaked out with the refirgerent. Other than that...without looking at the car its kind of hard to say what it is. Have a tech look at it...they give free estimates usually.
 
#41 ·
Re: '94 3.5 A/C transducer wiggle

pehoffer said:
I have a '94 3.5 with the 'wiggle the transducer and the A/C comes on' problem. I played around with the connector to no avail, and I'm guessing that the terminals inside the transducer are actually the problem. Inserting the connector slowly or pushing it slightly to one side must temporarily (maybe for 1 second, maybe for a day) make the connection again. And yes, the compressor clutch does engage, not just the fan.

I can get the new one from a dealer, but why won't any junkyards sell them? Even if they have the car, they want to sell it with the condensor or they say they 'can't' sell it to me.
The junkyards may be under the same false impression I was when I assumed that all the refrigerent would be lost if I removed the transducer. On the other hand, sometimes junkyard owners just have a different view on things and want to be contrary. If you found one that had the condensor already busted up then they would probably just sell you the transducer.
Kywookie
 
G
#42 ·
Unfortunately, in my case, when I removed the transducer, all the refrigerant leaked out because the schrader valve was bad. So now I have a new schrader valve and a new transducer.

The cheapest I could find at a junkyard here was $25 - with no guarantees. I decided not to press my luck and spent the $90 at the dealer.
 
#44 ·
dont know...the 2.7 isnt a first gen motor...never looked at one in person...just follow the lines from the firewall...one should go directly to the compressor. this is the suction line and somewhere connected to it or on it there will be a service valve.
 
#45 ·
I like to do my own work, but being able to put vacuum on the A/C
system seems to be the best way, but not the easiest without spending too many $ on equipment. Any tricks or shortcuts? Cheaper alternatives? I thought if I could fix the problem myself, then have it professionally charged if that would be better. If I do it myself and I finally figure out what it is (I'm thinking I have a leak somewhere) and have to tear into the system, how do I know how much replacement oil should be injected?

One more question: If the leak turns out to be the compressor, are the shaft seals hard to replace? Or is it too much trouble and better off with a new compressor.

All right, just thought of one more. Am I wasting $ by doing this myself? I checked one garage and they told me $100 just for finding a leak, if that is the issue. That's why I would rather do it myself. Advice is needed! Thanks!
 
#48 ·
are the transducers the same from say a neon or stratus? cus when i went to the junk yard everysingle transducer was cut out of the LS'
 
#49 · (Edited)
Could someone please explain to me how to jump across to start the AC compressor running so I can make sure it is charged?????
It hasn't worked since we had the car, and I decided to give it a try finally.
There is plenty of pressure, pushed in the low side valve to make sure there was pressure there.

EDIT: Did the jumpering, the compressure kicked in, I thought it was gonna choke the motor at first...heh
Tomorrw I will start with junkyards looking for a transducer......
 
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