Issue With Air Conditioning

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WakeUpLate

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Hey there,

First time posting on the forum. I have a 2001 Dodge RAM 1500 Sport 5.9L. My AC just quit blowing cold air. Today I went to Autozone and rented the vacuum gauges for AC. My compressor was off and I could only get a static reading. After releasing some pressure out of the Low, the compressor started cycling, but would not blow cold air. I refilled the Low pressure with a can and the compressor stayed running, and blew cold air. Then it stops. It does not come back on until I turn it off for a while and let it cool. Could this be a sensor issue? Or am I looking at replacing the compressor?

Any help is greatly appreciated.
 

crash68

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What were the pressures you were seeing?
 
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WakeUpLate

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Pressure switch?

I'm thinking it might be one of them. Someone told me I can "jump" them. Does anyone have a diagram of their location?

I just drove and for 5 minutes I had cold air again. Don't want to say its the compressor just yet.

I don't think it would be a relay though, would it? Usually I thought a relay just goes out when it fails, and not give intermittent results.
 
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WakeUpLate

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What were the pressures you were seeing?

When I had the compressor running I was seeing around 25 psi low and I think over 200psi high (didn't pay much attention to the high side). I just remember the numbers looked good.

When the compressor stopped, it had a static reading of like 90psi and somewhere between 100 and 200psi on the high side. I honestly can't remember exactly the high side.

But if it comes on everytime the car sits, I don't want to bet it all on compressor just yet. Any ideas?
 

mark.sweetser.75

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Do you have a service manual or Chilton/Haynes? You need a schematic. I would shoot the pressure switch first. Don't buy a compressor just yet
 
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WakeUpLate

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Do you have a service manual or Chilton/Haynes? You need a schematic. I would shoot the pressure switch first. Don't buy a compressor just yet

I'm going to buy one. I work on the truck a lot and it would probably help. When you say shoot do you mean bypass it to test? Or just buy new ones since they are like $15 and replace them?
 

dodge dude94

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I would say compressor clutch. You can't buy one new, it would be the whole enchilada
 
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WakeUpLate

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I would say compressor clutch. You can't buy one new, it would be the whole enchilada

I think it is looking like it. I put UV in it earlier and no leak. I thought about clutch right away but when they told me it's one whole piece, I've been trying to fix it with the cheapest parts possible. Guess I should stop delaying the inevitable and do that. When I have the money I'll do it and post the results here. Gotta do it soon, it's getting hot!!!
 

crash68

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The fact you let refrigerant out and the compressor started to run, there is a sensor or pressure switch acting up. The low side at 25 psi is on the low end and without knowing the ambient temperature and the temperatures of the refrigerant on the high and low sides of the system 200psi could very well be too high, you could have a plugged office tube. There is also a probability of air contamination and refrigerant fractionation too.
Before you go spending money on a new compressor and trying to replace it yourself, take it to a shop to have them fix it. I'm not trying to sounds like a jerk, but you don't know enough to trouble shooting what is wrong or to open the refrigeration system to replace the compressor.
It may cost a bunch for a shop to fix it, but if you replace the compressor and it still doesn't work or the compressor fails because it was not properly installed, now your back to not having AC.
 
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dudeman2009

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Not to be a downer, but I agree with Crash68 on this one. It is my opinion that from the multiple conclusions you jumped to as well as going straight from incomplete troubleshooting to replacing components in a sealed system in which I am most certain you do not have the tools to do properly does not instill confidence in me about your abilities on this specific matter.

The large problem with AC systems isnt that they are complicated, its that they are fickle. If you don't properly clean and replace the compressor you could introduce contaminants into the system that will just kill the thing all over again. Sure you can get a vacuum pump from harbor freight and pull it down to whatever spec those are then fill it with a bunch of recharge cans from the store, but you wont be doing it properly.

I'm not trying to be offensive, but you remind me of some technicians that I used to work with that threw parts at trucks and usually had a high number of comebacks. I have been properly trained to do refrigeration work on everything from passenger vehicles to refrigerated trailers and I still won't work on my own vehicle's AC system if it requires anything more than electrical or a simple recharge because I simply don't have the tools to do the job properly.

You jumped straight to 'jumping' the pressure switches without even knowing how they work, as implied by your use of parenthesis. As far as I can tell, all you know how to do regarding AC is to throw parts at it.

I suggest you save yourself the hassle and take it to a shop where its on them to get it right.
 
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