So, today is the first warm day we've really had in Buffalo and I decide to turn on my a/c. I had the car running for about 15 mins on the highway... nuttin'. No cold air. I have a 95 EX in case that helps at all. I get off the highway and start some city driving. I notice an inconsitant idle. I sit through a few red lights on my way to work. My idle goes between 1,000 and 1,400 rpm every few seconds... it's weird. Is it b/c my engine is having to work to pump that compressor for my a/c? I didn't have a chance to run the car for a bit with the a/c off b/c I was so close to work. I don't know if it's been doing it before this... I don't this so, but my music is so loud it kinda drowns stuff like that out.
Let me know what you guys think!
Mindi

 

Bring it to a garage that recharges AC's and have them check it.

 

Do you think that they're related though? (a/c and idle)

 

i know my car idles funny and is more sluggish with the AC on, i thought that was just a natural thing.

 

idle bouncing back and forth and no cold air IS related. you could quite possibly be sitting at a low charge in the AC system. The reason this happens....your AC compressor kicks on, builds up some pressure in the system, then the low pressure sensor indicates to the compressor that there isn't enough pressure, so the compressor turns off. It's a nasty cycle and will continue to repeat itself. i know this to be true because i just went through this with one of my cars.

There's a way you can do this on your own, If you feel inclined to do it. First, check under your hood to see what type of refrigerant your car is equipped with. should be 134A, but could possibly be R-12. R-12 is the outdated old refrigerant but is still used. VERY expensive. 134A is cheap and easily availible. i went to an autoparts store and bought a charging kit. bout $30. comes with the pressure gauge and bottles of 134a refrigerant. very easy to do yourself. instructions are in the kit. the refrigerant should also have a lube mixed in with it, which makes it easy on your part. hook up the gauge, run the AC system, read the pressure. if it's low, begin filling per instructions on the kit.

If your car happens to be equipped with R-12 refrigerant, you can buy a conversion kit, but it kinda means you gotta discharge the old refrigerant somehow. i doubt your car has R-12, my 96 DX has 134a. i believe in the early 90s they changed over to 134a. my 91 blazer had R-12, but i converted it myself.

your idle will naturally kick down when the AC compressor is running. when it's not running, there's not much resistance on that pulley, but when it's running, the clutch inside engages and it's one more thing the engine has to work to spin.

If you are in doubt of charging your system yourself (it is easy), take it to a shop. If you need extra info, PM me and i can give you a call and help you out.

 

That's definitly good advice. Please note that you've helped to fix the last 3 problems in a row now. You're a smart cookie.

I have no doubt of charging the a/c system myself. Me smart cookie too.. but not as smart as you. I'll have to work on that this weekend. At least I figured out that they were probably linked together on my own! Will any auto parts store have a recharge kit? To be honest... I never looked for it before. BTW, I do have the 134a. Lemme know!

Mindi :driving:

 

You're just getting lucky and having problems i've had to deal with or similar. i'm pretty lucky in that if i can't figure it out on my own (which i usually can) i have a good friend i can call up and he'll walk me through diagnosing the problem. anyway....

I want to point this out to you before you charge your own AC system. When you take it to a shop to have it done, they load up the system with the proper amount of refrigerant and oil, and they add a special dye to the oil that i believe shows up under the presence of a black light. Then they run the car and search around all the AC lines for any sign of a leak. That's what the shop can do that you, as the DIY person, can't do, unless you've got the dye to do it. What i pointed out as the reason why your compressor is kicking on and off is the COMMON reason why, and it's more than likely that it's a low charge that's causing it. you won't know for sure until you test it yourself. I'm going to help you eliminate the compressor as the culprit. This is some more DIY stuff.

You will have to locate the low pressure relay in the AC system. I'll check my car this afternoon and see if i can pin point it's exact location. It should be a 2 wire connector. Once you have found it, disconnect it. Take a paperclip, bend it up, and insert it into the end that plugs in (the one with the wires running out of it). This will trick the system into believing that you have a full charge on refrigerant. Then you'll start the car and blast the AC. It's not going to be cold AC though. You are going to want to watch the AC compressor to make sure it stays engaged. You do NOT want to run your car for more than a few minutes like this. When those wires are jumped, if the AC compressor stays on and running, then you know for sure that it's not the clutch mechanisim in the compressor, and it's about as far as the home mechanic can go to test it out. This will help you to eliminate the compressor as the culprit before dumping $30 (or more) worth of refrigerant into your system.

Once you have eliminated the compressor as the culprit, you can then try to charge your system on your own. BEFORE you start dumping refrigerant into the system, hook up the gauge that comes with the kit and check your pressure. instructions are in the kit for doing this. From the way your car sounds, it is just a low charge condition. If you plug the gauge in and your system is reading normal operating pressure, then you are going to want to get it worked on at a shop, because it could be your condensor or something else that has gone wrong.

Before you go any further, when was the last time you had the AC system functional in your car? I think i remember you saying you recently bought this car.

Call your auto parts stores and see who has 134A refrigerant in stock. The guys at Advance Auto right by me absolutely love me because i'm in there all the time. When i bought my exhaust for my 91 blazer, i kept messing with them telling them i wanted my "preferred customer discount." the guy gave me a 10% discount havn't had to go there since (been about a week) :naughty: but i'm sure i'll be over there today getting supplies for my motorcycle bodywork repair job. anyway, back to the refrigerant........you will also have to check for a sticker on your car that indicates how much refrigerant your car takes. It will either be rated in ounces or in pounds. should be around 32-40oz. that's how much refrigerant you will need in your system when you charge it.

after you test the compressor out, take your car to a local shop. pay a few bucks to have them suck out all your old refrigerant. #1 it's more environmentally friendly than discharging it into the air and #2 when you charge it back up, you'll have all fresh refrigerant in the system.

Check the cans of refrigerant when you buy them. I bought cans that said 15oz on them, but it was 12oz of refrigerant and 3oz of oil. you NEED the oil in the system, and that mix actually is pretty good. You should be all set from here. good luck :thumbup: and lemme know if you need any more help.

 

btw, does your user name have anything to do with where you work? if you work for/with house of color paints, lemme know. Thanks.

 

No, I wish I worked at house of kolor. I actually just got my car painted with House of Kolor Blue metallic flake this spring... hence the user name.

I just printed out this info you gave me. I'll work on it over the memorial day weekend. I like DIY sh!t. Saves me money, and I love to learn about stuff. Thanks,
Mindi

 

p.s- I bought the car last August half way accross the country. I drove it home from St. Louis to Buffalo and the a/c was cool, but not cold.... not as cold as my last celica at least. Then, used it a few times through the early fall, same thing... cool. Then, put her away for the winter and brought her out 6 weeks ago, and this is the first time I'd fired it up. I started it once or twice this winter to let the a/c work a little. Not that you can tell if it's working or not.
Mindi