Hi I'm new to here and looking for answers.
I bought a 84 Berlinetta for a driver from a 'dude' that stripped alot of stuff off the 305. The AC has pressure in the system, and I have checked the fuses under the dash but it's not coming on. I'm at a loss cause it appears to be all there but the compresser is not coming on. It has the digital/push button dash. How can I jump the system to work with a seperate relay/switch if needed.
It's a great little car otherwise, still working the bugs out...

Thanks
Paulie

 

Check the blower motor relay. Also, I'd pull the A/C head unit and have a look behind it. If the previous owner unhooked the air, he may have disconected something behid the head unit...not sure what, but it;s a safe place to start.

 

Okay, that's a place to start, also the vents and blower work fine/correctly. There's no coolant to the heater core or any valves or hoses either. Trying to give you a picture; It's just the motor with no emissions valving/hoses. Maybe there was something removed that actuates the air?...

It's screamin hot down here otherwise it wouldn't be an issue.

Paulie

 

So is there somebody here that is good with AC to ask or nobody here knows much about troubleshooting AC.

 

Alright, I'm confused. You said the AC wasn;t coming on, but you also said that the blower motor and vents work properly. So, from that, I get that the blower motor engages, but you just aren;t getting any cold air from the vent. So, it could just be that you are a low on freon or the R12 depending on whether or not the system was converted. Just because you have pressure, doesn;t mean you aren't really low on refridgerant. If it has been converted to R12, you can pick up a recharge kit at Walmart for next to nothing. If it;s the old freon system, good luck finding someone to add freon at a decent price...if they will even do it.

 

To check the freon charge cheaply, get an ohm meter and pull the connector off of the A/C pressure switch located on the condensor. Check for continuity across the pins of the switch, if it shows open you need a charge, if you have continuity across the pins watch the A/C clutch while someone turns on the A/C, if it engages, get the system recharged, if it doesn't engage start chasing the wiring.

 

Thank you Eyerock and Morley, well thats good info I'll check, correct on the fan, I have taken it to several places and they all want to change it over and update it to R134, they have me really frustrated finding somebody that gives honest answers; just smoke and mirrors.

You know it has pressure; probably not enough but one of the shops jumped the pressure sensor and also tried to jump the compressor and said they aren't getting any power and they would need to do additional repairs , meaning hunt down the glitch. I would love it to be just freon but it doesn't appear to be the case. Thank you again for the solid suggestions, sorry I came off freakin tense too. I'll poke around this weekend.

 

I had to have the IROC switched over to R134 last year and if I remember correctly, it wasn;t all that bad. I think I paid $400. Some places tried to charge me as much as $1000.
Anyway, what you need to do is get the wiring diagram for the A/C system and take your time going over every part of it. If you don;t have the diagrams, let me know and i'll see if my manual doens't have it and I'll scan it for you. You'll save a ton of money doing it this way.

 

ok, this may or may not prove anything, but try. Take a piece of stranded wire, id say 12g is fine maybe even 14g. turn car on (running) turn teh heat/ac on. unplug the plug on the top of the compressor. run a wire from the postive of the battery to the connectors on the compressor. Does it start running? If yes, then you are probably just low on freon. If no, the compressor is bad.

 

eaiser way would be the take the plug off the condensor/dryer (whatever it is, that silver cylinder on the passenger side) and just short the 2 connectors in it. the plug is a round plastic connector.

 

I do believe he said the garage did that and it did nothing, no power to the compressor.

 

oh must have missed that sorry.

 

Well I tried to jump the compresser from the battery with the car running and A/C unplugged and didn't get it to engage. Am I supposed to jump the pressure sensor also? I should be bypassing all that straight from the battery right? If yes than no it's dead. I did jump from the battery over to the two connector pins one at a time and not together if that makes a differnce...

Paulie

 

i think its safe to say shes gone bad, u can get a used one at a junkyard but id be on the safe side and get a new one

 

I wouldn't say the compressor is bad right off, it might be the clutch, that is what the electrical signal is supposed to engage, if the clutch isn't engaging, replace it. If it is engaging and the pulley spins under the belt (smokes the belt) replace the pump.

 

i usually dont mess with the clutch, i think its easier to spend more money and have less trouble installing. and then its new so it has much more life, wouldnt u hate to put a new clutch in and fill with that expensive r12 then have the comrpessor go bad a few months later?

 

No one said it will or won't go bad a month later and it isn't written in stone that a new pump will hold together either, and why would you drain the system to change the clutch?

 

i had forgot he said there is pressure in the system, i was thinking it was gonna need freon too

 

Well I don't know much else to do either.
I followed wires as far as I could under the dash and under the hood after I jumped from the battery to the compressor.

Maybe the clutch IS fried, who knows maybe the system is just needing a clutch and the rest is fine. That would be nice. It points to the clutch from what has been said so far. How much is involved in the clutch?

Paulie