My Ac has been working pretty crappy lately, and today it didn't work practically at all until I was done driving (1 hour later). I popped the hood and the compresser is just clicking on and off real consistently like a heartbeat. I checked the connections and everything is good. any ideas??? Is this a weird TPI wiring problem?? its on my iroc btw.

 

Being low on refrigerant will cause the compressor to cycle on and off.

 

Yup and low on r12 (assuming you haven't converted to 134a) sucks. Check all the A/C lines to see if there's a spot more dirty than others around fittings. If you find the spot, more than likely, you've found where it's been leaking out. At best it could just be an o-ring that needs to be replaced or worse, a compressor and/or hoses. Around here, r12 is going for about $60 a pound just to give you an idea of what it might cost to top off the system. Could be down just a matter of ounces though.

 

If you've got a leak (and it sounds like you do) just repairing it will vent all the remaining R-12 to the atmosphere (as soon as you take a hose or fitting off). Fix the leak, wherever it is, and then do an R-134 conversion. It's a cheap kit. Comes with instructions that are very easy to follow. I did my first one about a year ago (knowing nothing about A/C) and it worked like a charm. Difficulty level on a scale of 1-10: 3.

Just don't let the system sit open to the atmosphere for long while doing the repair- moisture from the air is the enemy of your A/C system. A quick hose replacement or similar that can be done quickly is no big deal, but if you are taking longer than that or replacing a lot of parts (especially the compressor) you'll want a shop to double check your work, draw vacuum on the system to get the moisture out and charge it for you the first time.

If you're replacing the compressor, having enough oil in the system after replacement is critical and I'd get a shop to do it. Near as I can tell most of the oil stays in the compressor, so replacing it you're taking a lot of the oil out of the system.

Even if you still have a slight leak after the repair you can top off the system occasionally for about $5 a can of R-134. Which is the real beauty of an R-134 conversion.

 

ok thanx sounds like the problem cuz I actually did notice a slight leak on the line coming out from the ac condenser about a week ago when I did a radiator swap. I'll do the R134 conversion thing tonight. Its freak'n HOT driving to work 40 miles each way!! (tucson, 108+ every damn day)

 

Doing those conversion kits eh, I dunno about them. You really shouldn't have air in the system, it's best to pull a vacuum on it then charge the system.