Air conditioning stopped working a while ago (3 years) - while its cool outside (I live in FLA) I wanna get it working before summer again. I couldn't stand another summer. I don't mind it but my ole lady don't wanna drive another mile in the heat.

OK when switched to MAX A/C - lights dim for a second, air comes out of the vents hot - never gets cold. It doesn't "sound" like the compressor is on, there used to be a metallic sound when the air was on but that hasn't happened in so long I don't remember.

I checked it last year with one of those silly can gauges and it was up on the high end of "green" so I didn't add any more freon.

I'm almost certain its been converted to R134a, at least the silver tower in the passenger rear of the engine compartment (I don't know what that part is called, please forgive me, I'm willing to learn!) says "suitable for R-12 or R-134a", and the guy I got the car from 5 years ago said he "thought" it was converted........

I jumped the low pressure switch (I think its on the same silver tower in the passenger rear of the engine compartment, the connector is a two prong affair, resembling a regular 110 lamp cord, I used a paper clip to connect the two holes in the plug together) while the air was on - no response, compressor didn't seem to budge, air still hot. I grounded that cable - sparks, but no air - and I blew a fuse - blower motor I believe?

Any thoughts after that other than the obvious "replace the compressor"?

 

I'd recommend not poking around until you know what you're doing.

But someone that knows how the AC system works will chime in. In the mean time, a cheap 134A refill kit from autozone($15) is worth a shot. If your system isn't leaking then that will fill it and it should blow cold again. Longshot, but worth it since it requires no tools to perform.