Air Conditioner Help Needed

snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net did pass the time by typing:

Did you jump the low pressure switch?

Turn the AC on, pull that connector and jumper the two pins. If the compressor kicks on either the gas is low or the low pressure sender is shot. (p.s. you can't just unscrew that sensor, it will dump your whole system)

Same goes for the high pressure cutoff switch.

It could be your clutch is shot, but 12V across the inputs should cause it to engage. With the engine off all you will hear is a .click.

Before you add any coolant you should go get a refill kit with pressure gauge. Even the cheap ones last a long time.

My A/C is not working real well either, so what I did is I took the top and the doors off. It is still a little warm, but HELL its a Jeep. And my 81 CJ5 doesnt have A/C anyway. Brad

Touche'

snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net did pass the time by typing:

There should also be an AC relay, it could be shot.

Here is where things change. I don't have the wiring diagram for your year but there should only be one line feeding the compressor clutch. Two wires, but one goes directly to ground.

Check to see which one is which, but you should be able to trip it with 12 v in either direction. My book shows a Darkblue/yellow stripe wire being the feed, but that's for a 93 ZJ. YMMV.

snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net did pass the time by typing:

Relays will get a bit warm but shouldn't get too hot. Have you tracked back all AC fuses? In the ZJ there are two, one in the primary relay center by the relay and another in the secondary center inside. Either one will keep the AC from running.

Thanks for the wiring diagram, Bill!

I believe I connected (jumped) the low pressure and the high pressure switches with the same result - clutch did not engage. Would I need to jump them both at the same time? I did not do that.

Thanks aga>

I'm bett>>

Yes, you'll need to check to see which one is connected to the body of the compressor and which one goes to the clutch coil. When you're sure you've got the one to the clutch, connect it to 12V while the engine is running, and the compressor should start. If it doesn't, you've either got a bad ground (not too likely) or bad compressor clutch. If it doesn't start, connect a jumper from the frame to the body of the compressor and try it again. No start = no clutch. If it started with just the 12V, you can backtrack through the system via the compressor relay, etc. (Jeep's wiring seems a bit convoluted, but Bill's wiring diagram should make it fairly easy if you are good at schematics.)