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Air conditioning woes '94 850

Manual A/C system on a '94 850

During early spring, the A/C in this car worked OK, maybe not as cool as I would expect, but reasonably satisfactory. I assumed it was the R134 refrigerant that made it less than ideal cooling.

Today it was 88 degrees F, and the A/C does not function at all. When you first start the car the compressor indicator light comes on for

2-3 seconds, and goes out. I can 'hot wire' the compressor to the battery, and it comes on, and the system cools. The rad fan also comes on as expected.

I bought one of the $20 gauge and recharge kits, figuring I had a slow leak, and that the low pressure switch had kicked in. Much to my surprise, the gauge shows a full charge!

Before I go to the A/C shop, are there any quick checks I can make, including the pressure switch? I have a four wire switch, 2 brown and two black, but no idea of voltage and/or resistance to expect on it.

Any help is appreciated!

Ron Ron/Champ 6

1963 8E5 Champ (Champ 6) 1962 Lark Daytona Convertible (Boomerang) 1995 VW Passat (Vanilla..yuk) 1994 Volvo 850 (Tilley)
Reply to
Ron /Champ 6
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Are you familliar with the "superheat" switch? I just bypassed mine and the AC is now fine.

Google it and you should come up with plenty of info.

BTW, the white plug that runs from the compressor IS THE SWITCH! Just remove the two ends of the plug to bare wire, connect and you're done.

John in NH ~~~

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Reply to
John in NH

Same thing on mine. There's a pressure/temperature switch on the rear of the compressor, wired in series with the compressor clutch. I disconnected mine and plugged the harness and clutch wires together. I did this about 2 years ago, and there have been no problems since. (Skinny arms required for this job..)

To reply, please remove one letter from each side of "@" Spammers are VERMIN. Please kill them all.

Reply to
Doug Warner

I was able to check the car today, as I drove my Studebaker today, and the Volvo was cold. Jumped the thermal link for the superheat like you said, and voila! I have AC again!

Thanks!

Ron/Champ 6

1963 8E5 Champ (Champ 6) 1962 Lark Daytona Convertible (Boomerang) 1995 VW Passat (Vanilla..yuk) 1994 Volvo 850 (Tilley)
Reply to
Ron /Champ 6

Glad to help. That gave me FITS figuring out exactly where/what the switch was. ~~~ "I've traded love for pennies, sold my soul for less, Lost my ideals in that long tunnel of time; I've turned inside out and around about and back and then, Found myself right back where I started again." - 'Age' - The Great Jim Croce

Reply to
John in NH

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