We have a 1998 Cherokee with a tempermental A/C system. It seems the
clutch doesn't engage even when the wire to it is hot. I'm used to working
on Fords where the low pressure switch is in parallel with the clutch so
that if the refrigerant is low, it shuts off the compressor. However, this
clutch will sometimes not engage when the wire to the coil is hot. It
seems to most often happen when the ambient temperature is high (>90F).
When the clutch is engaged, it seems to cool just fine.

I took it into a local wrench, and they claimed it was low on refrigerant
and added about 1.5 lbs. This fixed the problem for a couple of days, but
it went back to its same tempermentalness. I have not taken it in yet. I
have old A/C gauges that are not set up for R-134.

Any advice on these things? Is there an internal swith in the compressor
that will shut off the clutch at low pressure?

--
------------------
Daryl D. Spillmann
------------------

 

Have you considered that the clutch itself might be bad? You can check the
internal resistance and the plate clearance too, if it is the design that I
am thinking of. If the coil is marginal, it could fail to engage at high
temperatures.

If the refrigerant level is low, there is a leak. This bears repeating.
The only way that refrigerant can escape from an air conditioning system, is
through a leak. The logical way to deal with this information, is to fix
it.

Earle

"Daryl D. Spillmann" <d-spillmann@neox.tamux.edux> wrote in message
news:Xns96EC73DB8B86Fdspillmannneotamuedu@165.91.2 2.66...
> We have a 1998 Cherokee with a tempermental A/C system. It seems the
> clutch doesn't engage even when the wire to it is hot. I'm used to
working
> on Fords where the low pressure switch is in parallel with the clutch so
> that if the refrigerant is low, it shuts off the compressor. However,
this
> clutch will sometimes not engage when the wire to the coil is hot. It
> seems to most often happen when the ambient temperature is high (>90F).
> When the clutch is engaged, it seems to cool just fine.
>
> I took it into a local wrench, and they claimed it was low on refrigerant
> and added about 1.5 lbs. This fixed the problem for a couple of days, but
> it went back to its same tempermentalness. I have not taken it in yet. I
> have old A/C gauges that are not set up for R-134.
>
> Any advice on these things? Is there an internal swith in the compressor
> that will shut off the clutch at low pressure?
>
> --
> ------------------
> Daryl D. Spillmann
> ------------------
>

 

Have you considered that the clutch itself might be bad? You can check the
internal resistance and the plate clearance too, if it is the design that I
am thinking of. If the coil is marginal, it could fail to engage at high
temperatures.

If the refrigerant level is low, there is a leak. This bears repeating.
The only way that refrigerant can escape from an air conditioning system, is
through a leak. The logical way to deal with this information, is to fix
it.

Earle

"Daryl D. Spillmann" <d-spillmann@neox.tamux.edux> wrote in message
news:Xns96EC73DB8B86Fdspillmannneotamuedu@165.91.2 2.66...
> We have a 1998 Cherokee with a tempermental A/C system. It seems the
> clutch doesn't engage even when the wire to it is hot. I'm used to
working
> on Fords where the low pressure switch is in parallel with the clutch so
> that if the refrigerant is low, it shuts off the compressor. However,
this
> clutch will sometimes not engage when the wire to the coil is hot. It
> seems to most often happen when the ambient temperature is high (>90F).
> When the clutch is engaged, it seems to cool just fine.
>
> I took it into a local wrench, and they claimed it was low on refrigerant
> and added about 1.5 lbs. This fixed the problem for a couple of days, but
> it went back to its same tempermentalness. I have not taken it in yet. I
> have old A/C gauges that are not set up for R-134.
>
> Any advice on these things? Is there an internal swith in the compressor
> that will shut off the clutch at low pressure?
>
> --
> ------------------
> Daryl D. Spillmann
> ------------------
>

 

Have you considered that the clutch itself might be bad? You can check the
internal resistance and the plate clearance too, if it is the design that I
am thinking of. If the coil is marginal, it could fail to engage at high
temperatures.

If the refrigerant level is low, there is a leak. This bears repeating.
The only way that refrigerant can escape from an air conditioning system, is
through a leak. The logical way to deal with this information, is to fix
it.

Earle

"Daryl D. Spillmann" <d-spillmann@neox.tamux.edux> wrote in message
news:Xns96EC73DB8B86Fdspillmannneotamuedu@165.91.2 2.66...
> We have a 1998 Cherokee with a tempermental A/C system. It seems the
> clutch doesn't engage even when the wire to it is hot. I'm used to
working
> on Fords where the low pressure switch is in parallel with the clutch so
> that if the refrigerant is low, it shuts off the compressor. However,
this
> clutch will sometimes not engage when the wire to the coil is hot. It
> seems to most often happen when the ambient temperature is high (>90F).
> When the clutch is engaged, it seems to cool just fine.
>
> I took it into a local wrench, and they claimed it was low on refrigerant
> and added about 1.5 lbs. This fixed the problem for a couple of days, but
> it went back to its same tempermentalness. I have not taken it in yet. I
> have old A/C gauges that are not set up for R-134.
>
> Any advice on these things? Is there an internal swith in the compressor
> that will shut off the clutch at low pressure?
>
> --
> ------------------
> Daryl D. Spillmann
> ------------------
>

 

You have a leak. Look for the red stain of the leak check they
should have added.
God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

"Daryl D. Spillmann" wrote:
>
> We have a 1998 Cherokee with a tempermental A/C system. It seems the
> clutch doesn't engage even when the wire to it is hot. I'm used to working
> on Fords where the low pressure switch is in parallel with the clutch so
> that if the refrigerant is low, it shuts off the compressor. However, this
> clutch will sometimes not engage when the wire to the coil is hot. It
> seems to most often happen when the ambient temperature is high (>90F).
> When the clutch is engaged, it seems to cool just fine.
>
> I took it into a local wrench, and they claimed it was low on refrigerant
> and added about 1.5 lbs. This fixed the problem for a couple of days, but
> it went back to its same tempermentalness. I have not taken it in yet. I
> have old A/C gauges that are not set up for R-134.
>
> Any advice on these things? Is there an internal swith in the compressor
> that will shut off the clutch at low pressure?
>
> --
> ------------------
> Daryl D. Spillmann
> ------------------

 

You have a leak. Look for the red stain of the leak check they
should have added.
God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

"Daryl D. Spillmann" wrote:
>
> We have a 1998 Cherokee with a tempermental A/C system. It seems the
> clutch doesn't engage even when the wire to it is hot. I'm used to working
> on Fords where the low pressure switch is in parallel with the clutch so
> that if the refrigerant is low, it shuts off the compressor. However, this
> clutch will sometimes not engage when the wire to the coil is hot. It
> seems to most often happen when the ambient temperature is high (>90F).
> When the clutch is engaged, it seems to cool just fine.
>
> I took it into a local wrench, and they claimed it was low on refrigerant
> and added about 1.5 lbs. This fixed the problem for a couple of days, but
> it went back to its same tempermentalness. I have not taken it in yet. I
> have old A/C gauges that are not set up for R-134.
>
> Any advice on these things? Is there an internal swith in the compressor
> that will shut off the clutch at low pressure?
>
> --
> ------------------
> Daryl D. Spillmann
> ------------------

 

You have a leak. Look for the red stain of the leak check they
should have added.
God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

"Daryl D. Spillmann" wrote:
>
> We have a 1998 Cherokee with a tempermental A/C system. It seems the
> clutch doesn't engage even when the wire to it is hot. I'm used to working
> on Fords where the low pressure switch is in parallel with the clutch so
> that if the refrigerant is low, it shuts off the compressor. However, this
> clutch will sometimes not engage when the wire to the coil is hot. It
> seems to most often happen when the ambient temperature is high (>90F).
> When the clutch is engaged, it seems to cool just fine.
>
> I took it into a local wrench, and they claimed it was low on refrigerant
> and added about 1.5 lbs. This fixed the problem for a couple of days, but
> it went back to its same tempermentalness. I have not taken it in yet. I
> have old A/C gauges that are not set up for R-134.
>
> Any advice on these things? Is there an internal swith in the compressor
> that will shut off the clutch at low pressure?
>
> --
> ------------------
> Daryl D. Spillmann
> ------------------