I have vacated the system 3 times and re-charged it and the clutch still won't kick in. I have read that vacuum is the way, but doesn't the clutch need to kick in to for this to work?

I can bypass power directly to kick in the clutch on the compressor and it will turn, but then of course, no cold air.

So, now I need to figure out a way to use the over the counter hose with the gauge on it and hook it up to whatever knows what and create a vacuum.

Does anyone have any ideas, or shared knowledge on how to vacate the system at home? I am a at home garage monkey, so I do 98% of all the repairs on all of our vehicles, I am knowledgeable enough to do the work, but the vacuum is where I am getting lost.

 

If you have filled the system to the proper level and the compressor does not kick on, maybe you have some other problem. Like a bad fan relay or some other problem.