Yup, sorry folks, it's that time of year again. I've searched through the various AC related threads that I could find and while I've found some great info, thanks Tech, however haven't found the Holy Grail yet.

Had the rapid on/off AC clutchissue last summer, charged the AC system and it worked fine all last summer. Used the AC a couple of times over the winter, or so I thought, for defrosting. Now the little blue light does not turn on when flicking the ACswitch and the compressor does not engage at all. Normally you can hear it/feel it when it kicks on, no nothing now.

I tried cleaning the AC switch itself in the dash per the instructions from Mathews. No luck. Main AC fuse under the hood is good, it's the same fuse that runs the fan for speeds 1,2&3, fan works fine.

I've read in the threads that I've found here aboutchecking power at the low pressure switch and compressor as some of the troubleshooting steps. No idea, how do I check those things?

If no power at those locations, what does that mean, and what should I do next?

Anyother troubleshooting steps should I perform? I'm o.k. with most basic repairs requiring a wrench, however a novice when it comes to electrical troubleshooting so please explain any electrical steps to take as simply as you can if possible.

Thanks

 

Sadly I think the A/C controller might be bad.

 

Hmmm... O.k. thanks, I take it that's a really bad thing? i.e. expensive thing to fix? Any way to verify that's the culprit?

 

If you can try to find one in a Junk yard car to try to swap into yours.
Then entire module pops put. Then there is 3 plugs.
Slide the radio out then the module.
Usually if you have no power at the low pressure switch is back tracks to the module.
I just tried to look on my wiring diagram but for somereason that section is missing.

 

Thanks Tech, exactly where is this AC module? Just this evening I just had the radio out and took out the heater/AC control panel and disconnected the fan switch, Recirc switch, and AC switch. Took apart AC switch per the instructions from Mathews site, didn't look that bad, contact were only slightly dirty. Cleaned them put it back together, no change.


Is there some other module behind the radio somewhere?

There are two junkyards that I know of that I could try, but not sure what I'm looking for?

How about how to check for power at the low pressure switch, should I do that first? If so can you tell me how. I have a meter, just don't know exactly what to do. I assume I'm looking for 12V DC, but where and what contacts to I probe? Sorry for all the questions.

 

The part you took out is the module.

Yes check for power at the switch first.
Unplug the lower pressure switch and check the connector for 12V.
One side will have 12V and the other nothing. When plugged in and full of freon with the A/C on both sides will have 12V.
I didn't realize you haven't checked for power yet.
If you have 12V then jump both terminals on the plug and see if the compressor comes on. If it does either the low pressure switch is bad or the freon is empty.

Check that out and post I will check for your reply tomorrow night.

 

OK thank you, I'll try that tomorrow.

 

Any update?

 

Well I did not start off simply enough. I thought the134a recharge I did last summer was still good. Not.

Stopped off at Wal-Mart on the way home and in true Wal-Mart fashion popped the hood in the parking lot and proceeded to add a couple of cans of 134a.

My problem was there wasn't enough freon in the system, so the low pressure switch did it's job and kept the compressor off. Once I started to add the 134a the compressor started to cycle on/off rapidly. The more 134a it sucked in the longer it stayed running. Once onto the 2nd can it started running longer. By almost the end of the 2nd can it was running just fine.

Now I just wonder how long it will hold the charge. I'm guessing the evaporator is on it's way out. Just how bad, don't know. Obviously it couldn't hold anything over the winter.

Beyond that the question for me now is do I want to keep the car and fix it. It's a 97 NA 850 with 161+K miles. Engine + tranny are good,body good, interior good. But the shocks & strutsand mounts are toast. Front brakes are due, tires will only last thru summer. Beyond the evaporator problem it has some sort of leak by the top of the rear window such that now the car smells like a mushroom farm.

All four corners, for struts/shocks and related parts ~$500 even at FCP. Brakes, no big deal, less than 100 for the fronts. I could do all those myself.

Decent tires mounted and balanced $400~500

Window leak don't know, $3 for tube of silicone. Stench removal ???

Evaporator, not sure I'm up for the task, certainly not worth paying someone to do it. Car itself is only worth $2G. I'm at close to half that just for parts. I dunno.......decision time.

 

Questions for you. Do you feel like buying a new car? Are you willing to buy a "new to you" used car and hope that it doesn't havesome hidden problem? Are you willing to, in most cases, put down a deposit and then start making payments of on the average of $200 - $350, or more,a month as well as an increase in insurance and make payments for the next 3 to 5 years? Are you willing to buy a used car and get and extended warranty and hope that nothing goes wrong but what is covered by the warranty? Are you willing to buy a new set of snows as all season tires are good for everything but WINTER and are what's normally on any car on any lot, dealer, used lot or from a private seller? Are you willing to accept the guarrantee that if it breaks in half, you get to keep both halves? And lastly, does this car really owe you anything?

Ifthe answer is no, then take what you would be putting down on a new or newer car (average of $1500 to $2500 + payments and new insurance rates) and take your time and repair your current ride.

I bought a '94 850 Estate NA(sounds better than wagon) for $3000 and the safety alone cost me about a grand and was in good shape then everything seemed to go to pot. You don't want to know what the car has cost me [:@]but now that it's back in fairly good condition I am really glad that I stuck it out as this is really one of the best cars that I have ever owned .

Brakes you say you can do yourself and every car needs tires sooner or later. How bad does the car smell? Is it bad enough that you can't drive the car for too long before you jump out of it with tears in your eyes?
Friends no longer want to ride with you []?

There are odour and stain removers available fairly cheap and it just takesa littletime to go through the car to get it done.

Really the bottom line is if you really feel that you've had enough, then bite the bullit and find a newer one, Volvo of course, and work out the payments and around things that will surely not be covered buy what ever warranty you receive. Remember that some of the things that are wrong with your current will NOT be covered by warranty unless you go new.

The car you say is worth about two grand and that's a down on a new one and you won't get that from any dealer for yours.

Let us know what you decide and post a pic or two of the current one if you can.

Here's what I sold http://www.cardomain.com/ride/1717298and this is the current ride http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2434331. Both cost me some cash but the Brick is by far a better car and was alot less to fix than the Acura.

I have just replaced the stock stereo with a PioneerDEH-P3900MP head unit and an Acer 3100laptop with Garmin Navigation, sooo much cheaper that the AVIC-N1 ($2600) as opposed to less than a grand for the current setup . And I now use the Vista media player for the audio and video play back.

If it were my car, thought it is not, I would consider keeping it as you say it needs some TLC but the cost, by what you have mentioned, will be no where near what a new one will cost.

Just my $0.10's (inflation) worth.

[sm=icon_cheers.gif]

 

Yeah I hear ya' about droppin' the coin.Really on the fence about what to do with this one. I've never bought a new car and probably never will, don't think I've ever spent more than $10G on a car, ~8 is more like it. Just trying to gauge my motivation level to put the money and bloody nuckles into this one or move on.

 

For what you put into this car plus what you can get from selling it as is, can you get a car better than the one you have? If the answer is yes, then you need to do just that. If the answer is NO, then it's decision time as to whether or not you want to spend the time to fix it up.

Personally I would be selling and buying a turbo model. I simply would not own a non-turbo Volvo.