Air conditoning probelm - dual pressure switch?

[Zonaman]

Maybe someone can help me out on this: The AC will sometimes not work after driving the car then letting it sit for an hour or two. For example, drive somewhere - AC fine and cold. Park the car, go shopping, come out to drive home - no ac - blowing hot air.

I bought one of those recharge canisters with the gauge from Checker. Level read a little low so I put some coolant in as noted up to proper level. AC was nice and cold, but then it went hot again next day.

I read in my Haynes manual about the AC dual pressure switch switches the compressor clutch off if hits low 28 psi and too high of 426 psi.

It seems that everything in my system is working as it should except that switch. Have any of you had a problem with that switch and had to replace it? Or could this be another switch somewhere else in the electrical system...or at the worst could this actually be a bad compressor? When its running like it should, it's cold ac, which leads me to believe the compressor is fine. Thanks

[Cheekz185]

do you hear like a clicking noise coming from under the dashboard if you change from hot ---->cold? It very well might be your blower motor. do a search for "blower motor" this problem is very normal on our g's.

[manybrews]

you have no idea if its properly charged.. there is absolutly no such thing as a "gauge" that can read if its low. You need to have both the high and low side pressures measured, and you need the EXACT amount of refridgerant in the system judged on weight. no "Maybe Im close" by overcharging a half pound, etc.

[Zonaman]

Thanks manybrews. I am thinking that it probably needs to be charged by a professional too. I'll see what it does today. I put more coolant in from the same bottle. I think the pressure is just too low for me to get it to the correct level with a do-it-yourself can.

[pinoyesv6]

you might also have a leak. get them to do a pressure test when they refilled.

[corbizzle]

what does this usually run to get checked or refilled? I got shafted by a mechanic before, just want to make sure I don't get the same thing done.

[jubeiaire]

what does this usually run to get checked or refilled? I got shafted by a mechanic before, just want to make sure I don't get the same thing done.

for crap like ac checks and refills go to pepboys. The price is allways the same wether or not they find something wrong.

And as a side note: I took my cousin there to have his AC checked and filled. we told them to check it and call us to let us know what was wrong and depending on issue wed either have them fix and fill or fix ourselves.....Well the desk guy ddint tell the tech so the tech filled the ac after testing and seeing that it was just empty. So we wound up just paying for the test because we never told them to fill it. A reg shop would fight you to the teeth to make you pay for both.

[RedGalant2k1]

for crap like ac checks and refills go to pepboys. The price is allways the same wether or not they find something wrong.

And as a side note: I took my cousin there to have his AC checked and filled. we told them to check it and call us to let us know what was wrong and depending on issue wed either have them fix and fill or fix ourselves.....Well the desk guy ddint tell the tech so the tech filled the ac after testing and seeing that it was just empty. So we wound up just paying for the test because we never told them to fill it. A reg shop would fight you to the teeth to make you pay for both.

You can't 'test' it without charging it. So if you want your A/C checked, you will pay for the charge.

[Stewi]

+1