Originally posted by projectSHO89:

(1) Engine running too hot (or the computer thinks it is too hot)

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I do have cooling problems, but I dont' think that's the issue here. The AC doesn't work properly at idle, even when the temperature gauge indicates N-O-R-M)
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(2) Engine idling too low (is it?)
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No, the idle is okay. It may dip to 500 for a second when the ac clutch kicks in, but it will go back to 900-1000 in a second or two. I've also held my foot on the accelerator, and kept the rpm's at 2-3K for a few minutes, and the ac still didn't work
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(3) Cooling fan not operational while the car is stopped (is it? - if not, the high pressure cutout swiitch will quickly activate as high side pressures quickly climb when not moving)
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You may be on to something here. I suspect that this is part of the problem. No, the cooling fans aren't doing what they are supposed to do. AT least, I don' think they are. The cooling fans are intermittent, and turn on and off, even when the ac is turned on. The fans run for a few seconds, and then turn off for maybe a minute or two. The do not run continuously, even when the ac is on.
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(4)computer is correctly attempting to control the A/C relays, but a fault in the relays is preventing proper operation Iless likely).
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also a possibility.......I've suspected the relays may be fouled up. My cooling fans don't work properly, and the relay could be the problem.
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(5)Will the A/C work immediately when the car is cold started before it moves?
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When I first start the car, the ac will work for a brief period of time, maybe a minute or so
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Yesterday, after driving for 10 miles or so, I left the engine running and I hooked up a gauge to the low pressure side of the ac lines. The gauge would read around 100 or above when the ac was not turned on. When I turned the ac on, the gauge would drop to around 40, stay there a few seconds, and then the compressor would kick off, and the gauge would climb to around 70 or so before the compressor kicked back in again. It would cycle on and off, and I could feel the "cold" in the low pressure lines. It appears that the problem is that the unit turns off too quickly. While the ac was cycling on and off, the air coming out of the vents was around 70 or so, rather than 40.


95 Contour Zetec, ATX (wrecked, sitting in the barn) 95 Mystique Zetec, MTX 2000 Taurus SEL 3.0L Duratec 1994 Crown Victoria LX 4.6 V8 1993 Chevy Silverado 4.3 V6