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96 Honda Accord A/C not working! Help!

19 years ago

I have a 96 Honda Accord - the air conditioning is not working.

I thought it was low on refridgerant so I added some... it didn't help, so I added more... it still didn't help. So I bought another can with a pressure gauge and found out that it was now overfilled. I released some pressure and brought it back to normal, but it's still not working.

I noticed that the compressor isn't turning on. It will click and attempt to start turning but doesn't do anything. I'm pretty sure that it's part of the problem, if not the whole problem.

I've read on your forum and on the web about "bad switches" on compressors. Is this a part I can find and replace myself? I'm pretty handy with basic tools and I'm not afraid to get my hands greasy.

Can anyone advise me on what to do? I don't want to take it to a shop to have them charge me a fortune because they know the heat and humidity will be coming soon.

Thanks

JLP

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Comments (8)

kalining
19 years ago
You have no idea what you are doing. send it out before
you cause some serious damage. Blowing freon into the air
is a serious fine up here. To bad you don't live here. I could use the $10,000.00 bounty. The B.C.M. plays a major part of a car's A.C. If you are not into car computers you aint fixing it.
kalining
19 years ago
Very likely a 98 cent part failed. But why did it fail ?
you have to fix that too and make sure i doesn't fail again.
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DNT1
19 years ago
Most likely your AC system is low due to a leak and the compressor is short cycling from your description. Anyhow if you really want to attempt a repair yourself you should invest in a GOOD set of R134a refrigerant guages so you can see the High side and Low side internal system pressures Purchase a automotive air conditioning repair book and read it until you completely understand all the details. With a real set of guages and some good basic knowledge you will be able to quickly and accurately diagnose/repair your R134a AC system.
kalining
19 years ago
his A.C. system does not have a leak. He has an electrical
problem. i bet his engine fan doesn't come on either when
the A.C. is switched on. sorry but i'm not telling you what
is wrong with this system. Some one could get hurt or the car could be damaged. Sorry.
DNT1
19 years ago
The A/C relay on your Honda, like most vehicles today, is computer controlled. The relay will have electrical power at two terminals of the relay with the key on and power at only one terminal with the key off. If there is no electrical power present at the relay, then you have to inspect the fuses. There are two fuses for the relay. One can be found in the under dash fuse panel. It will be a 7.5 amp fuse and will be located in position #6 of the fuse panel labeled A/C clutch relay/cooling fan relay. The other fuse is located in the under hood relay and fuse box. This is a 15 amp fuse and will be in position # 34 and labeled condenser/fan. If both fuses are good and there is electrical power to two of the terminals at the A/C compressor clutch relay, then you have a control problem. It could be as simple as a bad relay or the A/C system is low in charge. The A/C system has a pressure switch that stops the operation of the A/C compressor if the charge of refrigerant in the system becomes inadequate, too low. This is done to prevent damage to the compressor. To diagnose a control problem will require more specialized equipment, higher level of training and knowledge for diagnosis. At this point I would suggest that you involve a repair facility to perform this diagnosis.
datsundave
17 years ago
Wow, kalining, you're kind of a dick, huh?

I have a similar problem--pressure on the low side was fine when I checked it, actually a little too high. Compressor kicks on just fine, but system blows hot air. Any ideas? I know this post is almost 2 years old, but I thought I'd ask just in case someone is still listening...
nancyparr723_gmail_com
15 years ago
Hi
I know this is an old post, but my car was having similar issues a few years ago. I replaced the relay (looks like a car fuse) which is in a corner in the hood. I have a 2003 Toyota Camry and same issues. Car was blowing only hot air and would not cool. I spent 6 hours researching online and spent $19.00 on the part and have not had a problem since.

Best of Luck.. You can always take to a repair place but don't be afraid to try.
reberry_windstream_net
15 years ago
my 1999 Accord A/C cabin fan will not blow at all until I drive about ten miles then comes on and works fine. I had only low speed so I replaced the Blower fan resistor and now I have all 4 speeds but still have this problem with fan not working at all at first. I can't understand it this Honda only has 233,000 miles on it.

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