AC Problem

[wwstone]

My fiance and I just purchased an Ebony 2000 VX in San Diego a few weeks ago with only 23,000 Miles on it. This morning she called me on the way to work and said the AC wasn't working. The only description of what happened is that the AC turned on when she started the engine and immediatley turned off. The AC button will not illuminate when pressed. Does it sound like it just blew a fuse or is there something else I need to check. Also it has been blowing perfectly fine up until this point. Thank You, Jeff

[etlsport]

make sure shes got the temp set low, if its set to auto the AC will turn off as soon as the desired temp is reached, so if shes got it set to 75 or higher it might just be at the right temp already

[Hotsauce]

Check the fuse, also check that the compressor starts when the AC is engaged, There is a low pressure cutout that will prevent the AC compressor from engaging if the system pressure is too low. You can get a rough idea if the system is filled properly by looking at the sight glass.

John C.

[wwstone]

Thanks for replies, it's a weird thing but after my fiance left work it started working again. It feels as though it takes it a little longer to cool though. I will check the sight glass and see if it is working properly. It was 112 deg. in Phoenix today, so I don't know if that had anything to do with it.

[Tobert]

You might try cleaning the contacts on the collector (the big canister). My father-in-law had the same kind of thing happen on his S-10 and that was all it was. That sensor tells the system when to turn the compressor on and off. It also tells when the system is undercharged which makes the compressor not run even on max A/C.

[blacksambo]

What do you look for when you examine the site glass. All I see is some green tint. Should the car be running with AC on? etc.

[Tobert]

All the info you need is in the service manual. Tone has it for free download at the bottom of this page:

http://tonemonday.com/vxparts.html