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A/C Pulley Clicking In and Out at Idle?


Dep. Ranger

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Messages
168
City
Florida
Vehicle Year
1999
Transmission
Manual
What could cause the A/C (Pulley for the C-Belt) to Click in and out at idle?:icon_confused:
I have recharged my A/C. It just gets annoying when I am driving down the road or at a stop sign and hearing the clicking noise. It usually clicks in and out about every thirty seconds.
*all of this info is with the A/C on.

Thanks for any advice.
 
must be nice to have to use a/c i january...but kinda sounds to me like it is doing what it should be doing
 
I don't really know what it is supposed to be doing. I just didn't know if it is something I should be worried about. How often should it be clicking in and out?
 
The clutch is just turning off and on according to what the pressure sensor sees...

Have it set to defrost by chance?
 
Max/Cool saves Fuel man:icon_twisted:
Max/Cool recirculates the air inside your cab so the AC system does not have to work so hard. For instance if you bring in outside air on the normal cool setting the AC actualy has to work harder to cool the air because it is hot. On the Max/Cool setting it cycles off and on due to its duty, or how it is calling for it to cool the air it sees across the condensor. I would say it is running normal in this case. Research some info on Hyperfueling and you will see that most of them recomend running your AC in the MAX possition as it saves fuel because it cycles on and off more, instead of running constant pulling HP off your engine. ''

Mike
 
Thanks Mike,
That makes sense now. It just worried me hearing that loud click every time. Thanks for the helpful input.
 
A few more words on how it works. I am sure others will chime in to tell me I kinda don't know what I'm talking about but here is how I understand it.

The A/C Compressor must be turned on in order to properly pull the heat out of the air (because that is what you are doing when turning it on, you are pulling the heat out of the air that is coming out of your vents) after this, the heat is carried to the front car where it is displaced via the condenser. Some AC systems cycle the compressor on and off in order to keep your inside air at the appropriate temp. Other systems use a small valve called an expansion valve to limit how much freon flows through the system.

The Catch is the hotter the outside air is, the harder the AC system is going to have to work. If you are bringing air into the car that is 95*, the system will have to work harder instead if you had it on Max, which will recirculate the inside air (which will most likely already be at 75*), therefore the system will not have to work as hard, WHICH ULTIMATELY will allow the motor to run easier and not use as much fuel (either by the compressor not running as much, or the expansion valve staying open wider).

With all this being said, as far as energy goes, "In Theory" you would get better gas mileage by using the "recirculate, or MAX" button on your climate control, but it does'nt always end up that way. But regardless you are going to get better fuel mileage than if you were driving with the widows open.

Mike.
 
The pressure switch should shutoff at 22 psi and back on at 47 psi on the suction side. Your system requires 30 oz of 134a refrigerant. When it was recharged was it completely emptied then recharged? It depends on the outside temp, how long the clutch stays on. At 60 deg it could be from as little as 10 seconds to 20 seconds. From what you are saying it sounds normal. The clutch gap may be excessive causing loud enguagement.Air Gap Between Pulley and Hub
0.35mm-0.85mm (0.014-0.033 Inch)
 
when i recharged it, i didnt empty if first? is that recommended?
 
when i recharged it, i didnt empty if first? is that recommended?

YES!!!!!!

Never charge and A/C system that you didn't evacuate. If you over charge you can damage things. If you didn't evac it, you don't know how much to put in because you don't know for sure how much was in there to start with.

You either have it under charged, or over charged. I'll bet money that you don't have the right amount in it.

If you can hear the compressor clutch clicking loudly you may have an excessive air gap on your clutch. Happens from time to time as it wears, just like a normal clutch.

I'd check that and then go from there. The cycle time sounds a bit off, I'd do an evac and recharge to make sure that you don't have too much in there if you have to equipment.
 
adsm08,
how would i go about evac the A/C?
What is the name of that clutch and the estimated cost?
 
You need 1 of two things...
1) A/C machine
2) Vacuum pump + Manifold gauges.

The parts you'd need would be the A/C Compressor clutch, I'd probably get a field coil too if it doesn't come with the clutch (some do, some don't). Cost of parts varies from year to year and between models. Its probably cheaper in the long run to just get a new compressor assy.

Last time I priced one it was for a 2001 windstar and ran over $300.

Get a set of feelers and stick them in between the clutch and the pulley and get a reading on that with the engine off (obviously) and I'll look up the clutch clearance spec for you. I'd only replace parts if its out of spec. But I'd also avoid running the A/C at all (including in defrost) until you get it evaced and that you know you have the right amount in there. Even with the fail-safes on the system an incorrect charge can cause damage.
 
Thanks for all the great advice. I will see what I can do. I will probably just leave things as they are. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" It might not be a good philosophy, but it works when you are short on cash.
 

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