A/C clutch - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

gchemist · 04-08-2009, 12:12 PM

The compressor on my 96 Jimmy failed. It locked up completely. We removed it to replace it. We did an entire A/C kit. We started everthing, but the new clutcht will not engage. The relay was replaced. Even the pressure switch was bypassed.
We're lost at what is causing the problem.
Anyone have an idea?

BarryB · 04-08-2009, 09:04 PM

Make sure your getting current to the plug that goes to the clutch. So you jumped the pressure switch? Make sure you didn't pop a fuse. Thats my guess without looking at it.

Arad68 · 04-08-2009, 11:18 PM

It is what happened to my wifes car after the compressor locked up and I changed all of the required parts.

I know its not an S10, but they are similar in design.

gchemist · 04-08-2009, 11:19 PM

Power goes to the clutch. The clutch does not ground to engage. All the fuses are good too. Replacing the relay didn't help either. The fan works with the interior switch. I wonder if there is a seperate electrical control from the switch to engage the clutch.

BarryB · 04-09-2009, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gchemist

Power goes to the clutch. The clutch does not ground to engage. All the fuses are good too. Replacing the relay didn't help either. The fan works with the interior switch. I wonder if there is a seperate electrical control from the switch to engage the clutch.

If you have power going to the clutch and it doesn't engage sounds to me the magnetic coil is bad/burnt up. I'd double check that before I started tearing into the interior controls. Try jumping the clutch with another set of jumper wires to manually engage the clutch.

BarryB · 04-09-2009, 12:52 PM

Wait a minute you say it doesn't have to ground in order to work? That doesn't make since. You have 2 wires going to the clutch, correct? One is a ground and the other is the switched power. So the magnetic coil will not work unless its grounded. Thats how all the ones I ever worked on worked.

gchemist · 04-09-2009, 02:27 PM

I stated the clutch engagement incorrectly. The clutch will engage if you put 12 volts and ground it. I've traced everthing down to two things. First VCM!! Ouch! The second is the control switch. SOB I have buy the entire three control assembly, fan speed, temperature and vent/A/C switch. It will be here tomorrow. If the new switches don't work, I probably have a VCM problem!

protrash64 · 04-09-2009, 04:36 PM

I replaced 2 of these systems without problems. The system in the Blazer quit after a year and it was one of the switches....pressure I believe. Good luck gettin it going.

BarryB · 04-09-2009, 05:35 PM

Hopfully you'll get it figured out without to much more hassel.

gchemist · 04-11-2009, 10:18 AM

Well, the Jimmy is handing me my @$$! I have not found the problem. I know it's electical. I have one more option to partially rule out the VCM. After that, I'll have to take it in. It should be easy for them to find the problem with all the trouble shooting I've done. I've taken it in only once before for another electrical problem. I gave them a list of things I check, the guy found the problem in 15 minutes after he started looking at it.

Oh, well it still neesd to get charged. I'll have to wait until Wed.

protrash64 · 04-11-2009, 11:15 AM

Did you bypass the pressure switch to test the compressor? They wont run without a charge to protect the compressor. I just noticed you said it had to be charged........disregard all comments if you're past all this stuff

.

BarryB · 04-11-2009, 12:28 PM

Yeap he saidhe by passed the pressure switch. I was working on one not to long ago. I had thought I had by passed the switch, still wouldn't turn on. I found out the jumper wires wasn't making a good enough connection. took a small pair of needle nosed pliers sqeezed down on the connectors to tighten them up. Problem fixed. May not be your problem but was worth telling you about it.

protrash64 · 04-11-2009, 01:47 PM

I'd already forgotten the first part

........I would have driven down to a shop by now!!!

gchemist · 04-12-2009, 11:25 AM

The new compressor has 1 lb of R134. It's enough to kick it on. It needs another 2 lbs. The problem is power. There's no power at the pressure switch or compressor. I can charge up the system if I power the clutch.
I'm making plans to take it to the only shop I can trust to work on it. It's on the other side of town though.

04-08-2009, 12:12 PM	#1
gchemist BAD BOW-Silverado XST Join Date: May 2000 Location: Senior Member from Austin, TX Posts: 6,431	A/C clutch The compressor on my 96 Jimmy failed. It locked up completely. We removed it to replace it. We did an entire A/C kit. We started everthing, but the new clutcht will not engage. The relay was replaced. Even the pressure switch was bypassed. We're lost at what is causing the problem. Anyone have an idea? __________________ Gerardo a.k.a. Mad Chemist Silverado XST videos

04-08-2009, 09:04 PM	#2
BarryB Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Blountville, Tn. Posts: 3,904	Re: A/C clutch Make sure your getting current to the plug that goes to the clutch. So you jumped the pressure switch? Make sure you didn't pop a fuse. Thats my guess without looking at it. __________________ We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp; some are pretty;and some are dull. Some have weird names; and all are different colours;but they all have to live in the same box. You may be only one person in the world, But you may also be the world to one person. * Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once. Two rules in life. 1. Never sweat the small stuff! 2. Everything is small stuff!

04-08-2009, 11:18 PM	#3
Arad68 Trucks N Tranzams Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: North Las Vegas, Nevada Posts: 816	Re: A/C clutch It is what happened to my wifes car after the compressor locked up and I changed all of the required parts. I know its not an S10, but they are similar in design. __________________ Don '68 Chevy LB 383 TH400/GV/373 posi '56 Chevy 4WD SWB '64 Chevy short stepside '79 Trans Am 455/TH2004R/12blt/4whldisc 95 Kia (Wifes car) 2002 S-10 extended cab pickup "God punishes small sins immediately"

04-08-2009, 11:19 PM	#4
gchemist BAD BOW-Silverado XST Join Date: May 2000 Location: Senior Member from Austin, TX Posts: 6,431	Re: A/C clutch Power goes to the clutch. The clutch does not ground to engage. All the fuses are good too. Replacing the relay didn't help either. The fan works with the interior switch. I wonder if there is a seperate electrical control from the switch to engage the clutch. __________________ Gerardo a.k.a. Mad Chemist Silverado XST videos

04-09-2009, 12:52 PM	#6
BarryB Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Blountville, Tn. Posts: 3,904	Re: A/C clutch Wait a minute you say it doesn't have to ground in order to work? That doesn't make since. You have 2 wires going to the clutch, correct? One is a ground and the other is the switched power. So the magnetic coil will not work unless its grounded. Thats how all the ones I ever worked on worked. __________________ We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp; some are pretty;and some are dull. Some have weird names; and all are different colours;but they all have to live in the same box. You may be only one person in the world, But you may also be the world to one person. * Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once. Two rules in life. 1. Never sweat the small stuff! 2. Everything is small stuff!

04-09-2009, 02:27 PM	#7
gchemist BAD BOW-Silverado XST Join Date: May 2000 Location: Senior Member from Austin, TX Posts: 6,431	Re: A/C clutch I stated the clutch engagement incorrectly. The clutch will engage if you put 12 volts and ground it. I've traced everthing down to two things. First VCM!! Ouch! The second is the control switch. SOB I have buy the entire three control assembly, fan speed, temperature and vent/A/C switch. It will be here tomorrow. If the new switches don't work, I probably have a VCM problem! __________________ Gerardo a.k.a. Mad Chemist Silverado XST videos

04-09-2009, 04:36 PM	#8
protrash64 Resistance is Futile Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mesa,Arizona Posts: 3,520	Re: A/C clutch I replaced 2 of these systems without problems. The system in the Blazer quit after a year and it was one of the switches....pressure I believe. Good luck gettin it going. __________________ 64 CHEVY PICK-UP > http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...otrash+re-hash 64 CARRYALL >http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=1964+suburban 66 LB >http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=427852 STRENGTH/DETERMINATION/MERCILESS/FOREVER .......posted via stationary device

04-09-2009, 05:35 PM	#9
BarryB Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Blountville, Tn. Posts: 3,904	Re: A/C clutch Hopfully you'll get it figured out without to much more hassel. __________________ We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp; some are pretty;and some are dull. Some have weird names; and all are different colours;but they all have to live in the same box. You may be only one person in the world, But you may also be the world to one person. * Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once. Two rules in life. 1. Never sweat the small stuff! 2. Everything is small stuff!

04-11-2009, 10:18 AM	#10
gchemist BAD BOW-Silverado XST Join Date: May 2000 Location: Senior Member from Austin, TX Posts: 6,431	Re: A/C clutch Well, the Jimmy is handing me my @$$! I have not found the problem. I know it's electical. I have one more option to partially rule out the VCM. After that, I'll have to take it in. It should be easy for them to find the problem with all the trouble shooting I've done. I've taken it in only once before for another electrical problem. I gave them a list of things I check, the guy found the problem in 15 minutes after he started looking at it. Oh, well it still neesd to get charged. I'll have to wait until Wed. __________________ Gerardo a.k.a. Mad Chemist Silverado XST videos

04-11-2009, 11:15 AM	#11
protrash64 Resistance is Futile Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mesa,Arizona Posts: 3,520	Re: A/C clutch Did you bypass the pressure switch to test the compressor? They wont run without a charge to protect the compressor. I just noticed you said it had to be charged........disregard all comments if you're past all this stuff. __________________ 64 CHEVY PICK-UP > http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...otrash+re-hash 64 CARRYALL >http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=1964+suburban 66 LB >http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=427852 STRENGTH/DETERMINATION/MERCILESS/FOREVER .......posted via stationary device

04-11-2009, 12:28 PM	#12
BarryB Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Blountville, Tn. Posts: 3,904	Re: A/C clutch Yeap he saidhe by passed the pressure switch. I was working on one not to long ago. I had thought I had by passed the switch, still wouldn't turn on. I found out the jumper wires wasn't making a good enough connection. took a small pair of needle nosed pliers sqeezed down on the connectors to tighten them up. Problem fixed. May not be your problem but was worth telling you about it. __________________ We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp; some are pretty;and some are dull. Some have weird names; and all are different colours;but they all have to live in the same box. You may be only one person in the world, But you may also be the world to one person. * Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once. Two rules in life. 1. Never sweat the small stuff! 2. Everything is small stuff!

04-11-2009, 01:47 PM	#13
protrash64 Resistance is Futile Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mesa,Arizona Posts: 3,520	Re: A/C clutch I'd already forgotten the first part........I would have driven down to a shop by now!!! __________________ 64 CHEVY PICK-UP > http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...otrash+re-hash 64 CARRYALL >http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=1964+suburban 66 LB >http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=427852 STRENGTH/DETERMINATION/MERCILESS/FOREVER .......posted via stationary device

04-12-2009, 11:25 AM	#14
gchemist BAD BOW-Silverado XST Join Date: May 2000 Location: Senior Member from Austin, TX Posts: 6,431	Re: A/C clutch The new compressor has 1 lb of R134. It's enough to kick it on. It needs another 2 lbs. The problem is power. There's no power at the pressure switch or compressor. I can charge up the system if I power the clutch. I'm making plans to take it to the only shop I can trust to work on it. It's on the other side of town though. __________________ Gerardo a.k.a. Mad Chemist Silverado XST videos



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