Hello again!
I'm trying to figure out where to start to get my AC going again.
I bought my car, 2005 Ion 2.2L manual, last September. It had been sitting for quite some time and is very rusty underneath. I've been replacing things as they die, including the ac compressor, which completely seized up on me in October or November. Before it died though, the air ran cold. When I replaced the compressor, I def didn't have a vacuum pump, since I did it in a mall parking lot. In the last couple months, I've been trying to refill it but it won't suck it in. I've read a few different things I can do but, knowing that it DID work before, I was hoping for a more specific direction to go, if possible.

I know the compressor works of course, but beyond that I have no idea if the clutch is turning on or whatever. I have checked all fuses. Please take it easy on me in that I can fix a lot of things, but this is new. Also, if I can do it myself then I refuse to take it in anywhere. Labor costs are crazy. Any help or advice I can get, I would appreciate. TIA!

 

There are no short cuts on AC that I'm aware of. If you replaced the compressor, and didn't remove the freon before you opened the system up, you lost all the freon. For it to work properly, the system will have to be evacuated completely, and then recharged, including the oil necessary to lubricate the compressor. You may be able to connect a can to the schraeder valve and get some freon back into the system, but not much. Freon should be added (after a complete evacuation) with the engine running. The compressor will not run unless it reaches a minimum pressure in the system. Please, please leave this to a qualified mechanic with the proper equipment.

 

Is it a used compressor? No vacuum is asking for trouble.

 

At your own risk. not responsible for anything


Jump the pigtail of the high low pressure cutoff switch.
That is lucky what is keeping your compressor from kicking in. Jumping the pigtail completes the electric circuit.

Note that doing this without pulling a vacuum is about the worst way you can possibly do it, but the compressor will pull refrigerant in through the suction side / low side. Do not try this without a high low gauge set, because without the high reading, you don't know what kind of pressure you are building when it is on. If there are obstructions in the system from shrapnel when the old compressor bit the dust, you may create dangerously high pressures in the system very quickly and that's something you want to know right away. So you can stop and or run away from the bomb you are creating.

Considering the number of times I have done this to my 95 coupe, I'm surprised the compressor still runs, because of less some of the pag oil is still in the system, there is no internal lubrication when it first starts and that's never good. It's been on its last legs for about 10 years and I haven't refilled it the last 3 years because it only lasts for 2 months. And at this point probably less. I've always planned to replace it when I replace the evaporator core like the dude is doing. Maybe I'll just have him do mine. I can hear him cursing right now.

Off topic as usual

 

Brand new

 

The compressor has to run in order for the serpentine belt to turn, yes? Or am I totally off base? The whole reason that I replaced it was bc it had seized up and was burning through the belt. As I said, up until that point, the ac worked fine.
The only thing i didnt do was use a vacuum pump again, bc i was stranded in a parking lot and did have to make that one shortcut. Of course i lost all the freon. It kinda can't stay in when i removed one of the main parts of the system.
I have a lot of faith in myself when it comes to working on my car. I have replaced the front brakes pads and rotors, the power steering motor, the starter and the ac compressor all by myself. The only help i had was with getting the serpentine belt put on. I really would rather just deal with being hot then paying too much money to a mechanic who more than likely will try to screw me somehow bc i'm a woman. So thank you for your response

 

Of course at my own risk lol
I appreciate all the information! I probably wont end up screwing around with this anymore. I live in Colorado but i dont live in the city anymore so i don't have to worry about roasting to death sitting in traffic. I have windows(that i roll down ) and I'm not afraid to sweat. I didnt really figure it would be an easy fix. Especially since I don't know what damage occurred or shrapnel sent when the compressor seized. The guy who sold me this car wasn't stupid. He had pulled the ac fuse bc he knew it was getting ready to crap out. I've done so much work on her, I was really hoping I'd be able to sell her for more than I spent and get a more reliable car. She's very basic with absolutely no bells and whistles. But anyway, I digress. Thank you so much for your response.

 

No, the compressor DOESN'T have to run in order for the serpentine belt to turn. The clutch pulley will free spin so the rest of the engine works as it's supposed to. When the system is properly charged, you can watch the clutch pulley physically pull in some and lock in place in order for it to operate the compressor. That's about all I know about a/c systems and why I don't fool with them. My life is worth more than a couple of hundred bucks to have a qualified a/c mechanic look at one. Please don't mess with it because it can LITERALLY explode and kill you. It's possible that you could have gotten by with just replacing the clutch and been okay, but you didn't know and did what you thought was best. The jerk at the parts store should have told you that, but they're all in it to make sales and money. It's a shame you didn't come here for advice first. And IF you do take it to a garage, tell them what all you've already done so they'll know that you're not a fool who doesn't know what she's talking about. Knowledge is power!

 

'AC needs to run for serp belt to turn?'

I'm going to bow out of this one.

 

If the pulley stopped turning even when the AC was off, then it is the pulley bearing that went bad, not a compressor bearing.

The pulley always turns by way of the serpentine belt as opposed to the other way around.

Per Rube's explanation, when you turn on the AC inside the vehicle, the pulley gets engaged to the compressor and spins the compressor. If the pulley spins with the AC off but freezes up when the AC is engaged, then the AC compressor bearing is bad. If the pulley does not spin regardless of whether the AC is engaged in the car or not, the pulley bearing is bad and the pulley needs to be replaced.

If you purchase a brand new compressor, it should have come with a brand new AC pulley and what they refer to as a AC clutch which is what pulls the pulley against the compressor to engage and spin the compressor.

So you are working with new parts. You can always get the AC system evacuated and filled with the proper amount of refrigerant. If there are any system leaks, the system will not hold sufficient vacuum and mechanic should stop at that point to determine the location of the leak. Could be as simple as an o-ring where the lines connect.

I wouldn't write this one off quite yet. If it worked before and the compressor itself did not implode, the rest of the system should be clear and the should all be straightforward.

I always label my total hacks as at your own risk. And you know exactly why lol