2002 Subaru Outback Air conditioning

Tiny
DAVE SHORE
  • MEMBER
  • 2002 SUBARU OUTBACK
  • 3.0L
  • 6 CYL
  • AWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 210,000 MILES
Had the car a month. No history from seller. No air cond. All other climate features work. Took to dealership for non-related issue. Tech mentioned the compressor ran anytime the car was running (never any cold air), so he unplugged the comp. And suggested the relay could be stuck. Bought a relay and 134A today. Replaced the relay and no change. Compressor ran no matter if the climate control was in ant setting OR system off.
Hooked up the can charge with gage and it was in the overcharged (red) range. Removed refrigerant and pulled system down. Restarted car and the compressor stayed off. Set to A/C and began recharging. Once low pressure cutout was satisfied, the comp came online but still no cold air. Continued charging to the OK (GREEN) range. No cold air. Ran 20 minutes and worked every setting on control head. No cold air and comp. Would not disengage even when system was turned off. Never got any deflection on needle in the recharge hose and suction line never got cool or showed any condensation. System did provide heat when called for and noticed no strange noises or problems with the control head or display. Have spent in repairs what I bought it for and budget's tight. Can't afford dealership to troubleshoot. Thanks for your help,
Dave
Tuesday, April 28th, 2015 AT 7:14 PM

8 Replies

Tiny
CADIEMAN
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,544 POSTS
CK. THE COMPRESSOR WIRE FOR POWER BEING JUMPED TO THE RELAY OR POWER WIRE. ALSO CK. FOR PROPER COOLANT FAN OPER.
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Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 AT 6:28 AM
Tiny
DAVE SHORE
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  • 3 POSTS
Coolant fans work. As for the compressor being "jumped out" Then I should have constant a/c. Can we now move on to the problem I wrote about? Just don't see how this answer really relates. Thanks
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Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 AT 7:13 AM
Tiny
CADIEMAN
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A/C COMPRESS9OR STAYS ENGAGED.U HAVE TO CK. THE VOLTAGE AT THE RELAY. THEN MAKE SURE THE RELAY IS SENDING VOLTAGE TO THE COMPRESSOR
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Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 AT 3:13 PM
Tiny
DAVE SHORE
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
There IS voltage to the comp. If there wasn't, the clutch wouldn't engage and drive the compressor. My comp RUNS ANY TIME THE CAR RUNS thus should be providing cold air when the control is set to A/C and the lowest temp setting!
In electricity, when there is LOW OR NO voltage, components DO NOT OPERATE. In my 40 plus years of automobile and aircraft maint experience, I have NEVER found that If a relay IS NOT sending voltage to a component that it would function or operate. Just to verify this I pulled the relay out. For some reason the compressor clutch disengaged and only the pulley continued to rotate which is normal being that it's on the same belt with other accessories.
Mine IS ENGAGING AND TURNING. Compressors only have two modes ENGAGED or DISENGAGED, on or off PERIOD and when ON; moving refrigerant at a predetermined volume. THROUGH THE SYSTEM Other components in the system control the refrigerant to satisfy demand required by control head temperature requirements.
If SOMETHING IN THE SYSTEM HAS SHORTED AND THE COMPRESSOR CONSTANTLY RUNS, AND THE AIR DOESN'T GET COLD; that to me would suggest (barring NO OTHER PROBLEMS IN THE SYSTEM) there SHOULD BE COLD AIR ALREADY AVAILABLE whenever I set the control to A/C and adjust to the lowest temp setting. Again, the relay *( both new and old ones) when plugged in energize the clutch coil to the pulley, thus causing the compressor to function. I know I don't have your wealth of experience and certifications in automotive A/C but still believe the problem lies somewhere else within the system, which the SUBARU dealership when I called them agreed with me on. They didn't charge me for that call.
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Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 AT 4:20 PM
Tiny
CADIEMAN
  • MECHANIC
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SOMETHING IS GROUNDING THE RELAY U DON'T JUST PLUG IT IN AND THE CLUTCH ENGAUGES. WEATHER IT'S THE DASH SWITCH OR FAULTY HARNESS TO THE RELAY GROUNDING THE RELAY OUT. CAUSING IT TO STAY ENGAUGED.U WILL NEED TO REMOVE THE DASH SWITCH HARNESS AND TEST WHY IT'S KEEPING THE RELAY ENGAUGED. IF U ARE GETTING NO COLD AIR FROM THE COMPRESSSOR IT'S A BAD COMPRESSOR CAUSING THIS.U WILL NEED TO PUT A SET OF A/C GAUGES ON IT TO GET SOME READINGS. SO U WILL KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. SEE IF U CAN RENT A SET OF A/C GAUGES FROM THE PARTS STORE TO CK. THE PRESSURE READINGS
ON THE HIGH AND LOW SIDE HOSES BEFORE WE CONDEM THE COMPRESSOR.
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Thursday, April 30th, 2015 AT 7:14 AM
Tiny
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  • MECHANIC
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ALSO HOW MANY CANS FREON DID U USE'?
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Thursday, April 30th, 2015 AT 9:43 AM
Tiny
DAVE SHORE
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Sorry it took so long to reply. Discovered the comp was bad. I could rotate the inner portion of clutch assy and had zero resistance as if ther shaft sheared.
Installed reman and charged (a little over one can) blew cold air. Drove a few days and parked one day idling. Noticed it wasn't as cool. Figured not moving so not enough heat transfer. Switched a/c to off (pretty sure it shut off radiator booster fan but not comp) and let blower run on vent (no recirc). Within 3-5 minutes High side hose ruptured with a vengeance!
Figured the prob had to be in the controller above the stereo. Changed it out, installed new High side hose and recharged. Blows nice and cold BUT when I select other modes and turning a/c off it seems to shut down everything but the comp. Secondary fan cute off as well. Tried this several times to verify and also pulled the relay several times which DOED disable comp clutch.
Got me to wondering about high pressure cut out switches. I'm an aircraft mech and on some planes, when you shut down an APU (small turbine engine that provides elect and heat and a/c independently of main engines or ground connections) shut shut down is actually done by pressing the "OFF" button, which through the computer inducing an erroneous "overspeed" fault as opposed to some other method of shut down. They never overspeed but the signal shuts it down. Now my questions. Does Subaru a/c have a High side switch and if it did could it possibly control clutch dis engagement when a/c is unselected? I'm thinking that it (if installed and not faulty) could/ should have taken the comp offline the day I de selected a/c in the heat, this disabling the booster fan on radiator and rupturing the discharge hose? I tried googling the switch but didn't have much luck.
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Sunday, May 24th, 2015 AT 5:08 PM
Tiny
CADIEMAN
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THE CCOOLNG FANS WILL NEED TO OPERAT E PROPERLY SO THE A/C NOT TO OVERHEAT THEC A/C SYSTEM. THIS IS WHYTHE THE PRESSURE IS OUT OF CONTROL ON THE HIGH SIDE. U WIL NEED TO RENT A SET OF A/C GAUGES AT THE PARTS STOE AND CK. IT THEN GET BACK ME.
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Wednesday, June 3rd, 2015 AT 8:18 AM

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