A/C problem working intermitenly

NEILO2CIVIC

MEMBER
2002 HONDA CIVIC
1.7L
4 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
102,500 MILES

Hi my problem is with my a/c working intermitenly It works great when it under 80 degrees out when it gets hotter or more humid the compressor stops working just the a/c clutch stops working the coolant fans are still running. When it happens it stops for omly 2 mintues then it works fine It could work for another 10 minutes or it can work for hours without shutting off I've had it evacuated and charged 19 oz freon 28lbs on the low side 185lbs high side I looked for a frozen expansion valve switched relays I've read where it could be the thermal protector or a/c field coil, if so how do you check it or anything when it working so intermitenly and such a tight area to work in Thanks for your time and any help you can give me Neil

7 Replies

WRENCHTECH

MECHANIC
20,761 POSTS

Honda's have a lot of problems with the AC compressor clutch relay. That would be a cheap thing to try. Very common.

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Monday, September 23rd, 2019 AT 11:40 AM

NEILO2CIVIC

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16 POSTS

I tried that with no luck. Where do I go from there?

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Monday, September 23rd, 2019 AT 11:40 AM

JIS001

MECHANIC
3,411 POSTS

Check the compressor clutch air gap. Clearance spec is 0.020" If it is greater then that sometimes you can remove the shims to bring it in closer but if clutch is worn out you will need to replace.

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Monday, September 23rd, 2019 AT 11:40 AM

NEILO2CIVIC

MEMBER
16 POSTS

Thanks I will check it. Do you know if I can remove the clutch in the car? It looks like I can. Just a tight area to work in. I just want an idea what I'm going to get involed in. Thanks for your help

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Monday, September 23rd, 2019 AT 11:40 AM

JIS001

MECHANIC
3,411 POSTS

You will need to A/C system drained to remove the compressor and pull the clutch outside the vehicle. Yu will also need a clutch puller for this. You can usually borrow tools from your local parts store like Autozone.