Today i replaced my a/c compressor and dryer hoping to fix my air conditioning problem. After the work was complete the compressor would not cycle so i could charge the system. Fuse in the panel is fine. I checked the wires going to the valve on the dryer and was not getting any voltage. Tried tracing wires but got lost in the main harness in the firewall. I am assuming that there is either a wire problem or a relay problem. Does anyone know where the relay is if there is one? The pickup has never been modified and has just over 90k miles.
Thanks all
Did you vacuum out the A/C system first before you tried to recharge it?? Once you have vacuumed out the system to ensure you have no moisture, you start to recharge it with a recharge machine with gauges to read your high and low side readings.
High pressure gauge: When the reading gets up around 200 to 225 psi (R12), or225 to 250 psi (R134a), STOP. The system is fully charged and should be cooling normally. DO NOT add any more refrigerant.
LOW pressure gauge: When the reading is between 25 and 40 psi with the A/C running, STOP. The system is fully charged and should be cooling normally. DO NOT add any more refrigerant. If the gauge is over 50 psi, you have overcharged the system with too much refrigerant.
NOTE: The high and low pressure readings will vary depending on the system and ambient temperatures (higher temperatures cause higher system pressure readings).
Refer to the vehicle manufacturer specifications for normal system operating pressures, and the total refrigerant capacity of the system. Most newer passenger car A/C systems do not hold much refrigerant (only 14 to 28 oz.), so you don't want to add too much if the system is low. One can of R134a typically holds 12 oz. of refrigerant.
NOTE: The compressor may not engage if the system is too low on refrigerant. The low pressure cutout switch will prevent the compressor from running if the system is too low on refrigerant (this is done to protect the compressor from damage due to a lack of proper lubrication). The compressor must be running to suck refrigerant through the service hose into the system. So if it is not engaging when you turn the A/C on, you may have to supply battery voltage directly to the compressor clutch using a fused jumper wire. Look for a single wire connector near the front of the compressor, unplug it and hook up a jumper wire to the battery POSITIVE terminal. This should cause the clutch to engage and the compressor to run.
