I usually drive the car without AC, but during Florida Summer heat its a must to have it running. Currently I am having an issue where the AC compressor clutch cycles on and off several times before actually running consistently cold.
This is how the sequence of events typically occur after a cold start:
- Start the car, AC compressor kicks, and after 20 ish seconds of blowing cold air AC compressor clutch is disengaged and starts blowing hot air
- Car begins to cycle AC compressor clutch on and off for 5-10 ish minutes in total, turning on and off every 1-2 minutes. Also, I am unable to manually toggle AC on and off during this sequence.
- AC eventually consistently stays on and blows cold, and I can freely turn the AC on and off.
The low pressure reading is normal when the compressor clutch is engaged.
I have several ideas that may be causing this:
Electrically:
- AC Pressure Switch
- AC Compressor Relay
Mechanically:
- AC Compressor itself
- Small Leak somewhere amongst the lines
Next steps:
Mechanically, I can go ahead and purchase / rent out necessary equipment to actually evacuate the freon and test the high side, but itd probably be more conducive to have a trained specialist to diagnose.
In terms of electrical/controls, I was going to eventually purchase the Nissscan software for my laptop, so maybe I will start from that avenue before going any further.