AC turns off at idle and generally inconsistent when driving

[philfromqueens]

2009 c30 manual 2.4l t5

Now that its hot again I noticed my AC giving me issues. Two days in the past week when I arrived at my destination (I had a few min to kill so I kept the ac on) the AC stopped working. Strangely, it didn't stop working when I was idle at lights during my drives.

Today I sat idle for 10 minutes waiting for someone and the AC didn't kick on during the wait nor after I resumed driving. But when I turned the engine off and on the AC kicked on right away.

During this ride I paid more attention to my AC and noticed it blowing really cold right after starting the engine but the effectiveness went down during the ride. It seemed like it would fluctuate between blowing colder and much less colder. I realized this behavior seemed to be in line with the way it acted during my drive last week as well.

Could this be due to the clutch gap I keep reading about?

I replaced the condenser two summers ago and recharged the system. Could it be possible theres a leak in the system that could be causing this type of behavior?

[domhart10]

This is a common issue with these cars. Its the AC clutch gap issue. there are various different ways to solve this.

The clutch gap is out of tollenrance causing slip which is why you then lose your AC.

You can either get a new unit.

I had the same issue, and checked the clutch gap and solved the issue with zip ties. Over 2 years now since the fix and still fine. If you do this, you will need to ensure that you AC engages and disengages correctly.

[philfromqueens]

Thanks. I was going to try the zip tie method since it seemed easy and I already have zip ties.

Originally Posted by domhart10

If you do this, you will need to ensure that you AC engages and disengages correctly.

What do you mean by this quote? Before or after I attach the zip ties should I check to make sure it engages or disengages? How do I check if its working properly? Under what conditions should it engage and disengage normally?

[LizardOfBodom]

Originally Posted by philfromqueens

Thanks. I was going to try the zip tie method since it seemed easy and I already have zip ties.



What do you mean by this quote? Before or after I attach the zip ties should I check to make sure it engages or disengages? How do I check if its working properly? Under what conditions should it engage and disengage normally?

had same issue with clutch gap and in my case you could hear/observe AC clutch engaging for like 10 seconds before it stopped working so atleast i was sure it "wants" to work properly but clutch gap was too big, maybe thats what Dom mean. Other option is to check with Vida if parameters are met and car wants to engage AC but visual option is probably easier

[domhart10]

Originally Posted by philfromqueens

Thanks. I was going to try the zip tie method since it seemed easy and I already have zip ties.



What do you mean by this quote? Before or after I attach the zip ties should I check to make sure it engages or disengages? How do I check if its working properly? Under what conditions should it engage and disengage normally?

You can only pop on zip ties depending on the clutch gap you have. You will need to get a feeler guage (I think thats what its called)

The gap needs to be within a certain tolerance, but I cant remember exactly what that was at the moment.

Which ever route you go down, you need to ensure that when you turn on the AC, the clutch engages correctly. You also need to ensure that when you disengage your AC via the button, that the clutch disegages correctly leaving enough of a gap.

You can easily do the above but keeping the wheel of after your fix and just turning the AC on and off. You should then see the AC clutch plate engage and disegage correctly.

[iainmd]

Originally Posted by domhart10

The gap needs to be within a certain tolerance, but I cant remember exactly what that was at the moment.

Ideal 0.3mm
Maximum allowed 0.5mm

According to VIDA