A/C just died

fixmysc

Registered User
Hello all;
My '95 Tbird has been running great in the midst of a very long hot spell (avg temp: 33-36 C or 93-95 F) here in Southern Alberta, when wouldn't you know it, my A/C just quit all of a sudden!
I had just restored the system, doing an evacuation, pressure test, and refill, 4 days ago. Now, the fuse under the dash just keeps blowing as soon as you turn the A/C on. The compressor runs fine if you just connect it to the battery with aligator clips. So I figure it must be in the wiring, any ideas on how to troubleshoot this situation?
Thanks, Art
 
Which climate control do you have in your car? (manual or eatc) Are you blowing fuse #12, a 10amp fuse? What happens if you turn the dial to a different position, like the vent position and then change the fuse?
 
The easiet way to check is to unplug the blower motor and the compressor, put in a new fuse turn on the A/C, and see if the fuse still blows. If it doesnt then plug in the blower motor, check the fuse, then plug in the compressor. Even tho the components still work it doesnt mean they are good, they could be drawing too much current. Also check that the proper amperage fuses are installed. Good Luck
 
The blower motor has its own separate power feed and fuse and isn’t interconnected with the climate control power circuit.
 
A/C blowing fuses

Thanks for the responses,
My A/C is the Auto version, sorry didn't realize there were different versions. If I unplug the compressor, and turn the dial to A/C, the 10A fuse for A/C (not sure of the number), blows immediately.
I have tried connecting the compressor directly to the battery while unplugged from the harness and it runs fine, hence my assumption that its a wiring problem not a compressor failure.
Although the rest of the non-A/C functions of the system appear to be working (ie., blows lots of hot air!), I haven't tried putting it to vent position with a new fuse as I've used up all my 10A fuses now. I'll get some and try that next.
Thanks Again,
Art
 
try it with the heater and the vents on, if nothing still, reach up under the dash behind the glovebox with the fan dial in the on position, and the ac on... wiggle some wires around... theres a connector that is prone to going foul on thses cars... thats your problem. if it is, go to autozone and get a replacement motor, it is a splice-in part, and te bearings will give on your other one before too long anyways
 
Thanks for the responses,
My A/C is the Auto version, sorry didn't realize there were different versions. If I unplug the compressor, and turn the dial to A/C, the 10A fuse for A/C (not sure of the number), blows immediately.
I have tried connecting the compressor directly to the battery while unplugged from the harness and it runs fine, hence my assumption that its a wiring problem not a compressor failure.
Although the rest of the non-A/C functions of the system appear to be working (ie., blows lots of hot air!), I haven't tried putting it to vent position with a new fuse as I've used up all my 10A fuses now. I'll get some and try that next.
Thanks Again,
Art

Art, are you blowing warm air or no air blowing at all? If blowing warm air, check how much of an amperage draw your compressor has before you start digging through wires. Could be blowing fuses because your compressor is junk. A compressor doesn't have to be making nasty noises inside always to be junk. I'm thinking off the top of my head that 3 amps should be about normal.

Chris
 
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So the next logical place for there to be a system failure in the 'AC only' mode would be the AC clutch controller portion of the IRCM.
 
So the next logical place for there to be a system failure in the 'AC only' mode would be the AC clutch controller portion of the IRCM.

you mean to tell me that damn thing contrrols teh air conditioner TOO? crap, why not just make it control the fuel system, ignition, timing, hell.. might as well make it control the lumbar support for the seats! lol. genuine ford engineering at its best.
 
Compressor failure?

Art, are you blowing warm air or no air blowing at all? If blowing warm air, check how much of an amperage draw your compressor has before you start digging through wires. Could be blowing fuses because your compressor is junk. A compressor doesn't have to be making nasty noises inside always to be junk. I'm thinking off the top of my head that 3 amps should be about normal.

Chris

Hi Chris;
I'm not sure I understand your questions. With the A/C compressor unplugged, all functions of the climate control appear normal, that is, it is blowing lots of warm air on all other settings.
I blow fuses when the compressor is uplugged, so I believe that would indicate the compressor is not the problem, correct?
How do I test to see how many amps the compressor is drawing?
 
Ircm

So the next logical place for there to be a system failure in the 'AC only' mode would be the AC clutch controller portion of the IRCM.

I'll second the opinion, on that ever-present IRCM having way too much control!, So how does one actually check this ubiquitous demon! Can I do a visual inspection and expect to see something?
I'm starting to wonder about this unit because I've got some fan wiring concerns that I thought were related to the A/C, but maybe are more related to the IRCM. As soon as I get my hands on a digicam I'll post those questions, but for now I'm off to get some more 10A fuses, and try to look behind the dash for loose wires.
Thanks for your input,
Art
 
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