I'm having an issue with my AC intermittently working, and need to know what the AC clutch Gap with the compressor should be.

 

0.3 - 0.6 mm, typically working intermittently is just low refrigerant tripping the low pressure switch.

 

The gap turned out to be okay

the AC works fine when I first get in the car, when it's not hot outside, and my car was garage parked. But after a short time in the heat, the AC stops working and starts blowing hot air .. the refrigerant levels appear to be fine, I checked them on Saturday with a gauge, and the low pressure side was around 50 psi, and the high pressure side was around 140 I think....could it be the switch?

 

I think those numbers are off, on a 95 F day it should be about 50 on the low side and almost 200 on the high side. I suspect your compressor is failing but you should take it in for a diagnostic. Have you added any AC pro or other refill AC that has stopleak in it into the system?

 

The compressor was just replaced a few months ago, and it was working fine until recently when it really started to get hot out... (90-100F)...then it started to only work for a short period in the heat, then begin blowing cold air......

I did attempt to add a bit of freon about a month ago, while the engine was cold, when it first started getting hot out, and that SEEMED to help, but as it got hotter, it again quick working after running for a short time in the heat...

On a second occasion, I attempted to add more, but when attempted to connect the freon can and regulator, on the low side, it was hard to connect, and pegging the gauge and around 90psi on the low side...at that time, for fear of overcharging it, I left it alone, though saturday, when I got those numbers above,....they were taken at the shop where my car had been in the garage for a few hours and at that time, the AC was on 60, blowing cold, but as I left, and went out into the heat, it quit working.

 

When the gauge pegged it was probably just because the QD on the recharge can wasn't snapped down all the way and it was releasing can pressure onto the gauge but not actually going into the lineset.

 

I just went and tried to connect it again, and with the car off, and the regulator screwed all the way closed, it was pegging the gauge and I could not get it to go on

 

Have it evacuated and recharged.

 

Thanks! I will give that a shot

 

I had an issue with an ac compressor on a Volvo I used to own. The gap would be within spec on medium temp days and on real hot days it would work temporarily. It was due to the extra heat causing the gap to be bigger. I fixed it by shimming it from the outside with zip ties and rockauto magnets, lol. If possible I would also try testing the gap after it's been real hot.

 

so I just pulled up to the shop to do the evacuation recharge, but he asked me to ride around until it stopped working first, so we can check the status of the compressor clutch... I left the car sitting in the parking lot running and it was cold when I got out, but we talked for a few minutes and I went back to the car and it was hot... At that time I I checked the clutch, and it was not engaged but as I was watching, it attempted to turn on and spun for just a second and then immediately went right back off...

then I pulled the car halfway into the garage where the hood was basically in the shade, a few minutes later I heard the AC clutch kick in while we were standing there discussing it and I've been sitting here for 15 minutes in the shade and it's working and it's blowing cold in the car

I think I'm going to ask him to take pressure readings again so I can verify that they're correct at least while the car is cool

 

If the pressure is too high or too low on either side it will immediately disengage the clutch like you're experiencing. Since it only happens in hot co ditions but world once it's in the shade I'm going to guess it's over pressured.

 

so I took a small screwdriver, and I vented some of the freon out of the low pressure port, and now it's 95 degrees and the AC is working great.... Thank you very much for all your suggestions

 

I'm glad you were able to decipher what I said through all those random typos