2012 Nissan sentra, AC clutch won't engage and kick AC on
Asked by trevorclements Nov 08, 2015 at 06:02 PM about the 2012 Nissan Sentra 2.0
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
Both engine fans kick on when we start the
car, with the AC on full max. AC went from
working perfect to not kicking on
5 Answers
IMO~Low freon switch is preventing the compressor clutch from engaging . If it's getting cooler .in your area sometimes the freon will condense just enough to trigger that switch if it's already low. The cars only 3 years old`so if the warranty is still in effect you may want it checked
trevorclements answered 9 years ago
I bought a $36 freon can with refrigerant oil and stop leak, comes with guage attached to the hose. I turned the car on with AC on max and waited 3mins as instructed. I connected the hose to the low pressure line as directed without the can attached to check psi. It instantly jumps to 70psi in the red zone which is indicated with "may have mechanical problem" on guage. This leads me to believe it is not low on freon and that there may be a bad relay or possibly need to replace the clutch or electromagnet.
The newer systems have both a low and high limit switch,, if you can use a meter it's very easy to determine what is keeping the clutch off .70lbs on the suction side is much too high. Repost and say "I have 70lbs on suction side with nothing energized" and you will get one of the AC experts . My advice to you is don"t touch anything because your close to getting into serious trouble IMO ~Your system is greatly overcharged and if that clutch energized you would do damage to your compressor