A/C Compressor Doesn't Always Work

[miamibob]

Yeah, I'd get a new one. Not the kind of thing you really want to JY! If you can get a Motorcraft - COOL!!

[gadget73]

+1 on the new part.

Might be worth shooting some contact cleaner in that plug too. It may be a simple case of dirty connections. The CRC QD electronics cleaner that every parts store has always does me good for that kind of thing. Not real expensive either.

[AshleyTheGreat]

We make junkyard runs twice a month I'd say but based on what you all have said, we'll just be picking up a new part. Also will be picking up some of that cleaner, been meaning to but keep forgetting. Thanks Gadget.

We scored quite a bit for our GMC today so it looks like tomorrow will be a busy day in terms of doing all that as well as getting the air ride and my A/C issue fixed on the Town Car. Hoping to get everything squared away over the weekend since it finally decided to be summer here in Michigan.

[AshleyTheGreat]

I was unable to find the low pressure switch in a store near us so I ordered it (finally came in yesterday). Was quite surprised that the A/C worked up until Friday after we had jumpered it last weekend. Got the chance to swap it it out just a few minutes ago. The old one was a PITA to get off but once that came off, it was quick work to get it all together. Started up the car, turned the A/C on and crossed my fingers. Very glad to report that it now works. Here's hoping that it stays that way.

[sly]

[gadget73]

Cool. Love a simple fix.

[gadget73]

Cool. Love a simple fix.

[DerekTheGreat]

Cool. Love a simple fix.

Aye aye. Now we can get back to the GMC, it's feeling lonely again so the slave cylinder has started to piss itself.

[AshleyTheGreat]

Aye aye. Now we can get back to the GMC, it's feeling lonely again so the slave cylinder has started to piss itself.

Haha, Butch will be giving it some love in our place.

[DerekTheGreat]

Oh no, I'm fixing that damn thing meself! He can finger out why the speedometer doesn't work though.

[gadget73]

bad VSS perhaps. I believe those all went electrosnic speedos in the late 80s. Is yours one with the stupid moving shade thing that changes the background color of the speedo for anything under the pointer?

[DerekTheGreat]

Yep, it's the dumb slice of pie cluster. Last week at a junkyard raid I found something of unobtainium: a 1991 Needle style cluster with a tach that has the same harness style as ours. One year only deal and I never though we'd find one, let alone set up for the same gear ratio our truck has. Switch three of the wires around and run another for the tach and call it good.

This truck is all electronic, first thing I did was swap out the vss but no bueno. Kept getting a code while decelerating and I forget the exact code but it translated to "VSS short circuit." (One of the reasons we decided to buy our own scanner) I probed the harness for voltage or somesort with a multimeter but it's dead. We repaired tons of chewed up wiring courtesy of a rodent so I traced those wires from the VSS all the way back to the firewall but found no other signs of damage, just up front for all the lights and stuff. Been reading all over the net and the only thing that seems relevant is a dude swapped out his ignition switch and that shot power back to the vss as there's an orange wire that is switched for it or something. Couldn't get a column apart in the JY without breaking it so at wits end I sent it to the shop. Brake light is on too, new ABS module didn't fix that either. Stupid GM.

[nfldfordltd]

+1 on getting a new clutch pressure switch.
I got a JY one less than a month ago, the compressor wouldn't cut in today when it was 90 degrees out. Tried a number of different things to get it to work, turned out the switch needed a couple of 'love taps'.
I'm ordering a new one right now.

[gadget73]

Yep, it's the dumb slice of pie cluster.

never thought of it that way, but yeah I guess that does fit. Always thought that was one of the uglier instrument panels made. GM had some other doozies though. Ever see an early 80s S15 (GMC) ? My friend's dad had one, and the instrument panel was this silver painted plastic thing with fake screw holes that made it sort of look like metal panels bolted in, and each gauge had Madonna's bra in the middle of it. Cones, in the middle of each gauge instead of a standard flat plastic window. WTF were they thinking there?

[DerekTheGreat]

+1 on getting a new clutch pressure switch.
I got a JY one less than a month ago, the compressor wouldn't cut in today when it was 90 degrees out. Tried a number of different things to get it to work, turned out the switch needed a couple of 'love taps'.
I'm ordering a new one right now.

Haha that's what me and the misses were gonna do but the fine folks on here talked us out of it thankfully.

never thought of it that way, but yeah I guess that does fit. Always thought that was one of the uglier instrument panels made. GM had some other doozies though. Ever see an early 80s S15 (GMC) ? My friend's dad had one, and the instrument panel was this silver painted plastic thing with fake screw holes that made it sort of look like metal panels bolted in, and each gauge had Madonna's bra in the middle of it. Cones, in the middle of each gauge instead of a standard flat plastic window. WTF were they thinking there?

Madonna's bra... Hahaha. Ever watch 'Without Evidence?' I never thought much of her until that came across the TV one night. Never seen an S15 of that vintage, even the early 90's ones that I occasionally come across have so many rust holes and crusty bits on them that I imagine the earlier ones have become one with the earth again. I'll keep an eye out though, I enjoy coming across four wheeled oddities. Once this speedometer issue is addressed I'll do the swap to the needle style one, it's sunfaded pretty badly but I'll take that hands down over the dumb cluster that's in there now.