What the ... A/C on all the time???

mstar218 · 05-15-2008, 11:21 PM

Hi,
today was pretty warm, so I had the window down on my 2001 2.4 Alero. While sitting at a red light I wanted to turn the fan on and then I heard the click sound from under the hood and the car felt like the A/C was kicking in. First I didn't think anything of it, but within one minute the air was pretty cool, so I checked the A/C button but it wasn't turned on. Also, it didn't make a difference if the green light on the A/C button was on or not it kept blowing cold air until I turned the fan off again.

How is it possible that the A/C runs as soon as I turn on the fan???

Could it be that things are not hooked up right???

Thanks for your help in advance

jayson_waltz · 05-15-2008, 11:58 PM

the light might be burned outon the a\c button. it happens, a couple of my lihgt down there are burned out.
if the air wasn't getting cold i'd just say you had it on a defrost setting. the compressor always runs while on a defrost setting.

either that or it wasn't as warm outside as you thought and that was just outside air...

mstar218 · 05-16-2008, 12:06 AM

the green light works, but it doesn't make a difference if I turn it on or not; as soon as I turn on the fan the car is going A/C mode.

The outside temp today was 92F.

Is there supposed to be a clicking noise from underneath the hood when you turn on the fan (without A/C)?

Cliff8928 · 05-16-2008, 12:41 AM

Did you have it in the defroster mode? (or the one with the defroster and floor)

mstar218 · 05-16-2008, 01:06 AM

now that you mention it ... yep, it was set to blow on the windshield

Cliff8928 · 05-16-2008, 01:17 AM

Well, that's why right there. Defrost automatically uses the A/C.

mstar218 · 05-16-2008, 01:23 AM

and here I was already sweating about how much it's going to cost to get this one fixed

THANK YOU!

lonnie · 05-16-2008, 07:56 AM

I got a 2000 and my car doesn't use the A/C to defrost crap. When I'm defrosting the only thing it does is outside air, and you cant even hit the circulating button, you can't even push the A/C button to turn it on. Seems like a big jump one year later to change that set up. The only time I hear the compressor kick in is shortly after I hit the A/C button, and thats it.

cherrington17 · 05-16-2008, 08:55 AM

my compressor doesn't kick on....ever.

i definitely gotta get it fixed, i just don't want to pay for it.

lonnie · 05-16-2008, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cherrington17

my compressor doesn't kick on....ever.

i definitely gotta get it fixed, i just don't want to pay for it.

Then do what you normally do Cherry and steal it. LOL

AGT · 05-16-2008, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lonnie

Then do what you normally do Cherry and steal it. LOL

lol Yeah Cherry you need to go work for Autozone instead of Radioshack.

[ion] C2 · 05-16-2008, 09:36 AM

my a/c compressor died, made weird noises, kicked on when it shouldn't have, when it was engaged it made terrible scraping noises and then it started making scraping noises all the time making my car sound like a total piece of shit everywhere i went. so my a/c is disconnected and the rotating piece greased.

but ya it's supposed to come on during defrost

cherrington17 · 05-16-2008, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AGT

lol Yeah Cherry you need to go work for Autozone instead of Radioshack.

my brother works there(and has NO mechanic/automotive knowledge or skills), but i heard swapping the compressor/fixing whatever is wrong is a bitch... and i can't have that kinda down time w/ my daily driver, so i'd have to have a shop do it.

[ion] C2 · 05-16-2008, 10:25 AM

^yes it is a bitch, mainly because it's nearly impossible to reach with the engine in the car lol, which is why i have a spare working a/c compressor to put on the spare engine before i swap it in

Cliff8928 · 05-17-2008, 12:33 AM

Actually, on the 3400 the compressor job isn't that bad. It's only held on by 3 bolts.

SIUlero · 05-18-2008, 03:14 AM

Cherrington, have you checked your refrigerant? If it's low, the compressor won't kick on.

C2, you could have a seized compressor, but there's a good chance it's just a bad clutch.

cherrington17 · 05-18-2008, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SIUlero

Cherrington, have you checked your refrigerant? If it's low, the compressor won't kick on.

C2, you could have a seized compressor, but there's a good chance it's just a bad clutch.

i just refilled the refigerant about a year before it stopped. it was a little cold (maybe 50 degrees) for like 2 weeks, then just stopped all together. which, to me, means there is a leak somewhere. which i also don't really want to screw around with.

lonnie · 05-19-2008, 03:56 PM

That refrigerant acts as a lubricant as well, so I hope you keep that full. Tell you what I filled mine up last summer, and it gets cool but if its hot as hell outside then it doesn't feel like it is doing much. Now my blowmotor resistor is bad but even then I would think that it would still be pretty cold at the highest setting.

[ion] C2 · 05-19-2008, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SIUlero

C2, you could have a seized compressor, but there's a good chance it's just a bad clutch.

Ya my uncle said it was a bad compressor clutch from what it was doing, and then we just disabled it. Maybe the A/C compressor is causing some rotational resistance even though we disabled it and it's robbing HP.. hmm..