It's probably the radiator fan clutch or AC compressor clutch overheating due to improper gap from normal wear.
03 Suburban AC Issues - Diagnostic Challenge for Intermittent Performance
- Thread starter Fitz98
- Start date
Compressor clutch makes sense too.
Drove last night- Ambient temperature around 80 degrees.
No AC issues at all. In fact, the temperature at the vent was 45 degrees, even at idle...almost too cold.
Problem only occurs when the outside temperature is high.
Drove last night- Ambient temperature around 80 degrees.
No AC issues at all. In fact, the temperature at the vent was 45 degrees, even at idle...almost too cold.
Problem only occurs when the outside temperature is high.
It's very likely the compressor clutch has too much of an air gap. I just fixed this same issue on my Civic by removing one of the shims behind the clutch lol.
Finally got around to checking AC clutch gap. (FWIW I have only had the problem twice since original post).
I also tried the flushing water over the condenser while the problem was happening (no change)
Gap is difficult to measure accurately while in the vehicle, but best I can tell, .035 is a little loose and stacking a .035 and a .005 is getting tight.
From the research I have done, it looks like .030 is max gap. Perhaps 5-10 thousandths is enough to occasionally not pull in the clutch under certain conditions?
Debating on just trying to do the shim modification, vs clutch and coil replacement, since I will likely do some tear-down to get to it more easily. Then comes the bigger debate of whether it is worth just replacing the clutch and coil, since it is almost as much as the entire compressor, but then I need to drain down the system, change the accumulator, recharge....where does it end?
I think this comes down to whether the clutch gap is more likely the problem or if the coil is more likely the problem.
Leaning towards trying shim modification 1st, since that is only time and will help rule out gap as the cause.
I also tried the flushing water over the condenser while the problem was happening (no change)
Gap is difficult to measure accurately while in the vehicle, but best I can tell, .035 is a little loose and stacking a .035 and a .005 is getting tight.
From the research I have done, it looks like .030 is max gap. Perhaps 5-10 thousandths is enough to occasionally not pull in the clutch under certain conditions?
Debating on just trying to do the shim modification, vs clutch and coil replacement, since I will likely do some tear-down to get to it more easily. Then comes the bigger debate of whether it is worth just replacing the clutch and coil, since it is almost as much as the entire compressor, but then I need to drain down the system, change the accumulator, recharge....where does it end?
I think this comes down to whether the clutch gap is more likely the problem or if the coil is more likely the problem.
Leaning towards trying shim modification 1st, since that is only time and will help rule out gap as the cause.
How I diag a air gap issue......Take a broom stick & tap the clutch inward, If it engages.....it's either too large a air gap or the magnetic coil weak.
Goes without saying you could get hurt!!!!!!
Goes without saying you could get hurt!!!!!!
Had a late 90s V70 Volvo with air gap on clutch that was too large. Did a search and some folks glued bread clip but I couldn't get it to stay. Secured thin zip ties on the front of it and worked flawlessly. Your description sounds like what the ac did on it.
