[stangman55]

Ok, I've been without a/c for some time now and now its getting hot and i need it. I've been trying to figure out how to get it working, i have limited experience in a/c but I try. Anyways the problem is that the clutch on the a/c cycles for only about 1-3 seconds and then shuts off for 7-10 seconds and it just does that in those intervals, car doesn't cool and no cold air obviously.

Why does it do that?

It didn't work at all before but I jumped the connector on the cycle switch and the compressor came on, guy at a/c shop said that if the compressor came on then the a/c system just needed freon. which is what I did, so now I have the problem I stated above. Oh, and I also replaced the cycle switch with a new one but I got the wrong one (r-12) so I took it back, I have it converted to r-134 but the compressor still comes on so the old one has to work right?

[04BlackGT]

If the compressor is kicking on and off usually means its low on refridgerant. It does that to protect the compressor from destroying itself, it needs lube which is in the refridgerant. I would get some guages or take it to a shop and have them put guages on it and fill it properly.

[stangman55]

Well, I did the recharge myself and I used one with a gauge, (the ones at autozone). It said it was full so what else could it be?

[nolife]

Not 100% sure about the one on a fox body but a compressor cycles on low pressure on the suction side and high pressure on the discharge side. It is hard to diagnose without at least a guage hooked up to least both of those areas no knowing what the is normal. I know, I did not help much

90% of the time a compressor cycles on and off, it is because of low suction pressure which is caused by a low amount of freon. The high side will cycle if there is a blockage between the compressor and the expansion valve.

[5.0 street stanger]

Those gauges on those do it yourself bottles arent accurate. All AC systems run at different pressures depending on how big the AC system is on the car so the gauges on those bottles cant be accurate for every system. If you dont have a set of gauges you can use a thermometer. You will be checking the drop in temp from the return compared to the supply. Find where your return air is and get the temp there and then get the temp coming out of the vents. Make sure your recurculation botton is on by the way. You can play with the pressures until you get the best temp drop. If you can get your supply air somewhere in the 40's, youll be good. Just make sure you dont get it below 32 cause it will freeze up and slug liquid back to the compresser, which is not good. I do AC for a living and a car is pretty similiar. just lower pressures in a car, I think. And the more gas you put into it the HIGHER your temp will be coming out of the vents. Thats how it is with residential R-22 and R-410a systems anyways, but a car's AC system is about the same.