Strange electrical problem

[yankee817299]

Hello everyone. I am having a electrical issue that I have searched and cannot find any info on. It all started with a bad low pressure switch on my a/c. Replaced the switch and everything was workiing just as it should. Then 2 days ago my auto antenna and a/c quit working. I checked all the fuses and all are fine. I pulled the plug from the a/c pressure switch and have 12V there to ground, but no a/c clutch engagement. Knocked the **** out of the clutch face plate, and still no go. During all of this, the blower motor quit and the display on the climate control went blank, and the anti loc light came on? Shut the car off and re-started, the display & blower started working, and the anti-loc light was off. I did a auto test on the climate control and came back 888. Went out today and I was going to check for voltage at the clutch plug, turned the a/c on full blast and the blower went off and the display went blank, the anti-loc light came on. The car started to run slightlyl rough and different idiot lights started to come on and go off. Then, the climate control display came back on and would onlly display 888 and was blinking off and on, and had no other function available. Shut the car off and tried to re-start, now the battery seems like it has lost its charge. It is a new battery that is fully charged. Head lights come on, dome light, no door chime, no click when I try to start. Dash lights come on and dim out quicklyl when I turn the key. If I just turn the key to on and do not engage the starter, the lights stay on.

Right now I have no idea as to where to even start?

 

[SHOspazz92]

I would strongly suggest having your alternator tested. In my experience a dying alternator causes the car to do some weird shit. In my case, I've seen the A/C and EATC go batshit crazy, Just like you are experiencing.

-Sam

 

[yankee817299]

The carwas running fine, then all of a sudden all this crap. Is there any test that I can do on the alt. or should I pull it and have Auto Zone give it a test?

 

[digeronimo34]

Auto zone . But have them test it more then one time. When mine took a crap the one that they said was bad the first time wound up being good the second time they tested it. If it is bad and you get another from them make sure to have it tested before you leave. The first was dead out the box the second put out 15.8 v and finally the third was good . Good luck

 

[yankee817299]

Thanks for the info. I will get the alternator off and see what Auto Zone can tell me. I'll post back with the results.

Thanks again.

 

[yankee817299]

I stumbled onto another thread that said that a sure-fire sign of a low voltage problem would be the EACT going off and on and re-setting itself. So, I went out and checked the battery charge and sure enough it was low, very low. It is sitting on a trickle charger for the next day or so. When I get it charged to full, I am going to take a voltage reading across the bat terminals and see what the alternator is putting out.

Is there a way that I can check the alternator ampherage output? Could I put my meter in series with the lug on the alternator to the + terminal of the battery?

 

[yankee817299]

I took the alternator in and it checked out ok. I charged my battery up and my tester was showing that it still needed charged. So, I took the battery in and it showed to be fully charged. Put the battery back in and everything seems to working properly. Bought myself a new tester and it showed the battery at full charage. This is not my DD, so I am guessing that sitting for 2 to 3 weeks without being driven may have drained the battery?

Now I am back to my original problem of having no a/c. I have the plug off of the low pressure switch and a jumper in it. I noticed that when I remove the jumper that the idle adjusts itself a little lower, and when I put the jumper back in the idle increases slightly. Is this normal? Also, the electric fans are coming on when the eatc is turned to a/c. Again, I wacked the front of the a/c clutch plate and this did nothing. Where would I go from here? I'm in Texas and we are having a slight heat wave (103 to 105 daily), and this is keeping me from driving more often, and I miss it.

 

[shotime1994]

Do you have refrigerant in it? If you do plug the low side switch in. Then with the car running turn the a/c on take a prybar and push the a/c clutch inward.

 

[yankee817299]

Ok. I plugged the low pressure switch back in, pushed on the clutch, and the compressor started running. It ran for about 10 sec. and quit. I couldn't get it to start back up. Un-plugged the pressure switch and jumped it again, and still not running??? I have tried to get the plug off of the compressor to check for voltage there, but I'm going to have to pull the alternator again to get the plug off. It is being very stubborn.

 

[shotime1994]

There is to much of a gap on the compressor. There is a write up on here on how do remove a shim. When I get back ill look for it and post it up.

 

[yankee817299]

Thanks Shotime. That's what I was thinking (hoping) for. I'll be looking for the link.

 

[yankee817299]

Hey Shotime, I found the thread to the gap adjustment. I will give this a go this week and let everyone know how things went. Thanks to everyone....

http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=112345&highlight=a/c+clutch+gap

 

[calli]

Read this whole thread and can't find where it says what the gap should be. Is it the .02 show with the business card? Thanks

 

[yankee817299]

Yes, I think I remember it being said approx. .02"

 

[Mike Gallion]

clutch gap

See this thread. Spells out the compressor clutch adjustment with loads of associated links.
Gap should be .020 to .036

http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=75761

 

[calli]

I thank you