Lincoln vs Cadillac Forums

(This is the forums archive - If you want to get back to the main site simply click the banner above and you will be taken to our homepage.)

Lincoln vs Cadillac Forums is the Ultimate Online Resource for Owners and Enthusiasts of American Luxury Cars. Feel free to browse through our archive - but make sure you make it back to our main site - Lincoln vs Cadillac Forums

Cadillac XLR : Cadillac CTS : Cadillac : 2005 Cadillac STS : Cadillac Forums : 2000 Lincoln LS : Lincoln Mark VIII : Lincoln Mark VII : Car Wax
Lincoln Town Car : Lincoln Air Suspension : Lincoln Continental : Lemon Law : Do It Yourself Car Repair : Lincoln vs Cadillac Forums : Mesothelioma

Back to the Archive Main Page

Pages: 1

AC cycling on/off

(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)

Posted by: corey85TC

Greetings all; I am a new TC owner (85' light blu/grey vinyl, with 40K miles).

When sitting at idle I could hear something loading the engine 3 seconds on/ 10 seconds off over and over again. I popped the hood and saw a plate on the end of what I think is the AC compressor spinning and stopping.

The AC seems to work ok when I turn it on (though winter isn't exactly the best test time) however the question is, why should that be running at all when I have the AC off and its 40 degrees outside?

Posted by: Jibit

Quote:

Originally Posted by coreydv

Greetings all; I am a new TC owner (85' light blu/grey vinyl, with 40K miles).

When sitting at idle I could hear something loading the engine 3 seconds on/ 10 seconds off over and over again. I popped the hood and saw a plate on the end of what I think is the AC compressor spinning and stopping.

The AC seems to work ok when I turn it on (though winter isn't exactly the best test time) however the question is, why should that be running at all when I have the AC off and its 40 degrees outside?

I didn't know this happened on the older ones but I know the newer cars cycled the compressor so that they don't seize (or freeze up), don't know what the correct terminology is but basically it does it so that it'll last longer.

Posted by: corey85TC

Perhaps that is the answer, but when I took it in for a buyer's inspection the service guy said that sounded like "short cycling" To look into that would be more money than just the $90 buyer's inspection, and AC can cost up to $2000 for difficult bugs.
I didn't find him very helpful, though perhaps his boss likes him.

Posted by: 2001LS8Sport

If you have the ATC on, the compressor runs regardless of outside temp. It also runs in defrost. This is to dehumidfy the air into the cabin and prevent a windshield fog up.

Posted by: eL eS

wouldn't it cycle a lot if it were low on refrigerant?

Posted by: KainDTE

Quote:

Originally Posted by eL eS

wouldn't it cycle a lot if it were low on refrigerant?

yes it would, or if your a/c clutch is going bad like mine is lol... mine cycles on and off and clicks REALLY loud when its on lol... luckily my system drowns it out cause im too lazy to fix it...

Posted by: DiamondLSC

I have a 98 TC and this has happened twice. It possibly is the low pressure sensor that screws on the side of the dryer. I paid $13-15. for the thing and it takes all of 5min to install. Just disconnect the socket from it and unscrew the old one and reinstall the new with the reverse proceedure. I got mine from a local shop that does heater and air repair for cars. Also check the radiator fan and make sure it is working, because if the system isn't receiving the amount of proper air flow it will automaticly turn the ac off and on trying to keep the engine from overheating.

Loans:Credit Card:Personal Loan:Consolidation:Mortgages