Easy A/C Clutch Coil Test A/C Clutch Not Engaging 

That's the easiest access A/C compressor I've seen so far. Moment of silence for us front-wheel drive motor owners.

Clear, simple and no bs. Excellent video! The a/c in my chevy Duramax appeared dead. Jumpered the relay as you directed and found life in the clutch. Added R-134a to the system and got cold air again! Apparently the a/c system is disabled when the refrigerant charge is low. Your video saved me time and money. Thanks!

Hey man thanks for posting this. 2014 Tacoma. AC light on, no clutch engagement. Removed relay, jumped the wires, clutch clicked. Went to Autozone, bought a can of stuff, jumped the wires with full fan and max ac, read 0 psi on the low side. Added enough R134 to get to about 40psi. Reinstalled relay, no engagement. Bought a new relay for $15 and whammo, everything working now. Was quoted $900 to replace my compressor after my "friend" listened to me talk about it and responded in like 2 seconds. Smh. $45 for the can o' stuff. I probably have a leak somewhere. Thanks again!

Great video. Most videos show you how it could go bad and what else to check but nobody was showing how simple it is to check if the ac compressor clutch is engaging.

For those who don't have the standard pin labels (30, 87...) and instead have (1,2,3,5), you want to place the wire in pins 3 and 5

Thanks for this!!! Gone without a/c for a year in our 2011 Ford fusion and a shop wanted $1,800 to “revamp” the entire HVAC system because it would be “easier” to do. Thought my compressor went bad but using your testing method I found that mine is actually still engages. So which leads me to believe my Evap sensor has gone bad. So thank you! You’ve potentially saved me a lot of time and some money.

Seems like every other video out there is all "replace the compressor", and mine ended up being a ground problem, saved a bunch of money , thanks

Thank you for posting this video. I was able to get the compressor clutch to engage and charged my AC using your instructions on my Cadillac escalade. Now i have to figure out the right PSI for my system.

Thank You this was the exact video I was looking for.

That was a great video! I applied this to my 04 Impala LS and the clutch did pull in. I also additionally disconnected the coolant Temp Sensor and started the car to make sure my AC Rad FANS were in working order as the AC fan was not working with the clutch not pulling in. Knowing that the relays and fans were good I went ahead and refilled the refrigerant and BLAMO! Everything is working great! Thanks man! Video helped alot!

Thanks for the video. It worked perfectly on my 98' GMC truck. Was able to engage the clutch so I could recharge a completely empty system.

Thanks man! I was able to confirm my clutch and compressor worked using your method.

This is what I was looking for - explained everything! LR Discovery 2 with original factory air - blowing warm air now after 16 years - was hoping it was just the ac compressor clutch/solenoid (it recently stopped engaging). It's a Denso compressor; will do your check as described here and hopefully it is the clutch/solenoid at fault and I can replace myself without having to have the system degassed and spend bug $$$ on a new compressor! The system is fully charged with R134A gas now. Probably also worth replacing the receiver/drier, but I guess that would mean degassing the system as well. Thank you!

Thanks for the tips, very helpful places to start looking. Btw if ur amp power cable is still loose like that, you’ve gotta loom and secure it around the main engine area, ideally similar to OEM wiring paths, and grommet thru the firewall if u can’t find a punch out. Same goes for all cabling. Clean secure adequately sized grounds to chassis/frame are key! Extra bonus points for extra clean wiring cuz u know it’s solid and very easy to work on if needed later. And u certainly should do a big 3 / 4 upgrade or at least the battery ground wire for best results regardless of draw cuz oem wires are cheap and puny.

Great video man, I appreciate you taking the time to get this info out there

Very good explanation on how this works, thanks!

Great video. Just tested my compressor on my 06 Silverado and it works. Thanks for the info. Now time to find which sensor/switch is bad. Used my horn relay to test the a/c relay before and nothing happened. So I believe I do have a safety switch gone bad and possibly a leak in the system.

Thank you! I have seen other videos with this info. Yours is the best!!☺☺👍👍

Bloody legend... cheers mate from Oz. 👍👍👍

Just what I needed to lock up my AC clutch- thanks!

Very helpful video. Straight to the point and informative. Thank you.

Thank you for the tips. Allowed me to successfully correct the hot air blowing from my AC. Apparently my compressor didnt have enough refrigerant to kick in - this bypass allowed it to filled. thanks again

Short sweet and to the point whithout bs,, thanks

Thanks for making this video very HELPFUL 👍🏼👍🏼

Thank you so much you were more helpful than most of these damn videos on RU-vid

Great Info - thanks for taking the time to pass this info on....I appreciate it

Thank you for the video , that's what I needed to see. Thanks again

Very good vidéo, well explained. It worked perfect for me, just cut myself a bit of wire and tried it. Didn't clic that loud for me, but with a video I could see it engaged well. Replaced the relay and solved! Thanks!

Very Useful Video....thank you for taking the time to make it and explain it well..

Straight and to the point. Lots of hair on the knuckles; good sign of a seasoned mechanic.

Excellent service and it was great appreciate it good job

Master thank you very much and greetings from Algeria

Great video and an awesome explanation!

Good vid man. Thanks for taking the time to do it.

Thanks, sir! that is an excellent video!

You definitely got me on the right track on troubleshooting this on my super duty! Thanks Bro!

Thanks for saving me money found a broken ground wire on my kw t680

Well Eric you've done it again saved the day! Improvised tools beating the counter at the parts store once again! If you ever feel like letting me know how to go about replacing the wire that goes to the pressure switch please let me know as it has been discontinued. Thanks your pal Mopar Mike. Since they now own my behind. Lol

Very clear and concise video. Thank you.

Nice video on the testing.You can get a compressor for 150.00.

Thanks bud! I did this on my Grand Prix like 5 years ago so I forgot how to do it. My brother in law has a Lincoln which he filled with Free-on but the clutch did not engage so I wanted to test it this way to see if that works at all.

This video was helpful. Thank you.

Thanks for the tutorial!! In my case, after doing all this I found the large connector behind the clutch to be a bad contact...Check your connections too folks!

Worked for 97 Silverado. It was the 85 and 30 (still diagonal). Thanks.

Thank you so much for the video, I now don't need a new compressor!

That's an awesome engine bay design .. seems like the alternator is also on top. No need to get under the car or remove the tire. My quest sucks with space. Lol

Awesome! Thanks for the info 👍

Awesome information thanks man. Looks like all I need is a new fuse after doing your test. 👍👍

Video is good to go. Thank you for posting.

This actually turned out helpful. Having a problem with my ac that keeps burning out the compressor fuse and i'm trying to figure out whether it's the clutch, wires or the relay.

I was thinking of a way like that but didn't know exactly how. Will try this on my truck and hope my ac compressor is still good

Thanks again for the informative video. So I put the ignition key to on and used the jumper wire from pins 87 and 30 and the clutch clicked and I could see the clutch move in or out when using the jumper wire. Also the clutch couldn't be turned when it clicked or was engaged by use of the jumper. Doing this that way the ac clutch mini fuse didn't blow. The outcome to me suggests the possibility that the clutch wiring is ok or operating/ sending power to the clutch when the jumper is used. So I am going to replace the relay in hopes a relay fault is contributing to the 10 amp mini fuse blowing. I know the relay was quite warm when I first removed it.

Great video..to the point. Thanks

Very nice rugged hands and forearms!

Thanks for the video best one yet,thanks

Your a GOAT for this

This video helped so much thanks man

I USED YOUR TIP TO PUT A BRIDGE BETWEEN 87 AND 30 TO KEEP THE COMPRESSOR ON WHILE I CHARGED THE AC SYSTEM WITH REFRIGERANT 134A,BECAUSE THE COMPRESSOR MUST BE ON TO FULLY CHARGE THE SYSTEM, THANKS FOR YOU TIP

Thanks. I just got a quote for $2500 to replace my a/c so i wanna go through and see if i can fix it on my own and this video is a great place to start

Best video made by a werewolf

Hell yeh, man. I very much appreciate you. SE Tx

i have a directly related question. My AC fuse, relay and AC clutch are all good thanks to your video. But the AC high side pipe is not hot at all not even warm. But then I touched the high side pipe directly at the compressor output after a few seconds of running the AC and it was burning hot, could not keep my finger on it. Then i checked the high side coming out of the condenser and it was completely cold, not even warm. Does this mean there is a problem with the condenser ? Other things i checked : the fans are spinning. The low side pipe is just a little bit cool but barely at all, it's almost ambient temperature. Does the compressor output pipe being burning hot means the compressor is good ? Any other test i can do ?

Great video thanks

Thanks bud you just got my cold air going again

.2000 Jeep Cherokee... i tried that relay bridge deal and the wire got hot and blew the big 20 amp ac fuse. does same thing when i try to bridge it over from the high side switch. . Compressor worked great in the other jeep. I start the car turn on A/C controls, Hi/max, When I unplug the ac compressor i still have power on the compressor end/plug but no power on the plug wire coming from the wiring harness. Only time that wire has power is when the ac is plugged in. Is that right?? My low pressure switch 4 ports has power on 3 out of 4 ports/slots. My high pressure switch 2 ports has power on both ports . it wont take freon.. ..{update } car running ac controls on, if i unplug my low side sensor i then have a hot and ground on the high side switch instead of 2 hots but still wont cycle the clutch but low side switch has 3 hot 1 neg. unplugged... i did test the wire thats going into that port and it has power going in the switch but no power in the port of the switch. If i hook the low side back up, again i got 2 hot ports on the high pressure switch. Even when i have 1 hot side other neg or no power on it. it still wont bridge over the clutch and when i got both sides hot and try bridge it it then will blow the big 20 amp fuse. So could my low pressure switch/connector be bad if so will that keep it from accepting freon.

got a 2001 GMC Sierra 1500.....my clutch is not engaging at all....got no power with voltage tester to any pressure switches or recirc switch. So I jumped it with the wire and the clutch does NOT engage. So should I leave the jumper wire in there and disconnect the connector to the compressor and see if the connector has power to it? If it does then it is likely the clutch? (the clutch turns freely by hand now). Thanks for the vid. Very informative! But still confused! FOLLOWING UP HERE: I just put a jumper wire on and I have power in the connector to the compressor. Does that mean my clutch is shot? How do I know that the whole compressor hasn't failed and not just the clutch? I just put a brand new AC Delco unit on a little over 2 years ago from Rockauto and now it's out of warranty! :(

very good thank you

There is also a 10 amp mini fuse behind the relay. That was blown in mine. 02 Sierra.

I have this situation in a GM Opel 1.6 XE 2004 manual airconditioning in which there is almost no voltage (2 volts) going to the AC compressor when the AC is turned on. I swapped the compressor relay with the horn relay (both relays are OK), replaced the little fuse 7.5 Amp inside the cabin (both fuses old and new are OK). When I turn on the AC, the radiator fan switches into 2 gear, nearly draining the battery to 12.2 volts. I checked the compressor coil resitance its 5kOhms which should be withing normal limits. The pressure equalized in the system is 8 bars, but the compressor is not engaging. When I disconnect the pressure switch the fans do not engage, I was wondering could there be an obstruction in the refrigerant lines or dryer causing such symptoms, so that the ECU is not allowing the compressor to be turned on?

This worked for me for checking on my TBSS.

Thanks for making the video

08 impala has a clutch always engaged. Even when the power plug is disconnected. Only blows warm air. checked and reinstalled all the fuses and checked the relays with a 12volt source. Has a 3 prong high pressure switch / transducer tested open. I unplugged it for a minute and the condenser fan reved up to high speed which it was not doing at all with it plugged in. Any ideas? thanks for the good info. I know I have to get the clutch checked out. But could there be an over pressure situation from it being engaged all the time?

Thanks man great help

Hi Sir. I have a Kia Sportage 2005. Whenever I turn on my AC within 3-4 mins of running I’ll have a blinking drive light. Any idea what problem I might be facing

Question if I connected a jumper wire to the 87 and to the 30 but the compressor did not make any clicking noise is it a bad connection or a bad clutch or a bad compressor?

Nice video, thanks. I did this test this morning and my clutch and AC works fine. The relay is not faulty, there is no 12 volt to power it, I checked the 2 AC fuses, from there I don't know what to do, can it be the thermostat or software issues ? I have a Civic 2016. Thanks.

Helped me a lot

i did the bypass clutch was engaging so i know clutch is good changed out the relay still nothing what else do you recomend i also could be low on freon also?when engaged i was getting hot air comming out no cold air does that mean i need freon

Thanks for good info.👍

Hi, my compressor won't engage due ECU malfunction so I followed the above steps with the engine running. Sure enough the compressor engaged but i let it run too long (about a minute )and high pressured white gas shot out in a loud hiss from the engine bay. I couldn't see from where the gas was coming from exactly, as I ran panicked to shutdown the engine. Question is the compressor destroyed? Or is it still ok despite what just happened?

I have a short in the coil

Thanks for the tutorial, If only things where that simple, Try'ed this no click, And as summer's fast approaching it's off to a specialist, And burn my holiday fund!!?

Thanks a million 👍👍👍👍👍up And I subbed you. Thanks again

Are you doing this with the ignition key turn to accessory? In other words to run this test!

Nice. This helps

Does this bypass the trinary switch?. I have a 07 mazda 3 and installed new clutch kit checked all fuses and clutch won't engage jumper wires on relay didn't work either

Great video, thanks

THANK YOU! you saved me at least $6-$700. I had a VERY low charge on the AC. Guages moved just a little when I hooked it up. I was able to get the clutch engaged with a jumper wire and I could get 2 cans into it. I can't thank you enough. I was already subbed to your channel, please keep offering work arounds and diagnosis for the average Joe. BTW I used 14 guage wire. I would suggest a smaller size like 18 guage. I had to keep one hand on the wire and another onthe freon/guage cluster. If the wire were smaller I probably could have stuck it into the relay port further where it would stay on its own.

i tried what you did.. took out the relay and used a wire to connect the 2 points. no click. so i used an ohm meter and used that to see if it would register but it didn't. i was thinking that it could be the relay but i checked out and was working. so i went to the compressor the wires were good there and to see if the compressor is still ok. so negative to the battery and positive to the wire. good. and there was another wire coming out of the front of the compressor, i think that's for the coil?? i used the ohm meter on that as well and it is also good. the clutch still doesn't click and engage. should i just put a negative and positive wire from the battery and connect it ti the negative and positive of the compressor? can you give me some advice so i can find out where or what the problem is? thanks in advance

Thank you very much.

Thank you Rambo

I found a bad contact in the wire exiting the compressor by moving the connector with my hand. Not sure where in the 2 ft of wire the break is, how should I go about it?

How do you know where to put the wire, when you use it?

got a new compressor with a new clutch , did all these test and more and it stil not engaging . wondering if they gave me a bad coil

Thanks so much Brother!

If I can jumper the relay and the coil pulls in then I should look at the fuse? My coil pulls in when jumped at the relay and I have 35 psi on refrigerant gauge which indicates it's in correct range. What would next step be?

👍good information. Thanks

So what do I when my fuse won’t engage the ac clutch ? I brought New fuses and they don’t work but it works if I jump it.

Starts at 2 min mark, better at 2x speed.

Do you have to turn the key so the battery can be turned on? And then you do the steps that you showed?