1988 Honda Civic A/C blues...need help

[madhatter4119]

Hi All...I having a fit trying to get my wife's old 88 civic A/C unit to work...can't really see if the clutch is engaging or not...I believe its been converted over to the newer stuff...when I put a gauge on the low side it
goes into the red 100% section...the car was running...A/C switch on and blower on high...Nothing but hot
air...Can't find the clutch relay or fuse for the A/C...wanted to jump the relay to make sure the clutch is on
before I try to fill it with Freon/juice...I'm all ears...would love to get her off my back...OH yea...this is a low
budget fix...can't afford to take it any where to be checked out...I have some knowledge of tools...volt meters
and stuff...ride a motorcycle and do all my own work...Her Civic (4 door) only has 127xxx miles on it and runs great...
other than the A/C unit...Thanks

 

[lethal6]

What engine?

To be honest, no one on this site really messes with AC stuff. Especially when it comes to filling and pressurizing as there is very specialized equipment that goes into the process. The home kits are junk for that kind of stuff and you are going to be wasting more money in the long run by trying to piece it together. AC systems are a pain in the ass, that is why most of the shops that do it are expensive. Even if you can't afford to pay for them to fix it, it might be good to take it to a shop that can diagnose and give you a direction to go in, fix the stuff you need to on your own, then have them pressurize and fill the system. The home kit will get you a short window of nice AC, they aren't generally permanent. I have read of a lot of people complain about them not working and at work we fix a lot after customers try to do it themselves and over pressurize.

 

[Mr.Baker]

Can't find the clutch relay or fuse for the A/C..

You either need to purchase the factory service manual OR simply Google "fuse box diagram " for your car.
You have two fuse panel locations, one under the hood, one under the dash on the driver side.

 

[madhatter4119]

look in both location and couldn't find the compressor relay...

 

[HeX]

You're clearly not trying hard enough. Our members will not baby you. Search using key words. Also look at the diagrams on honda parts websites. Again, all of this is easily found by actually trying to search for it.

With that said, its likely that your compressor and/or another vital AC component needs replacement. If you still had some freon in the system then you couldve had a chance at getting lucky with a store-bought freon can thats only designed to replenish a low system and not to fully re-fill it. However, if your system is blowing no cold air then theres no freon in it and its decompressed, so you have no chance at figuring this out for yourself without professional equipment (thats not cheap). A professional needs to fill the system, pressurize it, and use dye through the system to trace all the lines and components to identify the leak using a UV light. In short, at its simplest, this job cannot be done without professional assistance at some level.

Call local shops for an estimate to identify your issue. Some shops will charge you for the freon used, measure how much they can salvage after the system check, then credit you the amount towards refilling the system after its repaired. You may chose to replace the parts yourself then have it professionally filled, but you must be very detailed on doing so. You SHOULD consult or purchase the proper manual for such a job. They are available for free online as well. Be prepared to potentially remove the dashboard and several components. Keep in mind that aftermarket compressors dont last longer than 2-4 years if you're lucky.

 

[madhatter4119]

Thanks...