i tried to bump the idle but it didnt help much,,,,,used the haynes manual procedure. whats going on here and what can i do?
the ac compressor is only a couple years old,,,

thanks guys

 

Year/trim/engine?

Have you cleaned the IACV?

 

its a 95 civic LX 1.5L

thanks

 

I assume that the A/C otherwise works and it gets good and cool inside the car. Check that the condenser fan comes on whenever the compressor is engaged. If the fan doesn't work, the system will overpressure and put a heavy load on the engine. It will also start cycling on and off and of course it won't cool very much at all.

The IACV needs to be able to give the engine extra air to keep the speed up under the normal load of the A/C. Clean the valve and also the passages in the throttle body where it attaches.

 

Also check for CEL codes.

 

ok, i think the fan may be it.... it doesnt seem like it comes on at all.. could it be a fuse or do the fans go bad alot, there are no codes popping up..

thanks

 

If the compressor runs, then the fuses are fine. Check the fan relay and the fan motor.

 

The motors do go bad. First check is to spin it by hand with the key off, if it won't turn freely it's definitely bad. The relays are mounted near the condenser and the left headlight. Check that power is reaching the motor with the A/C on. It's also possible to lose the condenser ground, that ground wire only affects the condenser fan.

This is all about the condenser fan on the left (driver's) side of the car. Note that the radiator fan need not necessarily come on when the A/C is on. Unlike many cars, it's separate from the condenser and only comes on in response to engine temperature.

 

thanks guys.. that really helps out.. well the fan spins freely and the fuse is good... so i guess its one of the relays or the fan motor is bad... how do i verify the relays are getting power?

 

Measure voltage at the motor plug, if you have power there but the fan doesn't run, the motor is bad. You could also disconnect the motor and connect it to the battery with two jumper wires to see if it runs.