Have a 2000 Accord (v6) and air conditioner blows cold air but will sometimes stop blowing cold and then after awhile start again. When it stops the blower motor is still running. If I kill the car for less than 5 minuets and restart the ac will work fine (time compressor stays running varies).
When it stops if i jump the 1 and 2 terminals on my compressor relay the unit will start working.
I'm loosing my ground on the compressor relay and wondering what's causing that to happen?

I've checked the freon and the gauge readings looks good.
I've checked the relays and they look good.
If i jump the pressure switch when the unit stops working it makes no difference.

 

Two possibilities to investigate;

AC compressor relay is frequent culprit for this problem. Try swapping w/ same nearby relay to see if problem is resolved.

If relay is good, then excessive clutch gap is likely the problem. You can confirm by pushing the clutch face w/ long screwdriver (engine OFF, but AC on, no compressor engagement). If compressor engages (clicks closed), then excess clutch gap is likely.

Fix is to remove compressor from underneath w/ car elevated, remove clutch plate, remove shim to reduce clutch gap, and reinstall clutch plate. It can be done w/o discharging.

good luck

 

Tried swapping the relay's and that didn't solve it.
I'll try the clutch test, are you saying that with this possible gap the unit will work good at times but then shut off? What would be the cause of this interminant problem? It would seem like it would either work or not work. I'll give it a try and let you know.

 

Yes, excess clutch gap can be intermittent. Usually worse when fully warmed.

Also slightly possible that intermittent fault in clutch coil is causing same problem. Measure resistance of clutch coil to ground. It should be ~4 ohms and must be measured carefully to get a valid reading. Here also, an intermittent coil fault may be misleading.

Excess clutch gap is more likely.

good luck

 

I tried the test by pushing in on the clutch. I don't hear anything right away when pushing but i will hear a very small click while pushing in and releasing pressure after several tries.
one thing i noticed is that while sitting in the car and ac working my temp gauge is normal reading about half way and as soon as i hear the compressor kick out the temp gauge will immedately begin to rise to the "H" mark. Both fans are running at this time. If i kill the car and wait about 2 min the ac will work again and the temp gauge will be normal again before going through that entire process again where it all does it exactly the same after about 5 min's.
Any ideas?
Are we still thinking possible clutch gap? If so i'll start by removing the shim

 

When the a/c turns off, do both radiator fans turn off too?

I'd be more concerned about the temp gauge rising. When the engine is cold, remove the radiator cap and verify the radiator is filled with coolant.

 

Both fans stays running, full of water.

 

In principal, the PCM could disable the AC if temperature goes too high. I could not find any mention of this in a quick review of shop manual, but it makes sense.

Overheating w/ fans enabled suggests either thermostat is faulty or possibly a blocked or dirty radiator preventing maximum cooling.

I agree w/ PAH that first order of business is to remedy overheating tendency and then see if AC problem remains.

good luck

 

But the problem is that it's not actually overheating. The gauge will go up seconds after the compressor shuts off (2 seconds). Once you kill it for about 2 mins the gauge is normal while the compressor is back running again. All is good for the next 5 mins until the comp shuts off again and then will cause the gauge to climb again.

 

Thanks for the help guys, i think i've gotten it.