Hey all. New to this forum. Old to some other forums relating to other cars I have. Question. I have no A/C as of a couple of days ago. I am pretty sure there is no leak in the system because when the compressor is turned on I dont feel it kick on like I used to. So I am pretty sure it is the compressor. The question I have is this. Is it possible it is the clutch and that is something pretty easy to fix or is the best route just buying another compressor unit. As I looked up parts I saw the clutch for about $55. Maybe I should have bought the whole compressor on Ebay that I saw last night.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated and I give thanks in advance.

 

I woule rec. buying a new compressor if that is in deed the problem, it probably is just down a little on freon, if it is down a 1/2
pound even the a/c system may shut down. Hoped I helped !

 

If it was working a couple of days ago I would check to make sure the comp is still plugged in. (start simple)

 

I just bought a 96 blazer... the AC did not work when I bought it.
In order to check it to see if there was a leak I bought one of those inexpensive recharge kits at autozone you need about 30 onces of refrigerant in the 96 blazer so I got 2 cans of refrigerant (one 19 oz one 12 ounce)
get refrigerant that has a UV leak detecting dye in it... if there is a leak your mechanic can spot the exact location of the leak with a blacklight
mine has been running well for over a month... no leaks detected...
just needed a recharge

When the AC loses its coolant the compressor will not engage... you put the recharge kit on the low pressure side (the only place it will fit) fire up the AC, switch it to max cool, turn the can over to pour in the refrigerant... after a few moments the compressor will start to engage... just a little at first, but when the system gets up to pressure the compressor will stay on always. if the compressor still does not engage, you have another problem that needs to be repaired first

In my mind its worth it to spend 20 or 30 dollars to give it a try, rather that just grabbing parts off a shelf (wasting money) and dropping them in (total guesswork)

If its an electrical issue be sure to double check the fuses and look for a short in the wiring

 

I found in my book that there are three relays mounted above the engine in the back. I had heard one of them clicking for sometime but when I pressed on the brake pedal it stopped. Someone told me that was the relay for the third brake light. Well, checking the light I found that the bulbs were burnt out. So I replaced them. Got reading the repair manual and found the exact picture of what was under my hood and they said it was A/C relays. I took the middle one out and moved it to the left and noticed the blower did not work with that one out. So I took the left one and put it in the middle. Hit the A/C and the compressor came on and I had air again. I wish I would have spent more time on this earlier since it I dont know the A/C. Thanks for all the insight.