Roland, thanks for pointing that out. Now that you mention that, my VOM is bouncing around until I place it on a component to measure it. So, instead of it being an open circuit on my coil it is a dead short that is keeping the coil from energizing. We'll find out tomorrow or the next day as I ordered the coil set and clutch set and they will be here tomorrow. I had to order the clutch spanner wrench since I couldn't find one to borrow or buy locally. Hopefully it will get here at the same time. This will get my A/C back to working and get rid of the annoying rattle. Good thing because it is warming back up here in Ohio.

 

Hello, eGadgetGeek. You measured the voltage on the AC clutch? You have sure the clutch coil is open or shorted? Be careful not to spend a lot of money buying the clutch and the problem is just 12 V not going to the AC clutch.

 

I followed the troubleshooting steps on ALLDATAdiy.com Leading Source of Factory Automotive Repair Information down to the point of checking the resistance on the field coil which I got the reading of 0 ohms. I started with the fuses then the relays then the thermal protector. All of those checked out. I stopped by a friend of mine's house who is a car enthusiast and he help me determine the pulley on the clutch was making the noise. After that, he pulled out his nice expensive toy to hook up to my car and proceeded to search for error codes. He is a former GM engineer. He's been on me since day one when I bought my first Honda. I think he was surprised he didn't find any issues. He was able to see the A/C Clutch and as we switched it on and off, he computer showed it was making it that far.

 

Your Honda is in good hands. After repair, post the operation of the AC. Good luck.

 

I plan on doing the work tomorrow evening or Thursday evening as long as everything gets here tomorrow. It is going to be in the 80s the next three days and I'm tired of sweating. I'll tried to remember to take some pictures of the work and post them also.

 

Looking forward to seeing your progress with the AC.

I had an AC shop look at my car and I have an open coil. I’d love to see what to do to replace the parts. I’m hoping that’s all that is wrong with my AC system.

I’ve been quoted anything from $600-$1400 to repair my AC. $600 is replacing just the compressor if there is no debris in the system. Then it was around $1000-$1400 to replace the whole system.

I’d love to be able to fix it myself.

Best of luck with the repair.

 

hello inkeye. If the AC compressor is good and the problem is in the coil clutch, I think the right thing to do would be to replace or repair these parts that can be bought easily. I note that the mechanical services in the USA are very expensive. Here in Brazil the worked hour is cheaper than in your country but the problem here is to find a good shop. I just take my car to a repair shop if the repair is impossible for me to do. If you had a friend or relative who could do this repair, you could save money and could help and learn this kind of service. Good luck.

 

Hi, eGadgetGeek. Temperatures of 80F are normal here in Rio and we like. When the weather heats up even here, temperatures easily reach the 104F and sometimes we take four showers a day.

 

inkeye, I will definitely keep you posted. The parts out for delivery for today and the wrench will be here tomorrow so I guess I know what I'll be doing tomorrow evening. It can be a pain sometimes to work on your own car but the satisfaction you get when you are done and realize how much you have saved plus having a better understanding of your car, it is great. Sometimes the satisfaction is enough to overcome the busted knuckles :-)

roland, I work in an office where it is 70F so the heat feels good when I first go out but after that, it zaps the energy out of me. I'm looking forward to retirement in about 20 years so I can enjoy the heat. Don't know if I could handle the 104F unless I was at the beach.

 

Replace the clutch set and field coil, keep the original compressor.

 

Definitely! I just finished up putting in the new coil set and pulley set. It is as quiet as a church mouse and I have cold air pumping out of the vents. Pictures to follow. Finishing buttoning everything back up.

eGadgetGeek

 

Okay, here are the pictures and run down. The biggest pain in the butt was getting the screw out that holds the cable for the coil. I had to use Vise-Grips to get it out. Luckily, there is a new screw and clip provided with the coil. Second pain was, my snap ring pliers were only big enough for the pulley snap ring so I had to wait around until my wife got home so I could run to Lowe's to get a bigger set. After that, it went pretty smoothly until time to put the new drive belt on. When I replaced my alternator a while back, I went with a higher output one. It had a small pulley so the belt I have been running was a bit too big. I had used up all my adjustment and would squeal from time to time so I went with the next size smaller. I managed to get it on and adjusted now it is quiet once again and I have A/C.



Old clutch before removal.



Pulley removed, old coil.



Coil removed.



New coil installed.



New pulley installed.



Belt back in place and ready to test.

 

Okay, here are the pictures and run down. The biggest pain in the butt was getting the screw out that holds the cable for the coil. I had to use Vise-Grips to get it out. Luckily, there is a new screw and clip provided with the coil. Second pain was, my snap ring pliers were only big enough for the pulley snap ring so I had to wait around until my wife got home so I could run to Lowe's to get a bigger set. After that, it went pretty smoothly until time to put the new drive belt on. When I replaced my alternator a while back, I went with a higher output one. It had a small pulley so the belt I have been running was a bit too big. I had used up all my adjustment and would squeal from time to time so I went with the next size smaller. I managed to get it on and adjusted now it is quiet once again and I have A/C.



Old clutch before removal.



Pulley removed, old coil.



Coil removed.



New coil installed.



New pulley installed.



Belt back in place and ready to test.

 

Looks like I got a little click happy and posted twice.

 

Hello eGadgetGeek. Good to know that the service in the compressor was successful. I was impressed with rust on screws appearing in photographs. If you can, take one by one and put a little grease to the threads and heads to facilitate future work. Jammed bolts due to rust can become a serious problem and cause a huge delay in a service. Best wishes.

 

Hello Roland. The only screw that was a pain was the one holding the clip that held the cable out of the way. The nut on the contact plate has a nylon insert to keep it locked in place and it came off rather easily. I'm hoping this one lasts as long as the first one did so at 400,000+ miles it might be time to get a new one.

 

How did the AC compressor change go?

 

I didn't have to change the compressor only the clutch assembly. See Posts #52 & #53 above. I fat fingered when I submitted. Rattle noise is gone and A/C works once again. Now I have another noise that sounds like an exhaust system issue that I need to investigate.

 

Excellent work.

Where did you get just the clutch and pulley assembly? I can only seem to find a full new compressor.

 

You can only get the parts from a Honda dealer. I went to the local dealer and they were $100 than where I ordered them from which was here:

https://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/