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2002 nissan frontier AC on & then AC off? Forums > > 2002 nissan frontier AC on & then AC off? 2002 nissan frontier AC on & then AC off?
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Frontier Nissan Frontier/HB/Truck Discussion Forum

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  #1  
Old 09-05-2018, 12:56 PM
duke46 duke46 is offline
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Question 2002 nissan frontier AC on & then AC off?

I only have 136,000 on it and I think I did add some Freon years ago? It has always worked like a charm.


Added more Freon Last Sat and screwed up and added to much and then had to remove some of it after I connected the proper gauges.


Low side 55/60
High side 160/170
Going by the 134 chart and our temps that day.


I might can go 6 to 10 miles and maybe more and AC works fine and then if I cut my truck off and then start going again then it might work and might not and then it might come back on when going home but not always?


Could my high pressure switch be causing the problem? I can jumper it if I need but that may work and may be a bad idea or buy a new one but would have to order it.


The only thing I have read about on here was a guy having a like problem and the guy helping posted a diagram and testing a connector that you access under the dash at the Thermo Control Amp connector???


Take any help I can get because being in the 90's and a black truck is kind of hot for this old guy

Last edited by duke46; 09-06-2018 at 05:19 AM.
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  #2  
Old 09-05-2018, 08:32 PM
JRJoe JRJoe is offline
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Do Yourself and Your Truck a Favor; Take it to a Professional and get your AC Checked Out.

Take it to Nissan Preferable. I just had the AC checked out on my '13 Frontier and Nissan didn't charge me anything, but in your case I would expect a charge since you are haveing problem's.

I've also taken my Hardbody to Firestone,, year's ago,, and they only charged me 40 $'s to add a little bit of 134a.

Save Yourself some Grief and take it to the professional's for AC work.

Good Luck
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  #3  
Old 09-06-2018, 05:17 AM
duke46 duke46 is offline
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Thanks for the advice and I may have to resort to having a pro take a look at the system?


I am 73 and have been maintaining mine and some others AC systems as far back as the R 12 days and I have all the equipment for doing so. I have never been beat before except by our old 96 Northstar Caddy. It had two many things that could leak and I didn't like the seal for the lines to the back of the compressor. Poor design I would say.


My problem may be something as simple as the high pressure switch but there are non local so I could swap it out. I can jumper it out but will need to have my mess together and connect the gauges and then place the jumper but can't really do that till the compressor is kicking on and off and then if I can pull that off I can watch the gauges and see if the pressure is goes to high.


For some reason I really don't think there is a problem with the Thermo control amp and I have found that so I can test it if I need to but not sure about the probe that is stuck in the cooling unit coils? The probe is another part that is also not in the auto part places. I have not found anything yet on how to even test the probe. But from what I have read it is there in case of a freeze up on the coils and it would shut off the compressor. I don't think the coils are freezing up but one never knows. And you can't see in side the box. This where a pro that is used to working with them would if lucky know what is going one.
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  #4  
Old 09-06-2018, 11:53 PM
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smj999smj smj999smj is offline
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The "thermal control amp" and the "thermistor" are the same thing; that is the part that sticks into the evaporator core coils and measures the temperature, cutting power to the compressor clutch if the core begins to freeze up to protect the compressor.
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  #5  
Old 09-07-2018, 03:48 AM
duke46 duke46 is offline
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The more I read about it then the more I under stood what its use was.


I did learn something about testing it and you do not want to jump it out like you would the high pressure switch and if you do then you be having to fix the board like at least two guys or more had to do. There is a way to test it and I did print out that info.


I will know more once I hook up my gauges. The bad thing is that you never know when the compressor is going to start clicking on and off? I might have to leave the gauges hooked up and lay them under the hood so I can raise the hood and see what the readings are when it does cut off. Not a real good idea but the way the motor is laid out and where the high and low ports are located there is nothing in the way that could damage the lines or the gauge.


Have a good one guys and will let you know my finding as soon as I can have time to do the testing,
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  #6  
Old 09-07-2018, 06:25 AM
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Cusser Cusser is offline
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OK: first, I hope the R134a you added did not contain any sealers or sealant, that can ruin your whole system.

Does the compressor center part stop turning when your AC stops cooling? Pull over immediately leaving everything on (engine on, AC on, and your clothes on, after all you're 73) and physically take a look. If center part is not turning, it's time to check to see if the AC clutch magnetic coil is getting 12-14 volts positive or not. Sometimes the gap increases over time and becomes too large for the clutch to engage. Some have whacked the clutch with a broom handle to see if that causes the compressor to engage, but be very careful, wary of belts and turning pulleys, etc.

On my 1998 Frontier and my 1988 Mazda truck I've actually soldered-in a wire from the AC compressor lead to a warning light on my dash so I can tell exactly when I'm getting voltage to the compressor. When I had such symptoms like yours on the Mazda truck, was ready to swap out the AC clutch but found that the center nut was just loose, tightening fixed that.

Unfortunately, you're guessing on the amount of refrigerant, only way to be sure is to have refrigerant removed and added back by weight. Both low and high pressures at about 1800 - 2000 rpm might help you guess on the charge level, measure those and post those.
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Old 09-07-2018, 06:46 AM
duke46 duke46 is offline
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No sealers or sealant ever but there is some green dye. I really do not remember ever putting any in but maybe the can I used a few years ago had some in it? I have the light for testing and a sniffer but have never found a leak and never seen any tell tell signs of one.


As many times this past week that I have looked at the clutch and all seemed to be working like it should I never really looked at the center and it turning? Thanks for that advice and I will look a little better next time for sure. All I can say is according to the gauges both the low and the high readings were as they should be and once they were I took them off and closed the hood and though all was fine and it did sty on longer but then started cutting off again.


I have to make a run into town and make at least two stops so my bet is unless I am lucky it will cut off on me. The last few times it has done that it might stay off the 6 miles home but have had it come back on before.


Thanks and I will see what I can find/see and post back.
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  #8  
Old 09-07-2018, 08:40 AM
duke46 duke46 is offline
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Question

DAG, drove aprox 20 miles. Stop for gas, wait at window to pick up my drugs,stop @ the ABC store, stop at the gro and then home and the AC worked fine????


Now what do I do???? Guess I am drive it down to my shop and hook up the gauges and check the readings at idle and 1800/2000 and see what I get and also see if by chance it does shut off?


The only thing I have done was add maybe 2-1/2 qts of anti freeze to the tank and the reservoir but the only time I has seen it getting hot was when I was putting in some Freon in my shop and had to put my 36" fan in front of it. I have seen that happen in the past but not with this truck?


When it was cutting off and on while I was driving the temp showed normal.


Oh well back to sq one????


I also wanted to check my cabin filters that I have never done and once I got to where they should have been there was none on this truck? It is a 2002 XE 4 door that I bought new in TN if that makes any difference? You could see the place they would have been but nothing to take out. I even took out a few screws and spread the case a little and nothing there???


I guess I will go to my shop and get some powder coating done for my customers so I will at least know I did something today
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  #9  
Old 09-08-2018, 02:16 PM
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Nissan started putting green dye in the R-134a refrigerant in the early-2000's. If you can locate the A/C information sticker under the hood, they were either light blue or green. If it's green, then it came with dye in the system from the factory.


As far as the cabin filters, they were optional. If it didn't come from the factory with one, you could add it. You have to use a box cutter or similar tool to cut out the plastic opening in the case. The cabin filter kit should come with two filters and a metal clip. The first filter slides in and up and then you install the second filter onto the track on the bottom of the first filter and slide the second filter in. The metal clip at the bottom locks the second filter to a fitting on the case. I did it to my 2003 a couple of years ago. If you do it, be careful when cutting because the plastic gets a bit brittle over the course of 15 years. Also, there could be a build up of leaves or other debris on the inside which you will want to vacuum out, blow out or pick out, as needed.
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  #10  
Old 09-08-2018, 03:01 PM
duke46 duke46 is offline
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Thanks and that answered the filter question for sure A+A+A+A+
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  #11  
Old 09-21-2018, 11:36 AM
duke46 duke46 is offline
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Okay guys this is what was found on my AC and it working and then not working but really does not make any sense?


I stopped by my good friends shop today. My AC worked fine on the way into town but when I left the business and hr latter the compressor would not come on. My guy pulled the cover off the relays and fuses box. When he would tap on the relay it would come on but then stopped again until you tapped it. So we swapped it with the horn relay that was the same type. We thought it might do the trick but a little latter the compressor cut off again!!!!


It might be in the wiring under the fuse box maybe and might not be but it is my only guess at this time.


I hate to do it but might have to take it to the dealer unless I can get some help from you guys again?
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  #12  
Old 09-21-2018, 07:34 PM
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Cusser Cusser is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by duke46 View Post
Okay guys this is what was found on my AC and it working and then not working but really does not make any sense?


I stopped by my good friends shop today. My AC worked fine on the way into town but when I left the business and hr latter the compressor would not come on. My guy pulled the cover off the relays and fuses box. When he would tap on the relay it would come on but then stopped again until you tapped it. So we swapped it with the horn relay that was the same type. We thought it might do the trick but a little latter the compressor cut off again!!!!


It might be in the wiring under the fuse box maybe and might not be but it is my only guess at this time.


I hate to do it but might have to take it to the dealer unless I can get some help from you guys again?
You need to use a 12 volt test light or DC voltmeter to test whether positive voltage is getting past that relay to the compressor when it shuts off. It may turn out to be a bad AC electric clutch, or maybe the AC clutch gap is too large and needs a shim removed. Did you try tapping on the compressor center part (carefully) with a broom handle or similar when the AC compressor stops turning? Be wary of moving belts and pulleys !!!
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Old 09-22-2018, 04:37 AM
duke46 duke46 is offline
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I called a good customer of mine that is a tech at our Toyota dealer and he told me that the some of their older truck do the same thing and 95% of the time it is the compressor and theirs and mine have a heat sensor in them so if the compressor is getting hot then it will cut trip the relay off and on like mine is doing and very seldom is it the clutch.
My take on it if it was the clutch then the relay would not be tripping I would not think?
I will try the tapping on the clutch just to see what it does.
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  #14  
Old 09-22-2018, 10:45 AM
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Usually, when you are dealing with the older Nissans, the A/C clutch is either not available on the aftermarket or so expensive that it costs more or as much as a whole compressor assembly w/ clutch on the aftermarket. So, if the clutch is bad, expect to be replacing a compressor assembly. Of course if you do that, you should also replace the liquid tank (aka receiver/drier). On these Frontiers, the A/C lines that connect to the compressor are a common area to develop leaks; look for oil stains around the crimp connections between the metal lines and the hoses.
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