themoneypit
New Member
- Joined
- May 22, 2019
- Messages
- 5
- Reaction score
- 3
- Points
- 3
- Location
- Missouri
- Vehicle Year
- 1998
- Make / Model
- Ford Ranger
- Transmission
- Automatic
I have what used to be a 1998 4 cylinder Ranger. Early in 2018, I finished swapping in a 5.0/trans from a 1997 non-PATS 2wd Explorer. The swap was very straightforward, and all things were working like factory at the time APART from the AC. I left that for later. In the past week, I reinstalled all AC components and wired up an AC compressor switch. One the 4 banger Rangers, the AC system is ECU controlled, but on the 5.0 Explorers the ECU plays no part. Since I swapped in the Explorer computer with the engine, the Ranger AC system was essentially inoperable. I've since wired the AC compressor in line with both the high and low pressure switches to a simple on/off toggle. From my understanding, this should work just fine. I tested all of the AC switches, and they worked as you would imagine. When pressure in the lines is too low (like when all the refrigerant has leaked out), the low pressure switch cuts the circuit. This is a normally-open circuit until refrigerant pressure is present. The high pressure switch is the opposite. It is a normally-closed circuit switch until the pressure in the lines gets too high. Then it trips, opens the circuit, and the compressor stops.
The wiring works, and the compressor worked great during testing while I had the low pressure switch bypassed. After recharging the system and reconnecting the low pressure switch as normal, the compressor was allowed to kick on as expected. The issue now however is that the compressor builds very little pressure at all and begins cycling on and off repeatedly. It's an endless cycle of 2 seconds of charged AC clutch, then 2 seconds open circuit, and repeat.
I have to assume that this is a faulty high pressure AC switch, but it's possible my very basic AC compressor circuit is flawed somehow. Any suggestions before I buy another high pressure switch?
The wiring works, and the compressor worked great during testing while I had the low pressure switch bypassed. After recharging the system and reconnecting the low pressure switch as normal, the compressor was allowed to kick on as expected. The issue now however is that the compressor builds very little pressure at all and begins cycling on and off repeatedly. It's an endless cycle of 2 seconds of charged AC clutch, then 2 seconds open circuit, and repeat.
I have to assume that this is a faulty high pressure AC switch, but it's possible my very basic AC compressor circuit is flawed somehow. Any suggestions before I buy another high pressure switch?