Hoping someone can shred some light on where I need to focus. Have a 2005 Mazda 3 manual and one night the A/C worked fine and then the next day it started blowing warm air. The A/C clutch is not engaging and I checked the following:

• Control light is coming on and stays one even while wiggle control ****.
• Checked and swapped the A/C mag fuse - is good.
• Checked and swapped the A/C relay with the Horn relay - working good.
• Put a multimeter on the wire to the A/C clutch, with car on it reads around 6 to 7 voltes, turn the A/C on it jumped to around 18 to 19 volts, then turn off the A/C drops back to 6 or 7volts.
• With the A/C clutch wire removed testing resistantce using my multi-meter (red lead on the disconnected wire, the black lead touching the clutch). I am getting various ohm readings (some between 3 to 5 and some jumping higher and all around 30 or 40 ohmes).
• Tried the hammer test with the A/C on, banged the clutch multiple times to see if it would engage - nothing.
• I press the release value on the low pressure and freon shot out.

Am I missing something? Hesitant to take off the belt and replace the coil, clutch and pulley. Could this be a compressor issue? It is throwing me that I get a 12volt spike going to the cluck and the clutch coil appears to have resistance.

 

Just because some freon came out doesn't mean there is enough gas for the system to actually work.

 

Thanks that is true. But what I was wondering is if 12 volts is getting to the clutch would that not indicate Freon levels are okay as the system would not send the power signal otherwise? Or can low freon levels stop the clutch / compressor from engaging another way that has nothing to do with the 12volt feed?

 

Is there another sensor that cuts off compressor is
freon is low? Wondering if I am missing something if power is still getting to a/c clutch.

 

There might be enough pressure to keep the pressure switch engaged, but not enough to sufficiently cool the air flowing through the evaporator.

 

Thanks that is helpful. I will look to test Pressure. Is there a way to test if the pressure switch is bad?

 

Im having this issue right now, what was the eventual solution you found, if one was achieved...?

 

Every situation is different therefore you is not the same simply as one example your milage on your Mazda.
So I suggest that you start over from the beginning and post:
year
miles and what you have done so far to resolve your AC issue and when was the last professional service done on your Mazda and what was it exactly, as well when if ever was your HVAC system serviced and waht was it?

other wise you might as well use this tool......

 

I wish I had better news. Eventually took to mechanic and compressor was bad. I wound up selling the car.