So, my 2003 2.5L X Type needed a new compressor so I changed that as well as the dryer, orifice tube and condenser. Vacuumed the system and went to recharge it. The compressor never kicked in and accepted no gas. Rechecked everything and it seemed fine. So today I jumped the terminals on the relay and the compressor kicked in just fine. But still no gas was accepted. A real head scratcher. Controls were set to LO. Any ideas?

 

ital. are the radiator fans kicking on when you have the AC button lit on the dash? If the fans aren't running, the fan control module may not be letting the AC compressor cycle on. If the fans start running on a cold car at first start or not when the AC is active then you will have to replace that module. The other issue may be the pressure sensors on the AC feed lines but I can't speak intelligently on how to diagnose those.

hope this helps?

 

Good point on the fans. I'll check tomorrow. However I did bypass the compressor relay and the clutch did engage. And yet no refrigerant was flowing. I'm thinking an obstruction. Could the orifice tube I replaced be faulty? Do we really even need that thing in there. What would happen if I omitted it?