Chasing dash A/C gremlins
Our 1997 Sahara has issues with the dash air conditioning. I’m pretty sure the problem resides in the controls.
Late last summer, it acted up a time or two. It might cool, or not. Switching the rotary selector dial to “Off” and back to “A/C” would get it going again. When the weather got cold, the heat worked just fine.
Now that warm weather is here again, I’d like to get this sorted out. When the A/C runs, it is cooling fine. The trick seems to be to get the controls to tell it what to do.
I noticed that pushing the A/C button, most times does not light up the little light (the light which indicates that you have engaged the A/C compressor).
If the “A/C” light is on, I’ve noticed that turning the rotary selector from “Off” to “Recirculate” doesn’t work, but if I turn it from “Off” to “A/C” it works, and if I turn it from there back to “Recirculate” it seems to select that mode and work fine.
I’m thinking it has something to do with a control for the A/C. The controls appear to be electrical. Is this something I have a chance of troubleshooting myself? If the controls are some sort of little black box, I have no qualms about replacing it myself, so long as I can identify it. It occurs to me that the problem with the little push-button switch may be something mechanical or resulting from corrosion/dirty contacts. It could be that a little shot of silicone spray will help. (It used to keep the switches on my motorcycle, often exposed to the weather, working well.)
Thoughts?
Wayne
Late last summer, it acted up a time or two. It might cool, or not. Switching the rotary selector dial to “Off” and back to “A/C” would get it going again. When the weather got cold, the heat worked just fine.
Now that warm weather is here again, I’d like to get this sorted out. When the A/C runs, it is cooling fine. The trick seems to be to get the controls to tell it what to do.
I noticed that pushing the A/C button, most times does not light up the little light (the light which indicates that you have engaged the A/C compressor).
If the “A/C” light is on, I’ve noticed that turning the rotary selector from “Off” to “Recirculate” doesn’t work, but if I turn it from “Off” to “A/C” it works, and if I turn it from there back to “Recirculate” it seems to select that mode and work fine.
I’m thinking it has something to do with a control for the A/C. The controls appear to be electrical. Is this something I have a chance of troubleshooting myself? If the controls are some sort of little black box, I have no qualms about replacing it myself, so long as I can identify it. It occurs to me that the problem with the little push-button switch may be something mechanical or resulting from corrosion/dirty contacts. It could be that a little shot of silicone spray will help. (It used to keep the switches on my motorcycle, often exposed to the weather, working well.)
Thoughts?
Wayne
