Kyles24

My 02 Civic has a confirmed HG Leak. I am getting coolant pushed into the overfill tank and will not empty back into radiator when the engine cools. No matter how long I wait after driving the car, when I remove the radiator cap I get a gush of pressurized air. Along with the HG Leak, I noticed both my radiator fan and AC Cooling Fan will not turn on. When I diagnosed this problem I checked the fuses and relays. I also replaced the fan switch (on thermostat housing). When I jumped each fan at the relays both turned on. So I know the motor works on them. Still when I turn the AC on, neither fan will turn on. I tried to add refrigerant to the AC Low pressure line, but when I attached the gauge it immediately went to the RED, which meant mechanical failure. So of course I didn't force any refrigerant into the line. When I turn the AC on, I hear and feel the blower activate, but I get nothing but hot air. To make matters worse, I noticed the AC Compressor and Clutch not activating. When I jump it at the relay I just hear it trying to click on. I feel like I have checked everything. I have read that it could be the ECT (Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor), but I have read that if its bad it will throw a CEL Check Engine Light, which I do not have. So I guess my real question would be if I have a Head Gasket Leak, that forces combustion gases into the cooling system, if those pockets of air would prevent all my fans and AC Compressor from engaging. I have bleed this car numerous times and even after bleeding the system, neither of the fans will turn on. Bought this car new and it has 164k miles on it. Not trying to dump money into a new Head Gasket, if it will not fix all these other problems. Also, car does not over heat, mainly because I drain the coolant that is in the overfill tank and pour it back into the radiator every couple of days. Any input would be appreciated.

ezone

You NEED to jump the 2 wires at the temp sensor and make sure that will turn the fans on.

The head gasket failure could have been a natural occurrence (meaning they do this anyway), or the radiator fan failure could be a cause of overheating and subsequent head gasket failure.




IF THE ENGINE is overheating, the AC can and will be shut down by the PCM (it can be shut down long before you see the temp gauge climb over normal).
If the engine is not running hot and the AC still does not work, it's likely got more problems that need some diagnosis.
Not all AC problems are freon related. There are plenty of common electrical problems that cause it to quit.