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Hi there I just picked up a 2004 Honda Civic GX and realized the ac was not working. The compressor is not engaging at all and so I went to test the thermal protector. However, upon checking I see 3 red wires instead of a red and blue w/ white stripe coming from the compressor. Am I looking at the right thing? If so how do know which wire is which?

Nevermind. Got it by jumping the relay and then trying the different wires to see which one would make it click

 
Rep Power: 518

You get a proper wiring diagram.

One wire is for the compressor clutch (blu/red, the center wire)
The other two wires are for the thermal protector.

 
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Good idea, except when they are all red a wiring diagram doesn't help. Apparently the owner before me took the plastic clip/harness off the compressor side of the wiring, so I can't tell which wire should match up to which.

My current idea is that my multimeter should find continuity on the 2 thermal protector wires and not the compressor clutch. Can somebody confirm that this is a valid test? Obviously if the thermal protector was bad this would not work.

 
Rep Power: 518

No, they are supposed to be all red on the compressor. Yes, the factory did it.
With a good wiring diagram you can refer to the terminal positions in the connector instead of wire colors.

Yes that is a valid test.

First attach one test lead to the compressor body (ground), and probe the other to each of the 3 wires. The wire to the field coil will be the only one with a reading to ground, probably 2-4 ohms. Should be the center wire in that connector as already stated.

The other two should have continuity only to each other, that's the thermal protector. The 2 outer wires in the connector.



I see your edit that you figured it out anyway.
HTH