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Hello, I recently just bought a 2001 honda civic ex. At the time of of test drive everything worked as intended. Later on after purchase when i tried using the a/c, it did not blow cold air. So i went ahead and checked the low port and use a/c recharge. Once it was where it needed to be on the gauge (a/c recharger) i went ahead and check the a/c and it was cold. It worked for awhile and now it has stopped again. I also checked the Cabin Air filters and they were dirty filled with outside debris. i tried cleaning that out and drove again and it worked for the drive and then the next time i drove it stopped worked. I went ahead and checked the low port and saw the gauge and it said it was overcharged. Not sure what it is, a expansion valve clogged? Any advice would be great as I am new with learning about cars and prefer DIY. Thank you and be polite

 
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And yes i checked to make sure the a/c compressor was activated before i recharged it.

 
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It seems when the car hasnt been started in awhile, "12hrs" or more, the a/c works, blows cold and the gauge reads it in the green, I noticed when the radiator fans kick on and off the gauge bounces tad bit below the green area and then when it kicks again and goes back to the green area.

 
Rep Power: 517

Put the pressure gauge away.

Observe:
When the AC quits working, open the hood and see if the radiator fans are both running
AND See if the compressor clutch is engaged

Answers for both of those will lead to a next question

 
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check reply below

 
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Hey, I went ahead and waited after the A/c quit working.

The radiator fans start running when i turn the a/c on.
I think the ac compressor clutch engages as well

This morning when i drove the a/c worked perfectly fine and then eventually it stopped being cold..

 
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When I lost my A/C after 5 minutes of driving, it was the result of excess clearance between the A/C clutch and the magnetic coil. Apparently, over time the gap becomes too much for the magnetic coil to pull in the clutch and does not engage the compressor. Removing a shim or two behind the clutch solved my issue. You really need to see if the clutch stops spinning when the A/C button is on and green.


Start at the 15 minute mark on this vid:

 
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Ah, may have been looking at the wrong part of the clutch, ill look there.
Quick question, when the shimmed is removed and you didnt put it back on, would the cause damage to any part of the unit? have you had issues, if not how many miles have you put on since the removal?

Thanks

 
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i went ahead and checked, i tapped on the clutch when the a/c wasnt working while radiator fans were running and when i gave it a good nudge, the clutch started spinning and the a/c was working again..

anyone know of a good priced a/c clutch or compressor i could buy? I beilieve that is what that is..

im still concerned if i went the cheap route, which is removing the shim, would that cause damage? how long would it last before it stopped working again?

 
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you think tighting the bolt on the clutch without the shim being removed resolve the problem? or would that damage something as well?

 
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So the gap on yours is probably like a full millimeter or greater.

This is the point we remove (one or more) adjustment shim(s) from the clutch assembly, to reduce the excessive gap between the outer plate and the spinning pulley. The goal is to get the gap reduced to near or closer to 0.5mm.
No. It doesn't work that way.

 
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Hey, I've been trying to get the a/c clutch off and I'm having a hard time. When ever I try to unfastened, the clutch spins with it. Any suggestions? Thanks everyone for their advice/suggestions.

 
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Judicious use of a screwdriver or small pry bar, brace it against your socket and one of the pucks on the clutch plate.








Or hold it still with an extra large





I usually use a small impact gun to remove the nut.