Just bought a 07 LX 5-speed civic and aside from a few small issues, the only problem with it is the AC isn’t working. The buttons light up on the dash, vents blow air, but I can see the clutch isn’t spinning. I checked the engine compartment fuse and relay and both seem to be fine. Even switched the relay with another to be sure. Both fans do come on when selecting MAX AC. Unplugging the 3-wire on the alternator does cause them to quit and turn back on when plugged in.

The previous owner said it went bad over the span of a year and usually still worked on the highway before finally quitting all together. He said the clutch was stuck, and he tried to jump the wiring to to see if the relay was the problem, and the car shut off.

The car runs fine other than the AC. I consider myself reasonably mechanical and am willing to dig into this issue but I’m not sure where to start. It seems like the Ac clutch is a common issue with these cars? Or since the previous owner said it was working only at highway speeds that would suggest it needed a recharge, correct? Any suggestions or existing posts with steps to take? I’ve searched a few but found answers to be mixed. Thanks all.

Seems like the clutch on the compressor is bad. I don’t typically mess with A/C systems since there are certain procedures to follow because of the refrigerant that’s contained within the system. I’ve had a clutch go out on mine before and since you can’t buy just the clutch it’s easier to replace the whole compressor and then recharge the system.