condensor fan not turning on

CBO

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Last year my AC was frigid. This is year it sucks. I noticed the cooling fan is never on, and the condensor fan also doesnt turn on with AC on. But my car doesnt over heat. it stays below half way so far even today in 80 degree heat at a stand still.

I hooked both fans up to the battery directly and they turned on. I put in a new fan relay and it didnt turn on. should I put in a new thermostat? New thermoswitch?
 

dawg316

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cars gotta get pretty hot before the primary cooling fan comes on for the rad.

the condensor fan should come on with the AC. see if your a/c clutch is engaging when you press your AC button. if the ac clutch dosnt engage ( most of the time from low fridgerant, or electrical problem in the clutch circuit) the condensor fan wont come on

both of your fans work wich is good diagnosis on your behalf with the 12 volts directly to it, what i did find out by working on older hondas is that the fan switch ( 2 swire switch on the back on the t stat housing) controlls the fan. you can unplug it and jump both the wires with a paper clip and the fans should come on ( with key on ofcourse) that will show you that the electrical path/wiring to the fanswitch to the fans is good.

a new fanswitch always seems to make the fans come on sooner which ive seen, and may actualy be good for you depending on your climate
 

CBO

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Oh ok thanks for the reply. I'll put in refrigerant tonight and jump the fanswitch. Might just replace the thermostat anyways. My engine bay always seems super hot I wish the fan would come on sooner. Honestly I cant recall seeing/hearing it ever come on. I have a highway trip coming up sunday and don't wanna ride in a sauna!
 

dawg316

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be carefull with the fridgerant , too much and it will harm the system. take it to a pro with a/c gauges who can see the pressure of the system. also if it needs to be recharged. the system should be recoverd+ vaccum placed on it. also new oil added with frigerant.

proffesional shops usualy dont charge much ( believe under $100 usd) and it is a much much better way then adding the part store fridgerant cans in.
 

CBO

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I had bought a 20oz can of 134a that came with a reusable guage. As soon as I put in a 10 second long shot of refrigerant the fans kicked on and the compressor clutch activated as well. Apparently it was bone dry. I put in the entire can and got a reading of about 28psi. I thought I had to get to 40psi for optimal operation but I think our accords like 26-30?? Thought I read that somewhere. Anyways, she's blowin cold now! Not freezing me out but definitely kept us comfy on our trip this weekend. So if you're reading this and having this problem just start with checking your pressure and adding refrigerant, but read all directions and watch youtube videos so you dont screw it up!
 

Blazinqwickly

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It is good you found out what the problem was, but now you have got to take it one step further, look for oily residue on or around hoses that attach AC components together. Oily spots may indicate a refrigerant leak.
Throw some ultraviolet dye into the system and figure out where that leak is coming from :)
 
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