cmassad Posted January 1, 2007 Share Posted January 1, 2007 Hi guys, I have a 96 outback with 132,000 miles on it. The a/c compressor is engaging on its own for a second and then disengaging, This cycle is constant. The a/c is off. I live in Alaska so I dont need the A/C and have never used it since I own the car, 2 years. Any one have any idea why this may be happenning? Thanks for the help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodaka Rider Posted January 1, 2007 Share Posted January 1, 2007 Are you using the defrost setting for the heater control? That'll do it - the HVAC system uses the A/C to help defrost the windshield - don't remember the exact why of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterD Posted January 1, 2007 Share Posted January 1, 2007 Hodaka Rider said: Are you using the defrost setting for the heater control? That'll do it - the HVAC system uses the A/C to help defrost the windshield - don't remember the exact why of it. I believe it has to do with removing moisture from the air... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OB99W Posted January 1, 2007 Share Posted January 1, 2007 cmassad said: Hi guys, I have a 96 outback with 132,000 miles on it. The a/c compressor is engaging on its own for a second and then disengaging, This cycle is constant. The a/c is off. I live in Alaska so I dont need the A/C and have never used it since I own the car, 2 years. Any one have any idea why this may be happenning? Thanks for the help How are the heater controls set? As already suggested, the A/C may operate during defrost usage; when cycling normally, it may not be very noticeable. However, if the refrigerant is low, the system may try to come on, sense the problem, and then immediately shut off. I suspect the cycling you're describing is caused by that, and the system needs recharging. If you find that defrost works well enough for you without moisture removal, the A/C could possibly be disabled rather than recharging it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted January 1, 2007 Share Posted January 1, 2007 AC operates in defrost mode. I bet you are low on refrigerant. AC makes the defroster vastly improved inperformance. Get it fixed nipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmassad Posted January 1, 2007 Author Share Posted January 1, 2007 Thank guys, will recharge a/c and post the results. I appreciate the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voluptuary5 Posted January 1, 2007 Share Posted January 1, 2007 My '95 Legacy was doing the exact same thing. I never use the A/C (I'm a sunroof open, windows down kinda-guy) and was mostly just concerned about the loss of gas mileage by it coming on all the time. Living in Oregon, there are only about 5 days a year you beg for A/C so I just pulled the fuse (a lot cheaper than the re-charge). Now I just drink a little extra water on those really hot days. Haven't had a problem since... -V5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OB99W Posted January 1, 2007 Share Posted January 1, 2007 Voluptuary5 said: My '95 Legacy was doing the exact same thing.[...]Living in Oregon, there are only about 5 days a year you beg for A/C so I just pulled the fuse (a lot cheaper than the re-charge).[...] It's not just a matter of comfort. The A/C helps with defogging when the heater is in defrost mode. Whether that's important or not depends on the climate, in particular car interior moisture versus outside temperature. If fogging is a potential problem, then it makes sense to get the A/C seen to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voluptuary5 Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 That's a very valid point, OB99W. However, living in Oregon where everything is damp 7 months out of the year I haven't noticed a significant difference in defrost capabilities without the A/C. Granted, the outside temp here is much more mild than most places in the winter so maybe that's why I've been able to "cheat" through it. Any guesses what an A/C recharge costs? Can one do it themself or do you need a special license to deal with the coolant? -V5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brus brother Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 About $20 total from WalMart for 2 cans and the do it yourself kit. Pretty simple. I did it last summer and yup I'm pretty simple. Do a search here for techniques and warnings. Voluptuary5 said: Any guesses what an A/C recharge costs? Can one do it themself or do you need a special license to deal with the coolant? -V5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voluptuary5 Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Thanks B.B.! That's good to know! -V5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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