a/c light blinks

[rrkhh]

Hi,i have a 1998 Camry.the a/c light blinks and i swapped the clutch comp relay with no change.. i also noted that the compressor will come on for 4-5 seconds then shuts off.if i the turn the a/c switch off then back on every 5 seconds i get cold air.must be a hi,lo switch or sensor but don't know where to look.anyone can help. THANKS Robert..

[chronoti]

look by the battery you should see the pressure switch there, if you replace that also replace the receiver as well

[73sport]

If the system is not fully charged wouldn't that trip the switch? Do you see bubbles in the sight glass?

[BMR]

Originally Posted by rrkhh

... i also noted that the compressor will come on for 4-5 seconds then shuts off.if i the turn the a/c switch off then back on every 5 seconds i get cold air.

Those are classic symptoms of being low on freon. It could be other things, but that's the first one to check. There's a low pressure sensing switch on the suction side of the compressor. When it starts up, the pressure on that side drops, falls below the switch's set-point, and shuts down the compressor. Running too low on freon can damage the compressor, so that switch is there to protect it.

[rrkhh]

Thanks for the answers.i do have bubbles in site glass,also i put a gauge on and it reads just out of the green into the blue area when i cycle the a/c switch.seems the freon level is OK. any other ideas?? what is the connector on top at the site glass??

THANKS Robert...

[csaxon]

The sight glass should be clear, if you're seeing bubbles in it, the system is undercharged. If you see a dark grey color the drier came apart.

[hzt30]

My 2000 Camry also did the same thing, intermittent cooling and the A/C light blinking. The blinking of the A/C light could be the RPM sensor in the compressor. If the sensor detects an impending lock-up of the compressor it supposed to shut off the compressor to protect it.

I had bubbles in the sight glass and the compressor was fast cycling. I charged it up with R134A and now the A/C is working like a champ. However, the A/C light is still blinking even though the system is working properly. So I don't know what gives but right now it is freezing my nuggies off.

[fenixus]

had same trouble with warm air blowing sometimes and rarely the a/c light was blinking. i think a simple vacuum test & recharge at a shop solved it.

however a year later for piece of mind I also replaced the drier receiver (never touched) and 2 suspicious pipes connecting to it (one was having marks of propane torch on it) at a shop who did also recharge formerly.

I have to admit that first shop that i went to tried to cheat me into replacing the compressor unit with a remanufactured one ($600!!!) and after things i did (above) in the other shop it's been working fine til now (4 more years and almost 40k miles).

[hzt30]

Weird thing about the blinking A/C light is that if I start the car and then push the button it will blink. If I repeatedly push the button it will keep blinking. If I push the button FIRST and then start the car it will NOT blink, it will just stay lit.

[chronoti]

how your belt tension? only time ever seen my light blink is when i hit a puddle when the belt is old (belt slipping) but with mine i had

no gas = no blinking
clogged expansion valve = no blinking (all the gas was on the high side 0psi on the low )
extreme cycling = no blinking

[hzt30]

Originally Posted by chronoti

how your belt tension? only time ever seen my light blink is when i hit a puddle when the belt is old (belt slipping) but with mine i had

I thought of that too so I put in a brand new belt. The compressor shaft turns "freely" by hand and there is no perceptible slippage. System works normal after recharge except for blinking light.