AC not working!!! The CAR WIZARD shows how to easily isolate the problem

[@JosephByrne]

This guy just tells you important things. It's like KZbin minus the BS and narcissism. What a guy.

[@paekwise]

😅😅😊

[@paekwise]

😅😅😊😊😅😅

[@Tom-pn5sk]

I can't stand pompous ass mechanics I have to work with one of the jerk 😒

[@GuamanianHarmonLoop]

Most KZbin channels are like this. That's why people go to KZbin to find a solution to their problems.

[@CarWizard]

This summer there is a group of tiny birds called Finches that fly in on hot days when our shop doors are open. They harm nothing, they stick to the edges of the ceiling only, then fly away at the end of the day. They are annoying but I dont know what to do other than exterminate them. I dont really have the heart. So chirping might be a common theme this summer, in the background.

[@paulhoskins7852]

Hopefully the finch poop isn't toxic like pigeon poop!

[@jaye7679]

Place some fake cats on the ceiling in hope to scare them away :smirk:

[@jaye7679]

..or install some speakers up there and play loud music to scare them, or cat noises lol

[@firstlast9504]

Plastic Owl from Home Depot might scare them away.

[@franksokolow2319]

Use a fishing line to hand a cd or DVD from ceiling about 3 or 4 feet. Hang these near the edges of your shop.

[@stephenlunsford6734]

I'm in the automotive industry. You can find honest mechanics that are just parts changers with no diagnostic skills, you can find loads of thieves with and without skills, but a truly honest and competent real TECHNICIAN like the Car Wizard is almost impossible to find. Good job Wiz! Lots of respect!

[@gmork1090]

Except for the 'you can't measure your own reefer pressure and need to pay me 200 bucks to fill it for you' part he's great. You just need a mechanic if you find a leak in your compressor and it's screwed. Manifold gauges are cheap. Get a decent one for like 50 bucks and it's great for auto and home a/c issues.

[@maybeapacifist]

@@gmork1090 Shhhhh don't tell them! We want them to come into the shop! Wages + a little extra on the top for profit! Sheesh don't want people fixing their own! Then we wouldn't get to take their money!

[@DJV94022]

I bet you they would do better in construction

[@thomasv458]

Hail to all the excellent techs out there that get disrespected at times because there are so many untrained and incompetent thieves out there in the field . Car Wizard is a boss, and you can always depend on his advice. Everything Ive ever seen on his channel has been intelligent, informed and spot on. Thanks bro!

[@louprentz8554]

As an AC Tech for 60 years this guy knows his stuff and is an excellent instructor.

[@pennyjohnson5071]

Had a tech tell me my temperature control switch was bad and my a/c is cycling off when I stop and kicks back in when I take off

[@pennyjohnson5071]

Where’s it located and how hard is it to replace?

[@louprentz8554]

@@pennyjohnson5071

[@louprentz8554]

@@pennyjohnson5071 in the fuse compartment. It is shown in the diagram on the removable cover. Costs about $15.

[@olveramelinda]

I need your 60 years of experience

[@cementedbyblood]

Other videos had me believe that the issue with my a/c system was a bad compressor. I was dreading the repair bill as, even if I was doing it myself, I knew it wouldn't be cheap. With the info you provided, I was able to diagnose the actual cause and repair it myself. All for about $50. Thank you so much.

[@crkemppainen]

I work at an auto parts store and a lot of people have been coming in lately and buying compressors. And exactly like you said, they almost always come back complaining we sold them a bad part. Im going to share this with all my co workers.

[@Queso305]

CAR WIZARD!!!! huuuuuuuuuuge thank you!!!!!! My car's AC (08 civic) hasn't been working right for some time now, and it has been a gradual thing until it just stopped engaging the clutch. I saw this video during my break at work, so when I clocked out and walked to my car, I swapped the fan relay (identical) and the compressor clutch engaged!!!! You have no idea how happy I am!

[@1gearwrench]

Those Honda Relays are bad news. it sounds like you caught it before it destroyed the clutch. That's always a relief

[@robburdine5429]

Man I gotta' say most informative automobile help I have ever had. I just paid $168 for a diagnostics test on my Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. Worst car I have ever purchased and I mean that. So I am at the dealership paying my $168 The local Hyundai dealership in my hometown of Bristol, TN and I said thinking I could walk out with the paper I paid for. The guy at the Service desk says I cannot take the paper. I said why I just paid for it. He casually takes the papers back out of my hand and taps them on the counter lining up the document and says. I can give you these if you sign another piece of paper that says I agree to a $5200.00 service fee that will fix the car. I KID YOU NOT! So I said quietly. Hell no to myself. I left very pissed off and called my sister who worked for the largest Dealership Network in NC. She says she had never heard of such a thing. Never heard dealership making that a policy of keeping a diagnostics withheld from a customer after payment for it in exchange for a forced commitment to pay for the AC repairs. Which they said was all that was wrong with my car. Unethical is what she said. I had an older diagnostic tool which said it was the compressor. I bought your relay switch and verified it. That was the only thing wrong with the car. So thanks to you and this video I put in a new compressor I think it was above 220.00 and the car AC runs great. I have contacted Hyundai Corp of USA and informed this action about this dealership. Now one thing about my car is it has 19 current recalls including the entire engine. I wish I was kidding. My point is it is from guys like you who help ease the fleecing of Americans who are stretched thin enough and have to deal with the Hillbilly thugs that run some of these corrupt dealerships, we are grateful for your expertise and talent that you bring to the world. I really appreciate your help.

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

TLDNR

[@davedeatherage4902]

Thanks for your honesty and integrity sir. I'm a Diy'er, learning automotive for five years, I consider myself a beginner. I can tell by your statements YOU KNOW what you're doing as a mechanic, I can learn from you! I can't afford shops, so learning to do the work myself, and collect tools as I progress forward. Thanks 👍🇺🇸

[@KStewart-th4sk]

The thing that kind of annoys me is pushing a person to buy his special relay when he could have told you to have the A/C switch turned on, have someone turn the key on, and you should hear that clutch engage anyways and no test light required. If it is not engaging, well sure now you need a test light or multimeter. Yeah, he is a smart guy but things like that turn me off; plus changing a compressor if all that was wrong was the clutch. Even if you have to unbolt the compressor to get at the clutch, all the lines can be left intact without removing the refrigerant, and just change the clutch. He's making it sound like it's a big deal to change that clutch when it isn't. In fact, he knows he can put the gauges on to see what the pressures are in the system before changing the clutch.

[@passion830217]

Years ago, I bought a used OEM compressor for my 2006 Fusion ($60), a condenser ($60), a 2 stage vacuum pump ($150), AC manifold ($50) pump oil ($10), and compressor oil ($10), About $350, my fusion has been working fantastic. I just searched for the flush equipment, which costs only $50. I have no idea why a shop would charge $1600-1700 for the whole job. I am just glad that I can do it by myself.

[@donquique1]

Because the shop would not use used parts and they will markup the parts.

[@DatBoi163]

@@donquique1 My local shop that does AC partnered with Autozone for parts and they charge like 400 in parts for a Denso compressor when it only cost them around 200 for the actual parts cost. I saw it on their screen when they were looking up parts. It does have a 2 years warranty instead of the 1 when you get it at places like rockauto but the markup is so high.

[@keithmcelroy5658]

Car wizard, Keep making videos like this. I have been through this exact situation with my local repair shop in West Palm Beach FL. I trusted the shop so I wasn't worry about them throwing the parts bin at my car...…. However like you said it was a very expensive repair that I wasn't prepared to hear. Car owners need advise from someone who they can trust and that person is you! semper fi!

[@spanishflyIam]

I wouldnt mind paying a $1600 auto repair so much if the mechanic doing the work was this gentleman ( or maybe even one of his students - do you teach? My God, you should teach if you dont. There would be more mechanics like you out there and that would be such a good thing, such a very very good thing.). Thank you for making these videos . Im new to your channel, this is the first video ive seen and you got yourself one more loyal subscriber.

[@railroadtrash09]

I know it sounds crazy, but some of the best mechanics I've ever had, had zero social skills. I made sure to keep them separated from customer's.

[@spanishflyIam]

@@railroadtrash09 as a female, when i take my car to a mechanic, I want the issue to be fixed and I don't want to be overcharged. On one occasion, many years ago, the car I had back then needed new brakes. I took it to a chain auto repair shop in San Diego, Brake _____. They printed an estimate for me, $2,200. I drove my car home, upset and without being serviced. I showed the estimate to my then boyfriend who took my car back to the same shop the following day. They gave him a new estimate, $485. I've had a couple of other bad experiences at other repair shops as well as a couple of positive experiences. However, I've never had a mechanic like the one in this video. I don't think it necessarily comes down to a matter of social skills , though. They wanted to charge me more money because they thought I was some dumb bimbo who would simply pay the bill and leave.

[@528freq8]

Yeah he teaches, what do you think he's doing here😂

[@spanishflyIam]

​@@528freq8true but I meant like at a college

[@tocinoamericano]

@@528freq8 😂😂 that’s exactly what I was thinking. He has a million subscribers, what do you think he’s doing?

[@BushWhackTX]

Don't forget to change your filters guys. If your cab filter is plugged up the blower will not pull air across the evaporator which can cause it to not work as effectively. Same for the condenser and radiator, the fan needs to pull air across the condenser and can't if it's plugged. Just some other easy checks.

[@jaydenschoenau7956]

How do you check that?

[@lundyracing]

@@jaydenschoenau7956most are located behind the glove box. Ensure that it’s not clogged with leaves and what not. You’re SUPPOSED to buy a new one but most of us old heads just blow them out with an air gun and reuse them.

[@777SHW]

Thank you for adding value to this video.

[@ShirleyGoode]

@ bryanreamy3214 I am elderly and didn’t know anything about the filters so I got my neighbor to take it for me inspection I left him a note and told him to check my air vent because of a odor and put two filters in I brought it in 08 cry never filtered but the sad part I tooked it in and told him about low coolant and he charged me near $500.00 and all I needed were the filters I were outdone CRV very good car had no major problems people keep asking me to sell it to them I told them I am too old to go in debt❤

[@vcp93]

Thank you so much. I just had my AC stop working in my old Honda CR-V and the last thing I need is to drop a grand+ on a new compressor. Went to Auto Zone, picked up a AC clutch relay, and $9 latter I have cold air. Getting this lucky never happens to me. Thank you for the info. I'm headed out now to buy a lottery ticket. It's obviously my lucky day. 👽✌️

[@foxyloon]

6:23 Yep, I learned that one the hard way. I bought an old Buick LeSabre, that didn't have working AC when I got it, and I decided to go the "quick-fix can" route with it after determining that the electronics were working. I dumped in the whole can before throwing in the towel and taking it to a proper AC repair shop. The guy hooked it up to the machine and was appalled. He told me I overcharged the system by a full pound, and that the schrader valves were slowly leaking. He then proceeded to lecture me on how the modern AC systems need to be precisely filled with refrigerant or else they won't work at all. (I told him that I'll be disregarding the "advice" I picked from the old-timers who are used to working on the old R-12 systems. He laughed at that rebuke.) I had him replace the valves and recharge the system with the proper amount of refrigerant. Part of the deal was that if there were any other leaks, he'd only charge me for parts if a second visit was necessary. I've yet to go back, since it's been working just fine for almost two years now. Let me say, as a DIYer who refuses to let a mechanic touch my car unless absolutely necessary, that you're better off paying for the service than trying to fix it yourself. Find a shop that has the machine, with a tech that's certified to use it. Don't waste your money on those quick-fix cans.

[@melissabean4506]

Wouldn’t the gage for the ac valve let you know that it’s overfilled?

[@judylee1860]

$, like he mentioned, or lack of it, can be the deal breaker. Sigh...

[@bamabonkers]

One other thing to check for a/c not performing up to par, is the cabin air filter. I have acquired cars where the a/c barely worked, checked the cabin air filter and it was completely blocked. On another car, there was no air filter and the vents was blocked with all sorts of crap sucked in from the cabin. Took an air hose and vacuum to clean up the mess, put in a new filter and got cold air out of the a/c. Great job on the videos, really enjoy them and they are very informative.

[@diose0078]

@bamabonkers, where is the cabin air filter? Thank You.

[@biancalbbh3482]

@@diose0078it depends on your make and model, I’d suggest searching up where yours specifically would be. Most are right near the dash on passenger side

[@mcleanmarkp]

Awesome stuff. Gave me the confidence to troubleshoot my AC and determined I had a bad relay. Could have totally been taken for a $2000 job with no idea. Thanks so much. Don’t normally comment.

[@louish.9414]

Two grand Jesus what cost just to refill an AC.

[@soilBGuRu420]

​@@louish.9414 😂😂😂

[@CusterFinancialCoaching]

Have you ever been told your voice is calming! This is one of the best videos I have ever seen. Simple, detailed, showed why you may need to spend a little more, and when you could save some. What part of KS? Just moved out by Kansas City last year. If you are close I’ll stop by if I have issues.

[@mtwata]

I love how Mr Wizard explained every single step of the troubleshooting process.

[@langlebl]

These videos are getting better and better! This was a very clear and easy to understand video. Very informative and educational. Great job!

[@zew1414]

Yeah this is a great a/c diag video for sure. Couldn't have made a better one myself.

[@souavang5936]

❤

[@realmaindrianpace]

Two A/C stories: A couple of years back, my brother's A/C stopped working on his '05 Acura MDX (Honda Pilot) and it was the clutch coil. We were able to replace it on the car by removing a chassis brace and unbolting the compressor from the engine, but leaving the lines connected. Not a bad job, and saved a bunch of money. Last summer the A/C in my '92 Mustang 5.0 stopped working on the highway, along with the cruise control and a couple of other functions, so it was obviously a blown fuse. A new fuse was installed, and it blew immediately when the A/C was switched on. So it was a short circuit somewhere. The compressor has a short, maybe 8-9 inch long wire harness that connects it to the car body harness, and this harness has a fusible link in it. The fusible link had overheated, melting the harness to the left valve cover and shorting the power wire. I found a good used harness, installed it, and I was back in business.

[@bobmcl2406]

Ha, that's great when the fusible link (which is supposed to protect the circuit) decides to protect itself by melting the harness to produce a dead short. Brilliant!

[@1gearwrench]

I've repaired many Honda A/C systems exactly as you described. it is Much more cost effective. Especially when the other option would include the entire compressor which with a refrigerant discharge and recharge is much more expensive and wouldn't make sense if all you needed to do was slap on a new clutch.

[@markhull1366]

Great troubleshooting.

[@redneck4528]

Boring stories...

[@InsideOfMyOwnMind]

Fake Over priced Recycled Dodge.

[@pgl5833]

Car Wizard, I just wanted to say thank you for the video. I was able to determine I had a bad AC relay in my '09 CRV and $10 later = cool AC! 🥶😃

[@karlbischoff5181]

I like how this guy explains things

[@stregabella7955]

Impressed with your video, you are the most educated mechanic I've ever had the pleasure to learn from, a you made the presentations self explanatory, a true WIZARD you are!. THANK YOU. If only I could take my 2018 Ford Edge to your shop, I can hear it click but only the panel lights light up, no blower...nothing.

[@ThatBobGuy850]

Great video, as usual, Wizard! But don't forget the fan on the condenser! My 2012 Jetta a/c started being "weak" while sitting at a light. But it would be okay on the highway. Thought it was low Freon. Turned out that VW has two electric fans on the radiator. Illogically, the small one is for engine cooling and the big fan is for the a/c condenser. The big one was shot. Replaced it and the a/c blows cold all the time now :)

[@emmettturner9452]

Same for my 2011 Corolla. The fan would turn on its own, slowly, if you gave it a nudge which means it usually wouldn’t start going until you got going fast enough (wind speed) or hit a bump. Even though it was turning slow it was enough for the electronics to see it was turning and they would let the compressor run and that would give me plenty of cool air at speed. It was bad bushings in the fan motor, which is common in some Toyotas.

[@jackrobinson7758]

😮

[@ElectricBillAlbright]

Very good video and explanation of the electrical portion of the system. I am an electronics technician and your process of troubleshooting by "process of elimination" is the best troubleshooting method. It verifies bulk areas that could be a possible problem and proves them functional. This helps with confusion with some troubleshooting where you're "stumped" and have no clue where to begin. I have seen many technicians use the "shotgun" method to repair electronics. Very costly and time consuming, also often unnecessary. Especially a problem when you've got an in warranty product and a tech shotguns the repair, and the customer knows a dozen parts have been ordered. You get the service call to install these parts. You know it's just this one relay causing the problem. You install the relay and of course its back running like normal. Now the customer still wants the other parts installed! Trying to explain that you shouldn't fix something that's not broken theory is very difficult. It doesn't matter how good your experience and skills are, some things are never the same again! Sometimes certain technicians we had that saying, once they got their hands on it. "It will never be the same again!" Example of that is, desoldering and removing components on circuit boards. The heating of it causes copper traces on the board to lift up and break away, sometimes having to run a separate hard wire to and from its conducting points. This sort of thing can cause future problems and especially hard to fix intermittent problems. Once again great video one of the few where someone is very knowledgeable about the subject. Makes your job that much easier to do. Although takes years of continuous training and job experience. 👍👍👍

[@Mastafa56]

I like how he explained everything. He knows his trade. Awesome.

[@markbenge3055]

I like all the true words buddy I've been a certfide a.c. mechanic and master Tec also you have a great veido, most people don't understand a.c. problems, AMEN to that brother, I've been doing this kind of work for over 35 years, God bless you and your family Mark from Tennessee, ☺☺

[@zichragland8880]

Great video of someone who actually knows how to eliminate problems a step at a time. You go into most shops, they could care less about getting to the root of the problem before they start adding up the bill.

[@seandonaldson5084]

I drove my element with out AC for 2 years before I decided to see if maybe there is a simple fix. Turns out I'm an idiot and the $20 relay was the 2min fix.

[@davidpayton8336]

My little brother is the same with his 98 Dodge Ram, which is like brand new, he's been driving it without A/C for two years. I'm sure that's going to change now that he's working days & not nights here in Bakersfield. :-(

[@MrPaige222]

Sean Donaldson I was thinking the whole time watching this video. He never checked the relay. He verified current to the relay and current leaving the circuit, but didn't check with his replacement relay to see if it worked. And what was the problem with the Honda? Was it the compressor?

[@MrJoebiz24]

I respect your honesty. We've all had those times in our life....lol

[@2H80vids]

@@MrPaige222 I think the Wizard said there was no problem at all with the a/c on the Honda; he was just using it for the demonstration.

[@1gearwrench]

Those Honda Relays are bad news

[@djbis]

This is the first video I see amongst a bunch of other major auto mechanic channels, which actually explains EVERYTHING, specially the fact that replacing a damaged compressor is not the final solution. Condenser replacement is one thing that rarely gets mentioned. Thank you for the attention to detail and the very visual way in which you let us understand the process. 👌🏼

[@pkspecial2196]

I wish there was a simple solution to fix AC in a car. I know nothing about cars. And I'm doing so much research trying to know how to fix my air conditioning without spending a buttload of money going to a mechanic. I know my condenser is not turning on because I usually hear a click in my RPMs jump up. I was able to manually spin my condenser it's not locked up. I'm hoping all I have to do is replace the relay fuse or maybe just needs freon. I have a 2006 Nissan Altima. My service light has been an issue since I got the car it will turn on for a couple months then turn off for a couple months. I went to NAPA Auto parts to use their computer but when I plugged it in it just kept saying error it wouldn't read correctly. I live in my car and I need to get this fixed before summer comes. I hope somebody can help me

[@badmuddafadda]

@@pkspecial2196 I know you posted a while ago, but: The condenser is the part that looks like a radiator where the Freon gets cooled off. The compressor ( what you are mentioning,) is the part attached to a belt that has a clutch that is supposed to start turning when you turn on the car’s ac. I hope you got your ac running.

[@pkspecial2196]

@@badmuddafadda I just decided to trade the car in for 1,700. I bought a used 2012 Honda CRV EXL with only 32k Miles on it.

[@randymelissabutton2159]

AC is complicated and expensive so I appreciate the tips in this video, it might save you a ton of money. However, you did not go through the process of testing the relay. My daughters car actually had a bad one and the car had a flashing light on the switch, but I looked up the procedure to test it before I spent the $15 for a new one. Additionally my other daughter moved to a new place and her parking spot is under a tree, if you have a clogged cabin air filter it can reduce air flow all together and someone could jump to the conclusion that the AC is low on refrigerant....(ask me how I know)....Thanks again for your videos, I always seem to learn a little something

[@jungleplaya786]

I love the simplicity of it all. thanks for making sense without any unnecessary fluff.

[@anthonylum4065]

Clear and concise diagnostic steps on a broken AC in general. I have a 2010 Lexus is250 but it sounds like everything is still applicable. This and other videos warranted a subscription.

[@lenb7575]

I am new to your channel. I am just amazed at every video that you publish. You exhume a lot of "common sense" and you are very analytical in your approaches. I only wish there was some one around my area, like you, that I could trust and take our cars to. Keep up the good work and videos coming!

[@jimmarchman]

Thanks for unraveling the mystery about these systems and what has to be done to fix it right. This is not a repair I would ever attempt but now I know my mechanic isn't padding the bill when the additional components require replacement. Much appreciated!

[@herewegoagain7403]

1:42 this is how you know he has experience! always check relay first before anything

[@biff85ta2]

If it's a Honda I definitely agree. I usually check for pressure first.

[@brettconv83]

Absolutely! Relay and fuses. I had a coworker once tell a customer their Lincoln MKZ needed a new gauge cluster which was around $900.... he installed the new one and still nothing. My first question to him was..” Did you check the fuse?” And sure as shit there was never anything wrong but a blown fuse. Keep it simple stupid

[@kevinwashington7311]

I know this video is 4yrs old but the Wizard is dropping knowledge! The relay tester/ switch along with the test leads will save folks money!!!!

[@MikeW0291]

I want to say thank you to the Car Wizard. My wife has the exact same car in this video. The AC went out all a sudden with no warning. Went under the hood and swapped the horn and AC relay as they are the same and it worked.

[@Reiki_Bee]

You are a genius. Love the way you troubleshoot the problem to come to a final diagnosis. 👍

[@josemaisonet5322]

Great information. I learned more in this video than I learned in all others combined. I also appreciate the honesty in this video.

[@brettconv83]

I once used a thermal imager to find a partially clogged condenser coil, the little desiccant pellets from the filter drier left the filter and made it to the coil. Without the thermal it was hard to pin point.

[@digsbyjames7726]

Have you ever thought of teaching in High School???? You are great at organizing the information and presenting it in an engaging way! Both of you make these videos very impressive. Thank you!!!

[@keithkuechenmeister1395]

Thanks for the info. It's all good stuff to consider. One thing I could add is a little story about the AC's clutch on my wife's honda. Her AC would stop cooling the car when ever she stepped on the gas and sometimes it would turn back on at a complete stop. I learned from watching a video on you tube that there is a little washer behind the clutch assembly that might be creating to much distance for the magnet to engage the pulley. After removing the washer (shim) the compressor worked great and that was four years ago. She's been doing her complaining in a nice cool CR-V ever since. I fixed the AC for absolutely no cost by removing a part. And guess what? There isn't a mechanic in the world (including the Car Wizard) that would do this repair on someone else's car. That would be too polite and courteous for anyone with $20,000+ tool box. Sometimes a man must slay the dragon or get burnt to a crisp.

[@MrMackenz89]

My wife also has a honda and have the same issue ac issue. You said a lot here that I'm going to check out. Is there more Information you can provide please?

[@fisqual]

Its rather specific to Hondas but one thing you didn't mention is that the clutch can wear out just enough to not engage well and sometimes there's an easy fix for it. On Hondas you can unbolt and remove just the outer clutch then remove the shimming washer to decrease the clearance between the clutch and pulley so it will engage again. It only reduces the clearance by a little bit so it won't last for too long but it's a free fix instead of forking over the money for a new compressor right away.

[@SilentSkulk]

This is how I fixed my 2009 Subaru Tribeca.

[@badmuddafadda]

For Volvos there is the bread clip or zip tie fix with a similar and even easier adjustment. Ten minutes and 3 zip ties and I was back in business-until something else went wrong.

[@vicky53101]

Honestly I wish I had a technician like him whom I can trust fully to give my car to work on like hoovy has!

[@BriteFrog]

You and me both...I wish that Kansas was closer to Texas & I'd take him my Toyota Tacoma truck for repairs.

[@Creator_Veeto_PAEACP]

Yup. Here in Cali I’m around a lot of Mexican body shops and most of them cut corners for a faster profit and I am very skeptical of the local Honda shops due to the reviews 😂 But I guess I’m going to have to bite the bullet and let the bois play with the professional tools.

[@BirdwellingtonAmalgamation]

Lots of reputable shops out there, but like CW said... when people get hit with a large bill they often think it's a rip off. Then they go somewhere that will do a half asked job for cheaper.

[@josephhall2852]

Very first thing you always check is make sure it's on. Seen it hundreds of times.

[@femimalachi9766]

@@josephhall2852G

[@markmcglew8335]

Thanks for doing this video. Very informative and well done. You come across as a natural teacher. I'll be following you

[@oli_5243]

Love your video... thank you for this detail tutorial. I took my car yesterday to refill the AC, but they told me it wasn't working their diagnostic was need a new AC compressor. Decided to do some research, after watching your video I tested the AC clutch, replaced the AC pressure switch and $50 later my AC is working. Thank you!!

[@AndTodaysProjectIs]

Man I am loving this video. At 16 minutes you say "sometimes they fail when it is 105 degrees. It is LITERALLY 105 degrees here in Houston, TX and mine just failed the other day LOL. You did a GREAT job of helping me through diagnostics on this. Thank you! Compressor is turning with the belt but the clutch is NOT engaging. I've been through everything else and the only thing that it really can be at this point is the compressor wiring. For 4 years + now every time I drive throug a puddle or most of the times when it is raining out the AC goes from ice cold to turning off and will not come back on for another few hours or a day at the most. It finally went out for good but the coolant level is perfect in the system, relay is good, fuse is good and it appears that the pressure switch on the skinnier line is good and receiving power from the harness. When I unplug that pressure switch the button in the car for the AC looks like it is cooling (it is not of course) but as soon as I connect that harness 3 pin connector she goes out. I'm going to try to figure out how to get to the ac compressor from underneith and disconnect the harness from it to try and hot wire the compressor with 12 volts like you did. If she doesn't engage then that will confirm and I'll move on with removal. Thanks so much for this video diagnostic!

[@raysampson3993]

Thank u Wizard for being a Good Mechanic and human..🙏

[@tommyhaynes9157]

Glad I watched this cause now I know it's over my head. I'm taking it to the garage

[@RollerDerbyCoaching]

Same😂

[@Shaquille796]

This is hilarious, im a tech at HONDA and im literally at work, working on my 3rd a/c problem car for the day and this popped up so im watching it while the a/c machine is doing an evacuation 🤣

[@texasabbott]

Didn't Honda design more of their newer vehicles with electric compressors? It would make your day go faster if Honda designed their entire A/C unit into one big line-replaceable module. It would have the compressor, evaporator, fan and condenser, dryer canister, air ducting ports, connectors all into one neat box. You pull the defective module out for refurbishment, and slide a healthy one in. And then send the car back out 45 seconds after it was parked.

[@vincescalise4821]

sabfly Is it still necessary to replace the whole system if your old compressor is simply not putting out the pressure It used to put out and kind of tired and worn out and not locked up, I know the wizard Said you need to replace the whole system if you replace the compressor

[@wdefghjuefhdegtfthtgf1351]

Must be a newer civic

[@Shaquille796]

Vince Scalise here at the dealer we only replace the compressors/ clutch&coil in a scenario like that

[@Shaquille796]

texasabbott only the hybrids have an electric style compressor, all other models are conventional compressors.. only thing different now is the new freon used

[@patrickoberem9109]

You sir are a great teacher. A rare breed. Thank you.

[@CL-mp4vn]

I would like to call you _honest car Master_ I don't know much about car; but watching your demontration, you prove that you do know what you're talking about. You have the knowledge about car electronically and mechanically. No, down here in the south, we cannot live without ac in the summer. Not even summer yet but it's so hot. I already took my car to 2 shops, and so far already got $218 down the drain and my ac is still not cold 😢 I wish I lived in your city.

[@DashnCars]

Saw an Element and though "Oh a new upload from Ericthecarguy!" nope, even better. It's *WizardTime*

[@frankshafer3655]

I too am a Master Technician seeing what you had to offer, I want to thank you for a good show. I think your show is one of the better ones out there...THANKS!!

[@darrinrentruc6614]

Is a master Technician to a Mechanic like a sanitation engineer is to a garbage man?

[@FrancisSpecker]

The best primer on automotive A/C. This should be taught to all mechanics!

[@anthonywellinger3487]

Thank you so much. Been fooling around with the AC on my wife's PT Cruiser. Started and stopped with an attempted recharge. Realized it was more than just that. Your video helped me determine that it was more complicated than that. (Probably a bad compressor.) Now I know its beyond my basic abilities to repair. I am not wasting anymore more of my time. 😀

[@DebGood]

I have to thank you for your knowledge, I'm certified in HVAC and suspected it was either the clutch on my unit or relay but being 69 years old and retired forgot a lot of stuff watched your video and it all came back I swapped out the horn relay for the AC relay and voila the compressor kicked on and charged it up to the appropriate charge and got my 2007 Chrysler Town and country van nice and cold so I can transport my disabled husband. If you're ever in Glasgow Kentucky we'd like to have you over for dinner. 😊

[@thomasrosenbloom8566]

Hey Wiz. Good video and I like your channel. But worth noting that you can do the electrical test you detailed by simply pushing the AC button and listening/watching for the clutch to engage. If it does, and does so repeatedly, the electrical clutch control works. I would troubleshoot the relay circuits only if the clutch was not pulling in. Got an '08 Outback with a functioning clutch and R134 charge, but no cooling. Gonna check the pressure switch, thanks for the tip!

[@yazanbaddawi9683]

Legend has it that the wizard used a switch relay to power up the sun

[@markchip1]

& an led one for "the cool moonlight"!!!

[@pablopicaro7649]

by that you mean an old Sunbeam Tiger, but they didn't have AC

[@MikeBMW]

And, it's still going to this day. Well, unless it's night, hmmm ...

[@yazanbaddawi9683]

@@MikeBMW that's why it's a switch relay 😉

[@InsideOfMyOwnMind]

Wizard doesn't need a relay for that. That's why he's the wizard.

[@kennypool]

I have been putting in a 12oz can of Walmart freon about every year. On my 98 Volvo , works for me. Been doing it for the last 10+ years.

[@gregdoh]

I came here to try to diagnose what is going on with my AC system, and I finally realized why my car hasn't been defrosting as well in the winter. I never realized that the compressor runs the defrost. My car's AC hasn't worked in about 2 years, and I might not ever figure out why, but I've learned a bit in the process (it's a 19 year old car and has a refrigerant leak somewhere, and possibly other issues).

[@Mark622111]

Makes my day to watch video's of people that know their business. Me, trying to get AC working on 99 Jeep TJ restoration hence HOME WORK. Thanks for your videos.

[@spacepope-1]

8:12 exactly the information I was looking for. Thanks a million! If it's a little low, will that cause the clutch not to engage? Edit: Holy Cannoli, you answered my question! 11:56 Dang, Wizard, you're gooooood

[@TaylorGang44]

Hey Mr. Car Wizard I really do appreciate the free education you’re giving out to us. It’s very kind of you and we are thankful. I just got moved up from being an lube tech to apprentice tech and these videos are helping out SO MUCH for my new upcoming journey. Thank you

[@thinking6307]

Good on you, Taylor!

[@moviingparts]

ALWAYS makes me happy to see a Honda Element.

[@stevenweseman1473]

Me too! I honestly never owned one but I have enough family/friends with them to know how great they are (even compared to my Odyssey minivan; they are a bit rough riding and a bit loud but so practical. The one's on the road today will out live me . . . that is for sure! They are a cool site.

[@gordonmoore2868]

I checked the troubleshooting procedure with the relay. I'm just low on refridgerant. It's October right now. I'll just wait until next year to take it to a shop. Thanks Mr. Wizard!!!

[@Raoul-Duke604]

This guy is a delight to listen to

[@bobmcl2406]

Excellent explanation of a system that has always been a potentially expensive mystery to me. Just a general comment, a blown fuse usually is not a problem, it is a symptom of a problem. Not many fuses blow just for fun. They are responding to the real problem somewhere in that circuit. But you are correct that relays do fail from time to time.

[@camerongilmour77]

Please keep showing videos like this. Very informative and interesting. Love your honesty too! Keep it up Wizard.

[@mike30534]

Hi Wizard, I know a lot about cars and learned even more after watching your show, but I don't have enough money for the tools I need. I've been told that most mechanics will gladly lend their tools to people near where they live. Because of that, I was wondering when I could come by and take that fancy AC machine to my house overnight to fix my car and a couple of others? Oh, oh, and a 10 mm socket. I just can't seem to find any of mine.

[@MissionaryForMexico]

There is one other aspect I think it would be a good point to present. I had to replace not only the equipment you had stated to perform a professional job. I had to remove the entire dash to get to the evaporator. The car, a 1983 300SD Merceded Benz. The car would not kool down due to the evaporator coil was filthy. The air could not pass thru the coils of the evaporator due to dirt, debreis from many years of use. And this is where the refergerent was leaking from also! This particular car does not have a cabin air filter to prevent the evaporator from getting dirty. On another note, your wife complements you my brother. I see why you married her! God is good, especially when you met the perfect match! You are a very good mechanic. I live in east Texas. I would love to come visit you guys. I have viewed many of your videos, you are very good, and have a fantastic shop! May God bless you, and your wife!

[@mvacpro]

4:55 In most modern cars, the low pressure switch is positioned before the control module in the wiring circuit. If the system is low on refrigerant, you would not see the ground signal coming from the AC control module to the AC relay. In your case, if the control module is sending the signal to the relay, the compressor’s clutch engages, but the AC is still not blowing cold, it’s time to hook up gauges and check the system pressures for further troubleshooting. Great video, anyway. Thank you!

[@twobrotherscycleanda]

More quick and dirty tests like this please. You and hoovie seem like good guys.👍

[@karworxauto554]

Love your repair videos Car Wizard, absolutely helpful. Im grateful, thank you.

[@paulmaxwell8851]

Thank you! A great, detailed, easy to understand talk about our automotive AC systems. Nice to meet Mrs. Wizard too!

[@johnphillips8306]

Man I have combed through so much crap about a/c systems trying to figure out why my 2010 Acadia's light is still blinking 3 times and not working despite replacing everything and blocking off the rear aux lines. Trying to get it to engage so I can fill up my system but have been getting nowhere. I am so stoked that I came across your outstanding video!! Hopefully troubleshooting the component's you have shown will finally give me the answer! The garage wanted $1800 for this repair and I am barely into it over $400 and that is including vacuum pump and gauges that were a little pricey. I took their word for it that it needed all new and didn't try to diagnose the problem myself. I'm gonna bet I probably should have because they told me the compressor was seized bad yet it spins freely for me? Thanks man will let you know if I get it! Good thing I am poor because I would have got burned if I had money! What is wrong with people?? Geez

[@VoltaX90]

This helped me fix my car's AC! Jumping the clutch from the fusebox saved me from spending 500$ at a mechanic! All the system needed was a fill and they wanted me to replace the compressor.

[@CAepicreviews]

"Weather's getting kind of warm out" *Looks at temps at Midnight, 75f/24c* Ah the joys of Florida. Never gets all that cold. Which means the AC Working properly is pretty much always a must.

[@TheJ85234]

You just helped me avoid a shop bill for 800 dollars when a shop was about to replace my compressor. Turns out it was just the relay

[@TheSlipperyBrick]

Sounds like you should stop going to that shop...

[@tonymunoz7400]

Your the best bro! Giving us all your trick and tips when you don’t even have to! I appreciate you brotha! Salute!

[@natas0733]

New subscriber. I really hope you become a leader in automotive diy on this platform. Your ability to simplify somewhat complex scenarios and systems is top notch, sir. Here's to 6 million subs🍻

[@zedohh4450]

WIZARD!… sorry I was just trying to sound like Tyler. As usual great video. I’m going to do some troubleshooting on my 2009 Range Rover sport. I left it sitting for 3years. The transmission cooler failed and I was going through some serious financial woes at the time so I just parked it. Now I can finally work on it, fixed the cooler issue ( the transmission fluid and radiator coolant mixed forming this milky fluid) . I had the radiator changed cos it also houses the transmission cooler and I flushed the zf transmission filled it with mercon sp…could not find the lifeguard 6 in my region. Anyhoo from the moment I got the engine running after 3yrs, the ac compressor wouldn’t come on. It worked fine when I parked it 3yrs ago but now it won’t. I tried adding gas to it but it didn’t come on. I was told that id need a new compressor but I was there and they didn’t run any of these tests in your video so I’m going to do it myself. Thanks for the video. I don’t want to give up on it yet because I also have a 2012 Peugeot 508 diesel that parked for even longer. Ac didn’t come on also when I got it running but as soon as the gas was hooked up, the compressor came on and that was easy. Don’t know why it’s different with the L320 but I’ll do what you’ve just taught me see how it goes. Thanks Wizard.

[@wdshepherd1]

"You can't just buy a can..." Tell that to KZbin who just ran an ad in the midst of your video on my feed for a can of refrigerant.

[@Noah_McAlister]

Literally got an acpro ad on this vid too

[@dave_n8pu]

Glad I have an ad blocker installed. What ad? I didn't see one except for their shirt. 😀

[@scootnmj]

Funny. Got the AC Pro add twice on this video.

[@absolutelynonameslef]

He meant that you can't just add a can of refrigerant and expect to fix a low/high pressure problem. You need to add the precise amount that is needed.

[@SeamHead33]

@@absolutelynonameslef while thats good advice and recommended, i've guesstimated on a few W210s with AC pro and got the AC blowing nice and cold again

[@DrOldsmobile91]

The irony of me getting an ad for those AC recharge bottles before the video😂

[@UR2SLO4ME]

Literal perfect timing since my 09 Acura TL stopped blowing cold air yesterday.

[@EdwardGatica-wi5ng]

I love how you show us how to determine if the problem is inside the car or outside . Using the test light to watch the light turning on when the computer/ climate control panel sends the signal to the relay . Thanks so much this has given me information I been looking for to testing the ac system.

[@marcdesaulniers7064]

I get changing the condenser and the dryer if the compressor is bad. Shrapnel from the bad compressor will be all over the system, and will damage the new compressor if you don’t. However, if only the clutch is bad, it in no way means the compressor is bad. Get a used working clutch at the wreckers, put it on and your back in business. If it’s the compressor, yes, change everything, but if it’s only the clutch not engaging, there is no need to spend $1500

[@CHANNEL__9]

I wish I had the car wizard in my area!

[@jasonmartin1802]

Who else got the “AC Pro” commercial at the beginning 🤔

[@ZerotheWanderer]

That was every ad through this whole video

[@mcmagiccracker]

I'm on KZbin Premium, so I always thought that "right after this" was unnecessary. I get it now.

[@thebigpicture2032]

Premium is the only way to go.

[@davesnotheretv]

I got the AC Pro commercial too.

[@drummeralex9198]

Andrew Nelson Idk I didn’t get an ad “right after this”. It was just his car wizard intro.

[@Celal7411]

This video could not be done any better. Thank you for your great knowledge.

[@andyd9900]

Great stuff. I have been working on Auto ac in my cars for years. The one thing I would add to the cost of repair is the warranty requirements. In most instances if you wind up having to replace the compressor you have to replace other components as well to maintain the warranty. The air dryer on older cars, orifice tube and a flush of the system. On newer cars you also must replace the condenser as they have reduced the size of the passages and they can no longer be flushed. For the DIYer it gets costly, but if you just install a compressor you run the risk of premature failure with no warranty.

[@skatjorevo]

You are an amazing instructor, teaching and mechanic! Thank you for making content! I love learning from you!

[@celsovera91]

Car Wizard the type of guy that doesn’t get haircuts he gets head shinings

[@AMCorner]

As they say about hair loss--it's a solar panel for a love machine. 😁

[@realjordanbelfort]

Dead

[@thetinpin]

It'll buff out

[@InsideOfMyOwnMind]

Left corner pocket.

[@TheAfricanGist]

Weeeeeezard. Very informative. Thanks.

[@PaddyBoy644]

We all know the Wizards just a front and Mrs. Wizard does all the repairs and feeds him lines while filming!

[@Antonio-today]

Hi sir, the A/C of my slk don't start at all. It can be there is no gas pressure? Your videos and explanations are really great. Thank you sir. Blessings from Venezuela

[@dirtybear]

Thanks Whizz. Everyone besides those who actually know, think they know what’s going on but don’t. I’ve been spending a month with Honda AC Problems and it’s not fun. God bless.

[@giannelli4843]

So what does it mean when the compressor sometimes when starting the car latches on and off making a klik klik klik klik sound but does not ever latch on likes its supposed to

[@azhule4041]

Clutch is worn or the compressor isnt engaging it fully