I was driving today and my windows were fogging up from melted snow. So I turned on the defrost and the windows were still foggy. Eventually I went to park to test out to see if the A/C was working or not. I turned it on and off and I didn't hear the usual loud noise from the engine when it's on. I remember reading from here that when you turn on the A/C, the tach should jump up a little and then go down but that didn't happen. I checked all of the fuses and they seem to be fine but I'm not sure about the relay. Any other problems? I hope it's not an expensive fix.

 

try to add a can of freon. Walmart has these cheap gauges too. That should take care of the problem if you know it was running before.

 

I wouldn't add freon unless you know that that is the problem, adding freon can streach your compressor oil thin and can cause a malfunction. A/C not working in the winter?? lol, not sure on this, but maybe there is an air temp sensor and if the a/c is not needed to deliver cold air it wont turn on? just a guess..

 

I'm not sure but I think the A/C should turn on whenever it's cold or hot outside. It worked fine every year until now. I use it sometimes during the winter if my windows are fogging up when it's raining or something.

 

Good guess, and your right.

The A/C will not run when the temp is down below freezing. It will run above freezing to dehumidify the air coming into the cabin to keep your windows clear.

Operating the compressor when the outside air is very cold isn't good because it doesn't allow enough head pressure to build on the high side which could lead to premature compressor failure.

 

hmm.. interesting.. it has been below 32 degrees... thanks for the insight everyone. So hopefully it should be ok then. I'll try it out again when it's above freezing...whenever that will be..we're supposed to get a huge snow storm on Monday.