Air con, where to start?

[FST4RD]

Hi all, I have a \'99 NZ new WRX Wagon. It has air conditioning fitting, but it doesn\'t work. The button lights up when you press it, however the revs don\'t change when you\'re at idol.

The belt seems to be fine and spinning the pump.

On an old car of mine that had air con there was a little window on a condenser or something similar that showed whether or not the air con was OK depending of the color, do the WRX\'s have one of these?

What else should I look for?

[FST4RD]

Also the fuse on the inside fuse box is fine and I swapped the relay out for another in the engine bay I know works and nothing again.

Will the air con not work if the gas is had it or empty?

[Rosssub]

Make sure your second radiator fan is plugged in and working, I think the AC wont turn on if the Fans not working.

Also there\'s multiple relays for the Air Con, engine bay/drivers foot well. Also multiple fuses I think, including the big 30amp in the engine bay.

Afaik gas or lack of gas, can\'t stop the Air con from trying it\'s hardest.

[FST4RD]

 Rosssub said:

Make sure your second radiator fan is plugged in and working, I think the AC wont turn on if the Fans not working.

Also there\'s multiple relays for the Air Con, engine bay/drivers foot well. Also multiple fuses I think, including the big 30amp in the engine bay.

Afaik gas or lack of gas, can\'t stop the Air con from trying it\'s hardest.

So far I\'ve only found the 1 A/C relay in the box next to the battery and the 15amp fuse in the fuse box in the dash on the right hand side underneath.

Any clue as to where else I can find the other fuses or relays?

I did notice that in the engine bay that there are 3 fan relays, 2 main fan relays and 1 sub fan relay? Is the sub fan relay the one for the air con fan?

[Rosssub]

 FST4RD']

[quote name='Rosssub said:

Make sure your second radiator fan is plugged in and working, I think the AC wont turn on if the Fans not working.

Also there\'s multiple relays for the Air Con, engine bay/drivers foot well. Also multiple fuses I think, including the big 30amp in the engine bay.

Afaik gas or lack of gas, can\'t stop the Air con from trying it\'s hardest.

/quote]

So far I\'ve only found the 1 A/C relay in the box next to the battery and the 15amp fuse in the fuse box in the dash on the right hand side underneath.

Any clue as to where else I can find the other fuses or relays?

I did notice that in the engine bay that there are 3 fan relays, 2 main fan relays and 1 sub fan relay? Is the sub fan relay the one for the air con fan?

Sub Fan is passenger side, Main fan is drivers side.

In engine bay, all 3 relays and 3 fuses have to be good.

Sub Relay/Sub Fuse

Main Relay/Main Fuse

AC Relay/AC Fuse

In the Cabin just the one AC fuse looking at diagrams.

Edit: My BH has the gas view glass near the battery.

[FST4RD]

 Rosssub']

[quote name='Rosssub said:

Make sure your second radiator fan is plugged in and working, I think the AC wont turn on if the Fans not working.

Also there\'s multiple relays for the Air Con, engine bay/drivers foot well. Also multiple fuses I think, including the big 30amp in the engine bay.

Afaik gas or lack of gas, can\'t stop the Air con from trying it\'s hardest.

/quote]

Cool I\'ll double check everything tomorrow.

I know both radiator fans work, I was watching them today to make sure they both came on.

So far I\'ve only found the 1 A/C relay in the box next to the battery and the 15amp fuse in the fuse box in the dash on the right hand side underneath.

Any clue as to where else I can find the other fuses or relays?

I did notice that in the engine bay that there are 3 fan relays, 2 main fan relays and 1 sub fan relay? Is the sub fan relay the one for the air con fan?

Sub Fan is passenger side, Main fan is drivers side.

In engine bay, all 3 relays and 3 fuses have to be good.

Sub Relay/Sub Fuse

Main Relay/Main Fuse

AC Relay/AC Fuse

In the Cabin just the one AC fuse looking at diagrams.

Edit: My BH has the gas view glass near the battery.

[tebbyj]

Most likley youve blown a seal somewhere and all the gas has gone. A/C pump wont pump unless the gas in the system is at a certain pressure, 98% of the time its lack of use has caused a seal or two to dry out and start leaking causing the gas to escape.

Id say take it to an expert and get them to check it for leaks etc. as dealing with A/C gas can be pretty dangerous.