AC clutch not engaging.

So to start off my issue has been going on for over a year and I've finally decided to deal with it. The AC compressor spins freely without making any noise but the clutch will not engage. The clutch does spin freely when the truck is off and I turn it by hand.

In the beginning, my AC light started to blink and the air turned warm. I would be able to turn the AC off and turn it back on with cold air returning. Eventually, that stopped. Up until recently during the summer I would be able to drive for 10-15 miles, turn the AC on and it would work but it's like it needed time to warm up because it wouldn't work beforehand. Now, nothing seems to work.

I've read over the main forum referring to AC issues.
--> https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/a-c-light-blinking-troubleshooting-guide.440200/

Finally got around to sticking gauges on it. This was with the AC wide open(clutch not engaged).

Decided to try and jump the clutch by directly wiring power & ground to it from the battery. No luck. The clutch did not click when the truck was in accessory mode and the clutch did not engage when turned on.


Also, checked the fuses & relays and everything seems to be in order there. Looking for some direction from the AC gurus. By directly wiring the clutch with no success confirm a bad clutch or am I missing something?

 

Are you SURE you're using that gauge set correctly? Without the A/C on - the compressor not spinning - your pressures are way off. Way too much on the low (suction) side, and way too little on the high (pressure) side. I think you opened that Harbor Freight gauge set's knobs incorrectly. You should not touch either knob in those pictures when *only* checking pressures.

 

The gauges were actually hooked up by a guy that does it for a living so I assume they were right. He did mention that since the compressor was not engaged that the readings may be off. I few days prior to this me and another guy tried one of those DIY AC charging kits just to see if it was low without gauges and try to get the AC compressor to kick on. That may have caused the issue youre describing but at the time it didnt seem as though the charge was doing anything since the compressor wasnt engaged.

 

Readings don't mean anything until the compressor is pumping

If you have power on the mag clutch wire and it still won't engage you need either a clutch assembly or a compressor assembly

 

Anyway to tell which? Or just go ahead and replace the entire assembly?

 

If the clutch plate spins by hand then it's not seized
But if you can afford it, just replace the whole thing.

With the AC on, try pushing on the clutch plate with a hammer handle