Hi all.

Newbie having problem with my gf:s Felicia -97. The magnetic clutch to the AC won't engage.

When I press the "snowflake-button", the idle rises a bit, and the radiator fan starts. But no "click" from the AC clutch.

Fuses checked, both under dash and in engine bay.

I tried to put 12V directly to the contact of the AC compressor. Then it clicked (engaged). So the compressor/clutch does not seem to be the problem.

I took the car to a company that works with AC:s. They said that there were gas in the system, the pressure was ok. Since they had some computer problem, they could not "log-on" to the cars computer and pinpoint the problem.

I managed to "borrow" some print-outs from them over the AC system and there's a temperature-contact situated behind the plastic frontbumper, just beside the number plate.

So my biggest problem for the moment, is how to get the bumper off! It really drives me to the edge of my sanity.

To remove the bumper, I have to remove the grille (is it the right word? You know between the headlights with the badge?!).

And to remove the grille, I have to remove the headlights.

And to remove the headlights, I have to remove the fenders!?! :gnasher:

What's the trick?

Please oh please tell me how to get the grille and front plastic bumper off. I would appreciate so much.

It's an -97 so the grille is not mounted on the hood.

/MBg

Remove the front indicator lights - slacken and remove the left and right hand front panel retaining bolts which are accessable from the indicator apatures. Remove the two screws removing the top panel to the bonnet lock crossmember. Unscrew the retaining nuts from the rear of the panel them remove the front panel away from the vehicle. You should then locate the bumper fixings.

John

Lol! Sounds quite similar to the problem I'm having on my Fabia at the moment with the A/C. Noticed it wasn't pumping cold air into the car so had it drained and regassed and they told me there wasn't a leak but the compressor wasn't engaging. Prepared myself for the worst, until I took it out in the evening and it was working just fine! So I plugged in my VAG-COM diagnostics software and it pinpointed the evaporator temperature sensor.

Since the weekend, I've noticed if the outside temp is below 20 deg C, the air con works just fine, but anything above that and the compressor won't engage. I'm trusting the dealers to sort it at the 60k service in a couple of weeks

Chris

:mw: :mw:

Piece of mind at last! Thanx a million John. The trick was to remove the indicators. Just had to find that little plastic tounge locking it into place.

So I removed the indicators, then the front panel, and at last the bumper (to make a long story short...). I found the switch I was looking for. It's not a temp switch but a 2 stage pressure switch. One contact is interlocking the AC-system if the pressure is too low. The second switch switches the radiator fan to high speed. They both worked...

I booked a new appointment with the AC-repair company and to make another long story short, we discovered that if we short-circuited one of the relays in the engine bay, the AC compressor engaged! It looked like a normal relay, just a bit taller. We took it apart and inside it there was a circuit-board with dozens of surface-mounted parts! Looked really expensive!

Anyhow, I bought a new one (about eur 50) and it worked! Feels so good. Thanx again John!

/MBg (*who nowdays knows everything there is to know about -97 Felicia AC-systems...*)

:mw: :mw:

Piece of mind at last! Thanx a million John. The trick was to remove the indicators. Just had to find that little plastic tounge locking it into place.

So I removed the indicators' date=' then the front panel, and at last the bumper (to make a long story short...). I found the switch I was looking for. It's not a temp switch but a 2 stage pressure switch. One contact is interlocking the AC-system if the pressure is too low. The second switch switches the radiator fan to high speed. They both worked...

I booked a new appointment with the AC-repair company and to make another long story short, we discovered that if we short-circuited one of the relays in the engine bay, the AC compressor engaged! It looked like a normal relay, just a bit taller. We took it apart and inside it there was a circuit-board with dozens of surface-mounted parts! Looked really expensive!

Anyhow, I bought a new one (about eur 50) and it worked! Feels so good. Thanx again John!

/MBg (*who nowdays knows everything there is to know about -97 Felicia AC-systems...*)[/quote']

glad you have it sorted- just as well you dont have to pa