AC kicks on and off every 10 or 15 seconds on my Nissan Altima?

Question

AC kicks on and off every 10 or 15 seconds on my Nissan Altima, and i've checked the freon pressure and it is good, so it is not low. Does anyone know whats going on?

Answer 1

That sounds fine to me. Your compressor is designed to cycle on and off in increments of about 15-20 seconds. This is done to prevent damage and overheating of the compressor. It also gives you better gas mileage. And a/c performance should not be noticeably affected. While stopped in traffic or at a stoplight, your compressor will cycle on and off in increments of about 45 seconds-1 minute.

If this really bothers you, purchase a digital thermometer. Stick it in one of the center air vents, turn the a/c on to max cool, and turn the fan speed to high. Drive around for a while. The air coming out of your vents should be between 37-45 degrees. When the compressor cycles off, the air may be slightly warmer, or between 45-50 degrees.

THIS IS NORMAL! NO NEED TO WORRY!

Do you have the repair manual for your car? (not the one you keep in your glove box, the huge thousand page manual) If you do, then look up the a/c system information. I bet you it explains exactly what I just stated.

At any rate, if you think there is something wrong and if your a/c is not working, then take it to a shop and they will be able to tell you more.

Also, your compressor has a safety switch on it to prevent it from coming back on if it is low on R-134a. That is called a low pressure cycling switch. This will keep your compressor from causing damage to itself and other a/c components if there is not enough refrigerant. So if your compressor is cycling on and off (which I stated is normal) you have nothing to worry about. But if for some reason, you turn it on and it turns off and doesn't come back on, then you are low on refrigerant.

Check out this link to help you better understand your a/c system.

http://www.carcare.org/Climate_Control/ac_overview.shtml

Answer 2

If the refrigerant pressure is actually good, then chances are the pressure sensor has gone bad, or the system is maybe clogged. The compressor turns on and off when the sensor doesn't pick up the correct pressure, in an attempt to save the compressor in case the system gets too low. It does this because the lubricant for the compressor can't circulate if the refrigerant doesn't circulate.

Answer 3

I need Year? there is also a pressure switch on 2002 and newer. Voltage has to be above .8 volts= 80 psi for the compressor to kick on. Some times the sensor is way off the actual pressure. I work In Texas we get all A/C problems down here!

Answer 4

It depends on their level of understanding and if I'm willing to tell them because I usually don't tell anyone who doesn't know that wrestling is just a "work". I have a lot of nephews and nieces that absolutely love the WWE, who are all around the age of 5 - 6. All of them are the type of fan that you used on your example. Most of my nephews and nieces don't understand most things, so I'm not going to cram all my knowledge into them forcing them to understand and know that wrestling is a work. However, there are the other set of nephew and nieces that understand and know more than the average 5 - 6 year old. If I were to explain it to the group that understands and knows more, they would most likely accept it and continue to watch it. If I broke it to the first group I told you about, they wouldn't believe me. They would get defensive and try to make cases to support their defense. I wouldn't want to "crush" their world into pieces. 5 - 6 year old children usually set these wrestlers as their idols. If I were to tell them "yeah buddy, it's fake.", I'm taking someone away who is significant in their life (idol-wise). For instance, John Cena IS indeed a superhero and has good deeds in him. He is someone I would want my younger cousins, nephews and nieces looking up to. He IS the "perfect" good guy, who has all the superhero characteristics and qualities. If I told them the "truth", then I might as well tell them everything else. If that were to happen, they would have less of a variety of choosing their idols. More importantly, choosing idols in the subject they love. This isn't a case for everyone, but just a few. On the other hand, these are just children. I don't think MOST of them wouldn't even mind. I guess it depends on how you tell them (which means actually explaining each of the reasons why it's a work i.e.: safety and etc). I was told in the most brutal way and that was the constant "wrestling is fake! stop watching it!" day in and day out by my uncle. I really don't believe most children would actually care because at the end of the day, it's wrestling and it gives them entertainment.

Answer 5

possible it could be the relay that sends the power to the compressor.

Answer 6

when it does like this its low on freon ,that's what causes this, its called cycling ,and its doing it because there's not enough freon in it,charge it back up and it should do alright,good luck,with it.