2000 Saturn SL - A/C Problem

I have an a/c in which the compressor does not kick in. It spins so I know
its not seized. It is full of refridgerant, at least it wouldn't take
anymore when I attempted to add some. Any ideas on what it may be and how
to diagnose it?

 

I'm not sure how you determined that the refrigerant was "full" or that the
compressor would "spin" given that you said you could not get the AC clutch
to "kick in." I mention this since the most likely cause is generally a
system leak causing low refrigerant.

When you say the compressor spins, I assume you might mean the pulley that
has the A/C belt is spinning. You really won't know if the AC compressor
actually spins until the clutch is engaged. On adding refrigerant, this too
must be done when the compressor is running since this pressurizes the
system and causes the low pressure side to drop so that it can draw the
coolant from the can. If you attemopted to add to a static system and none
was drawn in then this is not a surprise, but may be a good sign that the
system is still pressurized to some degree.

If what you indicated is indeed actually true, then a couple of other
possibilities to consider are the interior controls (does the fan/blower
work and does the heat shut off when moved to cool even if the AC does not
come on?) or the A/C relay as well as the compressor clutch or a
wiring/connector problem.

Good luck.

Bob