I have recharged the refrigerant (to 50 psi, low-side) and I’ve jumpered the compressor clutch to force it on, but there’s still no cooling. Should I give up on fixing it myself, and if so, how can I find somebody who’ll fix it economically?
The best advice I can give you is to get some estimates at a couple of local AC shops. There are a myriad of problems that can keep an AC system from working. I can’t list them all here.
I would have to agree with missileman…it sounds like you have an about correct charge level in the a/c. but there could be a restriction the the TXV or the receiver/drier which wonks up the pressure switch.
i wouldn’t recommend forcing the compressor clutch closed like this, the interlocks are meant to prevent damage to your compressor.
it’s possible you have a slow leak in one or more places…which can allow things into the system which shouldn’t be there. It’s also possible there is an electrical problem with the control circuitry as well.
You might as well have someone run a diagnostic to determine if there’s a faulty component-although realistically unless it is really simple electrically, it’s likely to be expensive to fix. Good luck.
I take any and all AC problems to a shop specializing in automotive AC systems, and I recommend you do the same. Check your local phone directory for a shop in your area.
I found a shop in my area with a certified technician (and $5000 worth of equipment!) He fixed it up fairly quickly, for $108. The refrigerant had leaked, obviously, as I had needed to charge it. So, he sucked it all out (I had only 5 oz. out of 24 that should be there), found that it held a vacuum reasonably well, charged it fully, found that there were leaks at some of the O-rings, sucked it all out again, replaced all the O-rings (why not - the big cost was his expertise and eqpt. needed to do it right), and then charged it again. Nice guy, too!