Hi all,

I'm new here. I have an '08 manual Fit, and today the AC stopped blowing cold air. I took it to a garage, and they said the compressor clutch needs to be replaced, but that because the clutch only comes attached to a new compressor, I have to buy the whole package.

Also, I've now read differing opinions about whether it's really a good idea to replace the clutch without replacing the compressor. It just stopped working today, though, so I didn't drive it that long without the compressor's clutch pulley spinning.

I found a used one at a junk yard, and I'm considering trying to replace just the clutch myself. I've had a look at this: Honda Jazz / Honda Fit GE8 2009 onwards Online Repair Manual, and it seems like I need to remove the nut, the armature plate, the shims underneath, snap ring, and rotor pulley.

Does anyone know how difficult this job is in reality? The compressor looks like it's in a difficult-to-reach spot and that it would be best accessed if I take the skid plate off the bottom underneath the engine.

Any input is very welcome at this point. Just trying to avoid the ~$800 the mechanic wants to charge for replacing the compressor.

 

Have you checked to make sure the clutch is not working? You can pull the relay in the fuse box and short the switch pins to see if it engages.


Relay socket looks like this.
| |
--
--


the pins that are -- are the pair that activate it.

If your R134 charge is just a tick low there is a switch that prevents it from engaging.

 

Just tried this by jumping pins 1 and 2 on that relay, and nothing happens, not the "click" that I was expecting or anything. Does that mean that the clutch is definitely not working?

 

I had the same problem on my 09. I took it in to an reputable AC shop and they diagnosed a bad clutch and recommended changing the whole system. I didn't have the money and ended up driving it with no AC for over a year and a half in South Texas. Finally I ordered a replacement kit.(Compressor, Condenser, Expansion Valve, Oil and O-rings)

The compressor was not that bad to take off but you have to go lift the car and go from underneath. There are 4 bolts, 2 AC lines, an electrical connector and the belt that must be disconnected. The condenser is much more simple to remove as well. It took me around 3 hours to remove and replace both of these but I was not in a rush.

The expansion valve is somewhat of a pain to get to due to the amount of stuff you have to remove under the dash and the small area. I spent 3 hours on this but it could be done in much less.

I did a lot of research before I started and printed the pages from the shop manual too which helped considerably.

 

Hi Yagi13, thanks for the reply.

So, how difficult do you think it would be to just replace the clutch, rather than the whole compressor? The only reason I ask is because the AC was ice cold until earlier today.

 

The pics are hard to see because of my cheap camera but they are the instructions I have to change the clutch on my 09.

It seems actually changing it isn't to difficult but im not sure about how to adjust shims or the field coil voltage testing if those are even needed...

Also when I talked with the AC shop they said that they told me if the clutch had gone out due to a bad compressor there could be shreds of metal or o rings in the system and it would require the whole thing to be flushed.

 

Getting to the clutch doesnt seem to be too difficult either, just removing the plastic panels and those annoying plastic retainers.

 

Great, thanks! Still trying to decide if I'm going to try to do this myself. I'm not Mr. Automotive, I live in an apartment complex and don't have any specialized tools. I guess I can rent things from AutoZone if need be.

 

no problem. I know how you feel, it took me almost two years to finally get around to it. just let me know if you have any more questions, i might be able to scan those instructions tomorrow too if you want a more clear copy.

 

Cool.

Just drove it a short distance, and that belt is squealing.

 

I do compressor clutch/pulley/coil replacements all the time.
Honda sells them separate from the compressor.

Aftermarket almost always makes you buy an entire compressor.

I really try to avoid replacing Hondas reliable OE compressors that are still good, and really hate installing a junk aftermarket reman compressor that only has a 50/50 chance of lasting longer than one year.



I will always try to find a way to get a clutch set replaced without having to discharge and recharge freon.
I know I've replaced it on 07-08 without having to touch the freon.
If you have all the right tools and know what you are doing, it's doable in an hour IMO.

 

ezone, I wish you lived in central New Jersey.

 

Do you know if yours has a bad coil, of if it has excessive gap causing no engagement?

If gap is excessive you might be able to remove the outer clutch plate, remove a shim and get the gap within a reasonable spec to get it working again. Powering up the coil then pushing the plate in by hand could confirm this one, it would engage with the extra push help..

Wait, you said it just up and quit, and hasn't worked since it quit? That would make me think the coil is open circuit. An ohmmeter would confirm this.

 

I have a multimeter I'll test it with tomorrow.

Yes, it was working fine on the highway and then just stopped working.

 

A good clutch coil will usually read somewhere around 3.3-4 ohms

 

Pardon me for bringing this thread back from the dead, but I'm hoping ezone or someone else versed in AC clutch issues is still out there, and can maybe give me a diagnosis. 2008 manual FIT -- air worked fine earlier this year -- then it blew a fuse. I replaced the fuse and it was ok again for a day or so, then the fuse blew again. I read up on it, and decided to try a new relay, even though I tested the existing relays and they seemed fine. No change. Still blowing fuses. I can replace the fuse and feel the AC plumbing get cold for a few seconds. Brought it to my mechanic and asked if they thought they could replace the clutch, since it seemed like the issue, but they said they'd only do the whole compressor. Based on my symptoms, do you think it's worth trying to just replace the clutch? I saw them on ebay for about $120, but not sure I'd have the (right) tools to do the job myself, so I'd be paying someone for labor. Worth the gamble? Or would you guys just replace the entire compressor like the garage wants to do?

 

Let's address the fuse blowing first.
WHICH fuse is blowing?
I expect #11 in the engine compartment fuse box, 30 amp?
That fuse covers both the compressor clutch AND the condenser fan (passengers side of the radiator).
Either one could be causing the problem.......but I'd expect the fan motor is bad causing the fuse to blow. If you check the fan out it might even be obvious that it's bad......seized up, hard to turn, runs slow, stinks, or even melted....

This fan came from an older Accord, it was kinda obvious there was a problem





Assuming your fan isn't as obvious as this one was LOL

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I guess there's 2 somewhat easy ways to figure which item is blowing the fuse.....
(EDIT: 3 somewhat easy ways here)

First, unplug the suspect condenser fan.
Install a new fuse. (I'm gonna say install a 10A fuse because it's gonna support JUST the compressor clutch for this check.)
Set a box fan or similar fan blowing into the bumper openings and turn it on full blast (because you unplugged the condenser fan in the car, this fan will help)
Start engine, run the AC, and see if the fuse blows.

Fuse did not blow? Clutch coil is (probably) ok.

Next check.................................

Connect the fan motor connector.
Have you located the relay for the compressor clutch? Remove it so the compressor can't operate.

Install a good fuse. (This check is going to make JUST the condenser fan run using that fuse, so if you have a 20 or 25A fuse handy stick that in.)

Start the engine, turn on the AC (watch those fans, both should run)
Does the fuse blow?



3rd option.....install a fuse, and just let the engine run (no ac) until it's hot enough to turn on the radiator fans...and see if the fuse blows again.


Wait until you know what your problem really is.


Most mechanics/shops will sell you a whole compressor ...... because parts stores don't sell the clutch/pulley and coil parts by themselves....and most mechanics/shops won't bother to discover these parts can be purchased through any dealership parts department.

Plus most don't want to mess with setting up a compressor clutch. Probably a little too complicated for some people who only replace parts.

Plus there's a whole lot more profit in selling you a whole compressor and drier and/or condenser (depending on the system). They guys installing aftermarket compressors won't ever replace JUST the compressor by itself.


Oh yeah, many dealership mechanics will shotgun a whole compressor too.

Personally, I'd much rather keep a good original compressor working as long as possible, than install a junk reman from a parts store and have it crap the bed in one year.

 

Thanks so much for the reply. I will check this out once I get the car back from the garage. I told them to hold off on any repairs.

 

Correct.

Unfortunately, no. The fan spins. Which sounds like it's leaning toward the clutch or compressor as the issue.... With a good fuse, if I jam the relay in while watching the fans spin, I can hear the compressor engage for about two seconds, and then the fuse blows and the fan stops running. It doesn't sound horrible, like marbles in a coffee can or anything, but it doesn't sound great. You can definitely hear it. Not like a squealing or anything, but more like a hissing sound like something rubbing.

 

Ok....

Go underneath and unplug the 3 wire plug from the compressor


(2 outer wires are for the thermal protector circuit--blue/white and white/blue--, the center wire blue/red is for the clutch coil.....the engine harness side has all the different colored wires, but the compressor side has all red wires. I listed the engine harness colors so you know what each red wire should lead to.)

You can ohm test the coil circuit on the center pin (check between pin and ground), a good coil is gonna be roughly 3.1-3.5 ohms cold (68*F), and a little higher if it's hot.
If it's under 3 ohms it's out of spec and resistance may drop even more as temperature rises.
Probably best time to check this is when you KNOW it's blowing fuses. Temperature of the compressor can play a huge part, so plan and test accordingly.
Ohms law can tell you if it's gonna blow a fuse...If it measures 2 ohms it would pull at least 6 amps when powered. If it's 1 ohm it would pull at least 12 amps.....Half ohm would pull over 24 amps....and so on.

If it's not shorted..... You could disconnect the 3 wire connector at the compressor....jumper the 2 outer wires in the engine harness side of the connector
with a THIN paper clip (blue/white and white/blue) ....jumper needs to be installed so the system won't be disabled by the PCM......

Now fire it up with good fuse and all relays in, and see if it blows fuse again.... If so that would conclude the clutch is not the culprit, the wiring is shorted to ground or has excess current load somewhere between the clutch relay and the clutch connector.

SO.....If it still blew that fuse with the clutch disconnected.....there's a noise suppressor in the wiring for the compressor clutch, it's located between the radiator and the panel covering the radiator.....near the hood latch, passengers side of the latch. If any of those wires have rubbed through the insulation, it sure could blow a fuse and is worth checking out. Years of vibration or a harness that wasn't secured, and any hit in the nose of the car could compromise the radiator/condenser and that wiring.....again, I think it's worth a check.

Looks like it should be a 3 wire connector
on one side it has 3 black wires
other side has 2 blue/red and 1 black...