Maybe someone can help me out with this problem. I vaguely remember something about removing a spacer/shim in the AC clutch. I have tried, with no success, to "search" for posts related to this problem. When the AC clutch wears it goes out of spec. Removing the spacer/shim  puts the clutch back to specified air gap. Thanks.

I have no idea where I read it, but I know I've seen something about this before as well.

 

Does your clutch engage but still slip?

Apparently, when the clutch wears the gap becomes to great for the electromagnet to reliably engage. Removing the spacer/shim reduces the gap. This is my first post on this new board. Did the old posts on the other board carry over to this boarr?

I would make sure the clutch is being commanded to engage before pulling it apart. You could also jumper 12v straight to the clutch to see if it works.

You can also check the air-gap with a feeler guage and compare that to spec (if you can find the spec).

 

I'm pretty sure most of the old posts were carried over. We've had a few thread resurrections lately where the last posts were made back in 2009-2011. I've searched for various threads and found plenty that were older than that.

Could it be that your system is low at the marginal level of refrigerant, to the point that the compressor may or may not turn on?? If so, add a can of 134, and also a can of leak detector. If you can get the compressor to engage for a while, then start looking for the green fluorescent dye to find the leak.

Edited June 1, 201411 yr by Rooster2

Here are 2 threads from the Forester Board that address what you want:

 

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f87/how-adjust-c-compressor-clutch-116835/

 

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f88/ac-runs-intermittently-04-forester-75562/

Edited May 31, 201411 yr by ferret