Just bought a nice used one owner 2001 Sebring with a 2.4 DOHC with only 140,00 kms (90,00 miles). The original owner told me at the time of purchase the A/C was working last fall but doesn't now. I took it to a local A/C guy who diagnosed the system. First of all the condenser had a dent/ bend in it, maybe caused by going over a curb or hitting a snow bank, restricting the flow. I purchased a new condenser and he installed it and repressureized it. The air still does not work and he gave me several possible causes. First possibility is that the electronic climate controls may need to be reset. 2nd possibility is The A/C clutch diode, and or, the pressure switch needs replacing. And 3rd, the A/C clutch may be bad. He did not have the electrical equipment to test or reset the ECC and suggested I take it to a dealer for this, which he said would only take a few minutes. It maybe a few minutes but dealerships would charge a minimum of 1 hour at exorbinant prices. Is there another way of testing and resetting these problems without going to a dealer. Like a OBD2 handheld scanner? ( for example). And am I looking at a large bill to rectify any or all of these possibilities? Its a real nice car and it would be nice to have the A/C working, however if it's going to be too expensive I may have to go without .

 

There's a procedure for re-calibrating the climate control system. I'm assuming it's not automatic temperature control here. With the engine on and the fan switch set to any position other than off, turn the temp control **** all the way to the left (cold) and the mode **** all the way to the right. Then press and hold the rear defrost button until you hear a chime from the dashboard (a few seconds) and then let it go. The system will go through some gyrations and you may get an error code appearing on the odometer when it's through. I haven't been able to find out what those codes mean.

I suspect this will not solve your problem. The heater a/c system is actually controlled by the body computer which issues commands to the control motors in the system based on various inputs both from the controls on the dashboard and elsewhere. If the clutch is not engaging it could be a problem with the clutch itself, the clutch relay, the high-low pressure switch, the anti-icing switch, the wiring or, heaven forbid, the body computer.
The body computer is capable of generating fault codes relative to the A/C system, but these cannot be read by your basic OBD II code scanner. You need a Chrysler DRB III (diagnostic readout box) to get these codes.

 

Thank you! Very informative. I tried the recalibration trick you speak of and it gave me a code of "00" and no change to the system. I'll research more and see if I can find out what the code means. I can see this will be a learning experience. While I work for an automotive parts store , I am relativilely ignorant about A/C, other than knowing how to aquire the needed components for the system to operate properly.
So, if I read your reply correctly, "it would be wise" to take the car to a dealer for a scan and find the problem before I start replacing the parts. And keep my fingers crossed! I'll follow up at a later date with my results. Thanks again!

 

Code 00 is an all clear, I believe. This is a quote from a post covering another guy's A/C problems. It might be relevant to your issue:

If you suspect that the pressure transducer (High low presure switch) is bad, it must be replaced. There is no adjustment or repair procedure for it. It's located on the discharge line near the condensor. If the pressure in the system is too high or too low, this device is supposed to sense that and open its switch, preventing compressor operation. It can be removed without discharging the system. To remove it, unplug the wire leading to it and screw it out with a 14mm wrench. Replace the O-ring with a proper A/C O-ring.

The compressor relay is located in the power distribution center in the engine compartment. There is a diagram under the cover describing the things in there.

One other possibility comes to mind. There's a temperature sensor (icing switch) on the evaporator core that shuts down the system if the core gets too cold. That prevents the condensate on the core from freezing and clogging up the air flow. You can access it through the glove box door opening. Disconnect the wire, then lift the locking tab and rotate the thing clockwise a quarter turn. Then you push it into the A/C housing and manipulate it out that way. Don't drop it into the A/C housing.

 

I just replaced the high pressure switch on the condenser with no change. My A/C guy seems to think now that it may be the control head that has gone bad. Before I spend big dollars on that, my next step will be to take it to the dealer for a scan .( I hate too, but I guess I have too ) At least then I will know for sure where my problem exsists.

 

The control panel is an easy replacement you can do yourself, but with the "all clear" result from the calibration that may not solve the problem either. Anyway, those control panels come up with some regularity on eBay and seem to sell for something in the range of 30-50 bucks. To remove the old one, grab the bezel that surrounds it with your fingers and pull straight rearward until the bottom snaps out. Then pry it the rest of the way out with a plastic trim tool or a putty knife. There are six snap fasteners. They make a noise when they let go. Unplug the plugs in the back and it's out. The replacements often come with the bezel attached, but removing the bezel is obvious when the thing is out. To install, just plug in the wires and snap it back in place, making sure all the fasteners are properly engaged.
You replaced the pressure switch. Check the icing switch. It's the one behind the glove box. If it's an open circuit, it's bad. Also check the compressor relay and check for an electrical signal at the relay and at the compressor. If there's an electrical signal coming to the clutch but no action, then the clutch is bad, and things leading up to it electrically are probably good.

 

If you think it might be your control panel, then take your control panel out and disassemble it. The eight pins behind the rear defrost button can sometimes snap the solder connection from the board. That's what happened to mine. The break in the solder was so small that I didn't notice it until I bought one from ebay that had greater damage and showed me what I was looking for. It's a very simple fix, if that's the problem; just reheat the solder at each pin so it melts (possibly add a little more solder to reinforce.

MRR

 

I found a tech in town who is an A/C tech and instructor at the local community college. He scanned the system and checked all the electrical connections, only to find a bad compressor clutch. The rest of the system is ready to go. My only consideration now is, do I just replace the compressor clutch, or buy a new compressor/clutch combo ? And should I consider a used unit from a local salvage yard or buy new? Money is tight right now!

 

You need some special tools to pull the clutch off the compressor. Replacement of the whole compressor is relatively easier. Factor in the cost of tools if you are planning on doing it yourself, or labor if you are planning on hiring it done.
Learn as much as you can about the job so you can make an honest assessment of your own abilities and how much of the job you can do yourself. Maybe the guy at the community college would take on the job as a learning exercise for his students, with you being responsible for parts and supplies. Everybody wins.

As for new vs used parts, it's a lot of work to put this thing in, plus the freon to see if it works. It would be a shame to pour all that effort into the job and find out at the end that you have put in a non-working part.
The only choice should be new (dealer) vs re-manufactured. The re-man parts are usually about 1/3 the cost of dealer parts and , in my book, a good buy. I have replaced compressors on my old '95 Voyager van and on my son's Olds Ciera and bought re-manufactured parts each time with good results.