Last weekend my AC stopped working in Yucca Valley on my way to the Hammers. A couple of years ago my recirculation door failed me so I took it out and had no complaints about how well the AC worked. On this trip the AC was working fine and just stopped blowing cool air. I can turn the **** and make if progressively warmer. I looked under the hood and the tank on the passenger side near the firewall is hot and the lines that go into the firewall are all hot too. I looked down at the AC compressor and noticed that the center of the pulley wasn't spinning while the engine was running. I shut the engine off and I could spin the center of the pulley with my hand. Does this mean that the clutch is bad?

It's a 2006 Dodge dually, CTD with 140K miles. It's been a great truck so far.

Thanks

 

Did you verify if the clutch is engaging at all? If the system loses enough freon it won't allow the compressor to run. Could also be a bad clutch....i.e. something caused it to lose power. Check all the wires going to the compressor and make sure none of them have rubbed any metal causing any bare spots to short out.

 

Do you see any oil on the underside of your compressor? If it's not spinning then you most likely need to replace the whole system...

I've got the same problem right now, just no money to fix it. I actually heard the seal blow on mine and then found the small amount of oil on the underside. But once it stops spinning then you probably have metal in your system, so that's why it needs to be replaced.
I was told that you can get a rebuild kit for the entire system for less than $300, a new one is close to $1k.

 

Granted, I didn't have catastrophic failure of my system, but a new compressor, cold line, and dryer only cost me about $400. Installed new parts, pulled vacuum, charged.....4 years later, still blowin cold.

 

To the OP. The '06 trucks seem to have an issue with the coil that activates the compressor clutch going out. It's easy to test if you can use an ohm meter.

Get under the truck and disconnect the plug from the compressor. On the compressor side of the plug there are 2 pins inside. Take a resistance reading on those pins. If it shows open (like mine did) the coil is shot. If it shows dead short, the coil is shot.

 

I'm getting 1.364 ohms across the coil plug. If I switch the positive and negative leads I get an open circuit. Anymore suggestion?

There are no signs of oil on the outside of the compressor and there are no wires rubbing on metal shorting out.

Thanks

 

That's odd that you get almost a short one way and open the other when checking the coil. It should read the same either way. I'm not convinced that your coil isn't bad.

 

Intresting but,,ok with volt meter on the other connector with AC and key in the on position do you have power to one of those wires? if one has power yet clutch wont engage when hooked up with power,,its a clutch coil. Or pull Center bolt off your clutch and remove the cover you will see the coil is bubbly and burnt, just remember to use a drop of BLUE lock tite on the screw.

 

I am getting 11 volts at the wiring harness. It looks like I"ll ordering a coil tomorrow.

 

Isnt there a diode in the wire harness on the compressor? i had one burn up last summer. just replaced entire compressor works fine.

 

I believe the diode is causing your odd results with meter. Feed it 12volts to see if the clutch snaps. if it does, its fine.

 

the new clutch comes with the new resister or heatsink,and a new conector housing.

 

Mine had the exact same symptoms and a new coil/clutch fixed it...

 

According to this seller, there is a diode in the assembly.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dodge-Ram-25...#ht_632wt_1111

I'm going to buy this one tomorrow. Thanks for all the help.

 

I have everything put together except for the front center bolt and the washers that came with it. How many washers go on and where?