AC is blowing my fuse! Options

[caszboy]

Hi all,

I just recently picked up a 1996 Toyota Celica ST 1.8L with 101,000 miles. I love this car! It looks very up to date on style for being a 12 year old car.

Just to let you know some background info on me: I'm not new to cars. I have done motor swaps, rebuilds and body work (all just for fun/necessity) but i have never fixed anything AC. So here is the problem...

I bought the car when it was to cold and couldn't check the AC (yeah, dumb on my part). Well, it is definitely hot enough now and it doesnt work! When i attempted to turn on the AC, it would not engage but the light does come on in the button. So i replaced the belt and assumed its low on freon. I checked the PSI and the gauge read 0 PSI. So I put just a slight burst (literally maybe a 2 second burst) of R-134a into the low pressure side and the PSI jumped to 55 PSI. So i let out enough to bring the PSI to 45 PSI. Now the AC turns on but never gets cold. After about 2-3 minutes of it trying to cool, the fuse blew. So i replaced the fuse and let it try again, same thing happens.

Any ideas? I'm thinking the compressor and/or compressor clutch is bad but would that make the fuse blow?

thanks in advance!

Casey

[caszboy]

Well, after writing the above topic. I decided to drive around with the AC in the on position. I can tell the clutch is engaging and its trying to cool but the air just remains hot. When not engaged, the rpms are at about 800. With the AC turned on it revs to about 1100rpm and then settles to 900-950rpm. When the AC is turned off it returns to 800rpm. Also, the freon level is at 48PSI and holding i believe. The fuse did not blow as well, i ran the car for about 15 minutes.

any ideas?

[GriffGirl]

This may sound lame, but could it have anything to do with it not being grounded properly? Or just the ground having corrosion? If it doesn't blow the fuse when you're driving, but it does when you're not, maybe it has something to do with running off the alternator power vs. the battery? I don't know about this kind of stuff but that's where I'd start looking.

[caszboy]

yeah, when i took it back out and ran it for 15 minutes it was a mix of driving and sitting. But yeah i definitely see your point. Another person i know told me that it might be the wiring to the compressor clutch but i hear it engaging so I'm not sure? i will check the wiring within the next couple of days but from what i saw it was clean. But i will definitely double check that.

any more ideas?

[Bitter]

ok, did you charge the system with the engine running? ya the engine needs to be running.

[caszboy]

yup, i charged it with the system running and the air on full.

[Bitter]

well you REALLY need a gauge set, need to see what the high and low side pressures are doing.