Last summer I had the A/C recharged in my 1995 850 T-5R. According to the mechanic, there was absolutely no refrigerant left in the system. I had not used the A/C since the first year I owned the car (back in 2002), due to what seemed like a slow evaporator leak. But last summer I finally decided to charge the A/C, and it worked fine for the 2 months or so we used it.

This summer the A/C has slowly been crapping out on me, my guess being that the dreaded evaporator is at fault. The compressor has been clicking on and off at an increasing frequency, from once every 7-10 seconds to once ever 2 seconds.

Now for the funny part: The A/C continues to click on and off even when the A/C is set to the OFF position. The REC (Recirculate Air) button is also set to OFF, if it matters. And this issue seems to occur only when the car is traveling at a highway speed (45-50 mph or greater). When I drive on local roads, the issue does not seem as prevalent, as I've only noticed it on occasion.

As a result of this constant A/C cycling, I believe that my serpentine belt and pulleys are prematurely wearing out. I do feel a slight surge when the A/C kicks in, and I can't imagine this being a good thing for the engine and belts if done on a continual basis. I am now getting a whirring/groaning/screeching sound from the belt/engine area, which you can see a video of here if you're interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9MvAjVXb7s

But I digress... so does anyone know why the A/C would constantly cycle on and off even when set to OFF? During past summers, when the A/C was completely out of refrigerant, I never experienced this A/C cycling issue when driving on the highway (or local roads, for that matter).

Any advice would be very much appreciated. Donations for my next trip to either Bankruptcy Court or a Cardiologist are also welcome. And I thought I swore off high-maintenance blondes a long time ago... guess not.

All the Best,

~MrPlow