I have a 97 960 and don't my AC compressor does not cycle. In addition, my upper vents don't have much airflow when fan is on at any setting--suggesting some of the doors in the ventilation system are closed. The recirculation button also seems to do nothing when pressed. Given these basic symptoms I was looking for some possible guidance.

So far I have checked the fuses, the ECC and the solenoid valve controller and can't find any apparent cracks/shorts on the board(s). I am thinking that the solenoid valve holds the answer as the vent doors are not responding when I move the selector switch on the dash around.

Based on these symptoms, any thoughts on possible areas to look at or look at more carefully would help a ton.

Best,

Angus

To follow-up with the outcome of the two problems from my original post:

The Vacuum Servo issue was related to nothing more than a vacuum hose that came off in the engine compartment (located left side of the engine in front of and below the brake master cylinder). There is a little vacuum hose junction box of sorts and one of the hoses had fallen off…a 10 second fix.


The issue with the AC compressor not cycling is that I found a leak in the condenser and thus, with no pressure, the compressor would not run. I bypassed it by clipping a jumper cable from the positive battery post to the little black wire that is on the side of the compressor that feeds into the magnetic clutch. The compressor fired right up. New condensor on order and then off to an AC shop to get the system evacuated and filled.

So thanks again for the help DEWFPO.

Best,

Angus

Suggest buying an inexpensive A/C gauge at Wal-Mart and connecting it to your A/C low side and telling us what the reading is. Rule of thumb : Engine cold, A/C off, ambient temp 75F, the gauge should read about 70-75psi as a good starting point. If the compressor will engage, the readings should cycle between 25-45 psi. Let us know.

As far as the vents, it sounds like you have a vacuum leak in the HVAC system. It could be the check valve at the engine side of the firewall or the vacuum bellows. The dual acting bellows on the drivers' side (there are 3 on the driver's side but on one is dual acting) for the dash vents and the single acting belllows on the passengers side for the recirc. These bellows (and check valve) are common failure points on the HVAC system of these cars. The check valve is easy to fix, the bellows is a little more complicated. R & R instructions for the bellows can be found in the 960 FAQs, on this site.

DEWFPO
--
1998 S90 071,245 and 1995 964 154,100

Great stuff. I will give it a shot and see what I come up with and let everyone know the verdict. I should get to the car on Friday.

Thanks DEWFPO!