Hey Scotty, my dad has a 1998 Mercedes CLK320 with over 210,000 miles. For the past six years of ownership the car has had a freon leak. We usually have to add freon every couple of years. We added freon a couple months ago, but lately the AC has been blowing hot air. We opened the hood and noticed that the AC compressor is not moving sometimes.
Yesterday when we started the car, the AC compressor clutch engaged and blew cold air, but after turning off the AC using the controls on dash and turning it back on this time the compressor did not engage. The next day, the AC compressor worked again and blew cold air. We also checked our freon levels and they were good.
Is this a problem with the AC compressor itself or something else? When AC compressors fail, do they have these symptoms of sometimes working and not working? Could bad wiring also cause this issue?
Well, it could be the compressor going out. But realizes Mercedes-Benz have the most insane computer run AC systems that you need a Mercedes Benz 25000 scan tool in order to analyze correctly. They are not DIY friendly cars
Did you use refrigerant with stop leak? That can destroy your air conditioner. The only way to tell you've put in enough refrigerant is to hook up manifold gauges. If there's still refrigerant in the system, stop, and take it to a qualified technician. It is highly illegal to vent refrigerant into the atmosphere.
We've been having our mechanic just refill freon when the ac gets warmer. No we didn't use any with a stop leak. We did hook up a gauge and the psi levels were good.
That's good to hear. You'll need a professional scan tool that has bidirectional capability to diagnose this. A mechanic who specializes in Mercedes Benz products is your best bet.