Here we were with a compressor coil set and a compressor clutch set in our Amazon shopping cart. My husband and I debated whether to do the repair ourselves (ok, he would do the repair, I'd provide moral support) or just suck it up and pay the dealership the $1300 they quoted us. My husband has always done most all of the work on our cars but he never sweated over AC repairs, but it's my car and I NEEDED AC! So he checked out some videos on how to replace the two suspect items when we saw this Hack that would work on any Honda.....IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM!!! It only took him a couple of hours to do and saved us hundreds of dollars. These days it's rare that you can actually repair the damaged parts rather than replace them. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! After zillions of you tube videos watched this was the first one we have ever reviewed.
A mechanic told me that my problem was a blend door actuator. We tried your method first, and it fixed my air! Thanks!! Now these 95 degree days won’t be unbearable.
I want to endorse this hack. I have a 2009 Civic. I was told a full replacement of a compressor was required with a cost of >$1200 cost. I was told by a Honda parts service person the problem is almost always the AC clutch. I figured, nothing to lose so followed this instruction. The AC clutch was a little tighter to the frame this this model year but ultimately worked great! Has been 2 years and absolutely no problems. I actually think the AC is better then it ever was. Thanks so much.
Here we are two years after you made this video I just watched it my wife's car having AC issues thank you very much and I am an experienced car guy and I didn't even know that thank you very much for the video
I had a same issue but I removed the spacer instead of shaving it down... & it’s been working flawlessly since I removed the spacer... thanks for the video it helped me resolve the issue
Nornally there are 3 or 4 shim/spacer inside there. Just take out 1 or 2 to reduce the gap close enough between the clutch & pulley but not touching. It all shim being removed you may do what is done in the video or buy a new magnetic clutch.
I waited 2 weeks after performing this on my 05 Civic to comment, this actually "DOES" work, the thickness of a penny is about .053 thousands of an inch, & thats what I removed, I do have a vertical mill & was able to remove the material more uniformly & the AC has worked fine ever since. wonderful tip !
Wow omg! You are a genius! I just got out of the garage and they told me i had to change my AC Compressor for like 600$!!! I turned around and went back home desapointed. Didn’t want to spend that much for a 05 civic.
This fixed the issue on my 08 Civic ! I don't have the proper tools so I asked my local garage to try it and it worked for $40 of his time. Thank you so much!
Thanks Shawn. I filed down that clutch center piece on my 2009 Honda fit and it worked perfectly. I would suggest that folks find those clips that hold the splash guard on the fender before you pull it off. I broke the damn things getting them off. Thanks again for this money saving tip!
DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU DA MAN!!!! TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY AND YOU JUST GAVE ME A $900 BIRTHDAY PRESENT!!!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR INNOVATION!!!! I used to be a car mechanic until I started driving a truck, and a dam good one at that certified in all areas but Heating and AC and Automatic Transmission's was my speciality at a Ford dealership! You think like I do but this fix is da BOMB (ooop's , now they gonna track stalk follow taze and arrest me for saying that word anyway who cares!) You got my AC blowing like an Eskimo after being chased by a grizzly!!!!!! THANK YOU AGAIN!!!!!!
Wow! Thank you thank you thank you! My daughters car is doing this exact thing.. Quote to replace compressor and clutch was $1600... I can't wait to try this!!! Daughter is gonna be happy!!! And also, thank you for a great "get to the point video" with no stupid music playing in the background and a decent camera that didn't make me sea sick with constant motion!!!
Before you take a grinder to it, there is a small shim between the clutch and compressor where it bolts up. Remove that shim with a small magnet first and see if it will work that way. Makes life easier.
Did this fix yours? My wife's 04 Civic hybrid is having this problem. Replaced the filter, and unclogged the AC hose. Same problem. Blows cold but when you drive it it's hot like when you turn off the AC completely but leave the fan blowing.
I just love these mechanics/technicians with that hick grit accent, who are smart as hell. The accent makes you think they ain't too smoort. Then then show you what's up. I used ta get fooled by that accent, but then I went to navy nuclear power, worked with some terrifically smart good ol boys from the South, and got my city ass handed to me in terms of smarts, problem solving, and being great ship mates. Wish Shawn had been on my boat. Oh, and like a good nuclear engineer, he starts most of his explanations with , "basically"
I'm from Arkansas, and I definitely think we know how to rig some things lol. I'm looking forward to trying this on my wife's car. We're going on a trip soon and she has a hybrid and it's doing this same thing. Did you try it?
Thank you! I think this is exactly why my ac was squealing, 700 dollars later, I am going to fix this myself! I almost sold the car just becus I’d have to wear a disguise driving my car becus that squealing was embarrassing asf! You’re a lifesaver!
Thanks Shawn!!! Although I did have to hit up Harbor Freight and grab an angle grinder and wheel for a whopping $15.98, this fixed my AC!!! Done in 45 min and saved the $700+ I was quoted. 🤘😎👍
Also Honda people, there is a thermal protection switch made of brass that bolts to the compressor that are known to go bad from corrossion. Bypassing it or replacing it will also fix the clutch not engaging. The switch is designed to cut power to the coil that engages the clutch if the compressor gets too hot from lack of freon in the system. So first check your freon levels, if they are good, try cleaning the brass on the switch, or bypassing it. If the clutch kicks on after that, then you know it's not the clutch wear and thus avoid taking off the clutch and grinding it down or a use smaller shim. If it doesn't work then this video is the next step. Great how-to.
@James Bartley, I have an Acura RSX that is having this problem with the compressor not engaging. When you say "cleaning the brass on the switch" can you explain that a bit more? Where do I find that? Maybe that is my issue. Thank you.
@@texman1166 there is a wire that is going to your compressor, before it goes in behind your clutch and pulley there is brass piece that is screwed on to your compressor that it is wired to. Other things to check, if you have a feeler gauge, check the distance between the clutch and the pulley, it should be between .016 and .023 I believe. If it's more than that, your clutch is probably worn and all you have to do usually is pop the one bolt off holding the clutch and take off the only spacer it has or you might have to grind it down like this guy in the video. Buying a new clutch is preferred, they are cheap, but usually only found online. Also you can check for worn clutch by turning on the ac and tap the clutch while the car is running. If it engages, but disengages while revving the engine without reengaging after reaching idle again its probably worn. If it doesn't engage at all it probably electrical related (coil, thermal protector, a/c fuse)
Great video and another idea to use. Thanks. For anyone reading try removing the shims first and maybe grind the clutch wheel as the last resort since it's a higher risk fix. As magnetic clutches wear its common to have issues engaging. I've just learned this recently between my civic ac and lawnmower blade clutch!
What does this shim look like? Thank you for your reply. I'm gonna be looking at my wife's 04 Civic Hybrid soon, and we have a six month old baby. He gets so hot.
Just did this for our 04. New parts are in the mail. But we are going on a little road trip today and could use the air. Worked like a freakin charm! Raising a proverbial beer for you sir!
God bless you Sir!! I live in Texas, have all my life, but the summers are brutal with no ac! A guy told me he would have to drop the motor and put a washer on it somewhere. He also said I should replace the compressor, even though the ac is ice cold when it’s on…but doing the same problem, cutting off after awhile. Your effort to help we folks who can’t drop $1000 plus like it nothing, so appreciate your help & hacks!! I subscribed! 🙏❣️🙂
This fix worked great on a 2009 Honda Civic 1.8 liter, just removed the shim without having to use a grinder as others have suggested. Was able to get the bolt off without touching the bolts on the compressor after removing the inner fender. Let the compressor cool down and install a jumper in place of the relay to energize the coil which will aid in getting the bolt off as the belt will help keep the compressor shaft from turning. With the tight space used a 14mm shallow socket and a breaker bar.
This worked like a charm on my 04 crv. Already had a replacement compressor ready to go but hey if I can get another thousand miles maybe more with this trick I'm still saving on the evap/recharge service and all that. Nicely done sir!!
You sir just solved my ass backwards of a problem I have been dealing with for months. Thank you a million times man you just made my hole week! 07 civic
I had slight difficulty getting the bolt broken free. if you jam/wedge a specific sized wrench on the ac cluch plate so it wont spin freely. it should break free and slide off easily by hand. I had two different C-clamps I was working with and a wrench worked best.
Dremel with a diamond wheel if you have one gives a nice, smooth material removal. How far to go down? Judge from the inside. You can go down to just before where the splines start (the grooves on the inside of the spindle) , but no farther. About 1/8th to 1/16th of an inch before where they start was good for me! Thanks for this hack. Saved LOTS of cash ($400 to install plus cost of compressor kit). When remounting it, be sure to check that it spins freely (as per video). If not, put it back on but a quarter turn to the right or left. I got a flush/level mount the second time and it was crooked the first.
I did this with my 2008 Honda civic LX. The frame was a little more obstructive then earlier models but it worked like a charm. Saved me over $1000.00.
My 04 Civic had this problem and I did exactly as you mentioned in this video except I used a 120 grit flap wheel after I did the grinding to get a nice flat finish. I also made sure to take a light grind to it and work my way from there if it needed more which to you sir I say thank you because first attempt worked great! AC working again! I hope to get another year or two from this fix.
Mines had no shim so I took it down with my grinder just a quarter thickness like you said. It worked! Thanks brother!! Never had a/c for 6 years... Totally happy! It's hot in Hawaii! Great vid
Thanks man! I did this on my 2009 Civic Si (8th Generation) I took off about the size of a dime and that was too much too. I then added a 5/16 washer about the thickness of dime. Placed the clutch back on and it worked!!! Also, I had to take my compressor off and move it because the body of my car was in the way of accessing the bolt that holds the clutch on. First I had to remove the serpentine of course.
Thank you Shawn! Hardest part was putting the inside shroud back on. 2007 version, they put a post almost right in front of the clutch, made it a little trickier.
Definetly giving this a go, replaced the relay switch, fixed issue for a while, second relay switch replacement didn't fix the fix.... loving this hack, will try it and the comment about shim vs grinding 👍👍
I tried this on my 2001 Ford Taurus...removed compressr, removed clutch...removed spacer, grinded down clutch spindle, cleaned, wirewheeled, polished...installed...clutch Held!!!... BBBRRRRRRR ICE COOOOLD A/C!!!!
Man you don't know how much I appreciate this. About to try to fix my mom's.it was noisey like that and stopped yesterday Can't let her drive around in this NC heat.
Thank u shawn.. that was a awesome video .. i showed the video to my car mechanic. Told him do exactly as u did on the video.. work like a charm...even the mechanic was surprised... thanks once again...❤❤❤❤
For anyone with a Civic Hybrid, the AC Clutch is on the passenger side, not the drivers. Gonna try this soon and hopefully it fixes it. 04 Civic hybrid
@@shawnh9677 I haven't grinded it down, yet, as it was very dark last night but I did remove the shim between the clutch. And it's working so far like a charm! You are so amazing, thank you so so very much. I cannot even tell you how thankful I am. I have a six month old son who gets overly hot. We live in Arkansas, and are driving to Massachusetts soon for vacation. Thank you so very very much! Seriously. Thank you a million!! I'm subscribing to you.
@@shawnh9677 Really? What part of Arkansas? I live around the Mountain Home area. I'm not looking forward to these storms we're supposed to be getting today, but if it does rain I hope it downpours and cools us off some lol. We're traveling the first part of June to Massachusetts to visit my wife's family and since it's a hybrid, it's what we will be taking. It's was seriously so miserable driving around without the air.
Thanks so much, Shawn. It worked for me! Saved me $$. Hardest part was getting the nut off. The rest of it was easy. I really didn't have to grind very much off for it to work. My civic is now ice cold, thanks to you.
Did this trick back in the 80 on all GM's ... But good to see a new generation fingering things out for themselves like we did... " when your poor you live by poor ways"
I did what you said ground the clutch and guess what cold air. Had this Honda for ten years 186.000 miles . I ground the pully shaft about a 1/8 of a inch . Thank you
I'm subscribing just based on the comments on this. But seriously... Why is this not common knowledge by now? You're a genius, my friend. Makin' us southerners look GOOD.
Dude, u are a life saver! after hearing everything from the heat snyc on top of the compressor, to the evaporator low temp sensor,and compressor itself, i watched u, and said,,,shit!, i thought the entire pulley had to come off to get the clutch plate off, but, you were right 14mm,,,and it comes right off. damn, i pulled it off and low and behold, the plate was all rusted on the backside, not allowing the clutch solenoid to hold it in, cleaned, sanded, and put it back on, WORKS PERFECT!, thank go for the internet and youtube. greatest resource ever, i think if u wanted to do brain surgery, u could probalby find a detailed video on "how to"..gotta love the age of technology! thanks again!
Great video. You can also remove a shim. I did that on my 01 Cherokee. Got another year out of the a/c. I plan on removing a shim on my 07 crv. When it stops working in the next couple years, I'll grind down the clutch and get another year or 2. Thanks for the idea.
THIS just solved my problem with a 2004 rsx that cools when you first crank it up but stops right after it warms up. I just went out and checked the clearance between the drive plate and the constant roller plate and it is over .... 45 feeler guage. Used a screw driver to push the drive plate into the constant roller and it connected and cooled out the vents....... fk yes,,,, I WILL fix that shit tomorrow. Thank you for the info and bring my head out of my ass after not working on any cars since 1996. I thought for sure it was a friggin sensor on this automatic bs ac system. Back in the day with the old york compressors when you turned on the ac there was no kick in out out with auto controlled bs , they would hook up and run til you turned the AC off. same with the old general motors compressors. But with all the bs auto control , it can be a lot of things to keep it from coming on. Mine ,,,, I cranked it up, turned on ac and it cooled for a few minutes and then the auto air kicked it off ,,,, but when the condenser fan came back on the compressor drive did not do shit til I touched it with the screw driver and then it ran and cooled til the auto kicked it off. Thank you much. And yes, I KNOW this is a 2 year old video. :)
Thank you buddy fixed my problem perfect was going to order a clutch today but thought I would look for a better option. I cam across ur video and glad I did fixed it in twenty min. But I just pulled off that shim so I didn't have to grind it down.
Did you just pull off the one tiny thin shin inside? And it's worked fine? I pulled mine out last night, haven't got to try it yet. Hopefully it works now. 04 Civic Hybrid.
AFTER THOUGHT... Come to think of a couple cars I had did the EXACT SAME THING!! now I wish I didnt trade them in on other vehicles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this is a very tricky symptomatic intermittent bs problem with these types AC! Again Thanks! 2008 HONDA CIVIC LX REPAIRED!
would just like to thank you for this video! i have been barking up the wrong tree chasing an electrical or control system problem for the better part of the last 2 summers with this problem followed this video on my 2005 acura RSX type S and about 30 min in the passenger wheel well and my ac hasn't stopped running yet these past 2 90 deg days so thanks for the nudge in the right direction great vid!!!!
How hard was it getting to that? Aside from the obvious (wheel and splash shields), anything else that would help to get out of the way? Got the same model, same year, same problem.
Ohh man. Im starting to get these just now. I dont have any issues with my AC but these fixes are quite good to know. I have seen many upset people who coplain how their AC ain't working. When i bought my car i started to read ins and outs how things work as people are forced to buy new parts when old ones get a bit dirty or wear out a bit. Now days there are clutch kits on ebay that you can replace the worn out parts. But this is also a good fix for a buddy who just has a case of beer and promise you will have it if you fix hes shit.
That's good information to know. I just watched another video to replace my ac belt on my 2000 civic and saw this in recommended videos. I've got 231k miles on it, but haven't had this problem yet - it's probably coming. Thanks, Shawn!
Thank you you’re video helped me to fix my 2005 Honda Civics A/C. I would rather do it myself and it only took about 20min. That’s awesome thank you again
Awesome share! The AC motor on my 98 Civic busted open and released refrigerant while on the road so I had to buy an entirely new AC motor and will install it for next summer. But this is still great to know on how to troubleshoot future AC issues!
So, I did this, and, works great, but I did it a little bit differently. First I cleaned the surface rust off of both sides of the clutch, then I just removed the included shim washer that was there, no grinding needed, and it works perfectly
Thank you my good man . I took mine off using a rachet and a pair of channel locks to hold it in place. Not only is it colder but the compressor and fan come on at the same time . Beers on me .
nice fix and easy to do it. but you need to know why the clutch wont engage as it supposed to be. grinding down the clutch spline hub would help. maybe the spacer on the clutch was missing or the bolt was not properly torqued. anyway if that fix would last long then good. but if it would happened again i would suggest to replace the clutch assembly and the magnetic coil.
Right-on, going to give this a shot on my beater 2006 Civic since I've already gone through all the electrics and replaced the garbage factory clutch relay with Honda's revised part. Thanks for the video!
@@keanuyoshida8491 I didn’t have to grind, just pulled the shim off the back of the clutch and sprayed down all the clutch components with brake cleaner. Worked like a charm!
Much appreciated!!! Thought I was about to do a mandatory compressor replacement for sure but it kicked on as soon as I gave the clutch a little bump. Money saved!!!!
There are shims on the shaft between the clutch plate and the bearing. Removing them does the same thing. That way you won’t ruin your clutch plate by grinding it down until it’s unusable.
I just did this after looking up some forums. My 2007 civic had a black washer between the clutch assembly and compressor. I took that off instead of grinding it down
Holy crap. It worked. No grinder. Just removed the washer. Thank you!!!! This may have just saved my relationship. 🤣
Here we were with a compressor coil set and a compressor clutch set in our Amazon shopping cart. My husband and I debated whether to do the repair ourselves (ok, he would do the repair, I'd provide moral support) or just suck it up and pay the dealership the $1300 they quoted us. My husband has always done most all of the work on our cars but he never sweated over AC repairs, but it's my car and I NEEDED AC! So he checked out some videos on how to replace the two suspect items when we saw this Hack that would work on any Honda.....IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM!!! It only took him a couple of hours to do and saved us hundreds of dollars. These days it's rare that you can actually repair the damaged parts rather than replace them. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! After zillions of you tube videos watched this was the first one we have ever reviewed.
Thats great to hear. Glad it worked for you guys! Stay cool!
A mechanic told me that my problem was a blend door actuator. We tried your method first, and it fixed my air! Thanks!! Now these 95 degree days won’t be unbearable.
Kewl!
Door actuator 😅 Woww I can’t remember the time a door actuator was a problem in a Honda and I’ve had them since the 80s nice save!
Megan can you fix mine sweetheart?
Damn tried to scam you
I want to endorse this hack. I have a 2009 Civic. I was told a full replacement of a compressor was required with a cost of >$1200 cost. I was told by a Honda parts service person the problem is almost always the AC clutch. I figured, nothing to lose so followed this instruction. The AC clutch was a little tighter to the frame this this model year but ultimately worked great! Has been 2 years and absolutely no problems. I actually think the AC is better then it ever was. Thanks so much.
Here we are two years after you made this video I just watched it my wife's car having AC issues thank you very much and I am an experienced car guy and I didn't even know that thank you very much for the video
I had a same issue but I removed the spacer instead of shaving it down... & it’s been working flawlessly since I removed the spacer... thanks for the video it helped me resolve the issue
hi Damir Mumic, you said removed spacer and did you replace a new one? thankz...
Nornally there are 3 or 4 shim/spacer inside there. Just take out 1 or 2 to reduce the gap close enough between the clutch & pulley but not touching. It all shim being removed you may do what is done in the video or buy a new magnetic clutch.
@@MaCH-2X no I didn’t replace it I just removed one of the spacer/shim so the clutch sits closer and engages
ganna try to do this tomorrow :) thanks for the infi
I was doubtful when I clicked on the video, I was expecting some crap, but I'm happy to report that you are now one of my heroes.
The only people who dis Like this great tip and instructional are the AC cooling technicians.. Thanks for a great post
True
I love this tip! I’m just a broke college student 😂😩
Yeah because they know how wrong it is.
Also the ones who disliked are the people who hate his accent!
My vote is based off the sentence....."It got bout 6 diffrent prongs that go in and engage the compressor😂😂😂
I waited 2 weeks after performing this on my 05 Civic to comment, this actually "DOES" work, the thickness of a penny is about .053 thousands of an inch, & thats what I removed, I do have a vertical mill & was able to remove the material more uniformly & the AC has worked fine ever since. wonderful tip !
good to hear bud
Hey my clutch plate won’t come off the compressor any ideas?
@@drewm9185 take the bolt off the clutch & pry gently from opposing sides to wiggle it off possible , don't damage the clutch pads.
Thank you I
Wow omg! You are a genius! I just got out of the garage and they told me i had to change my AC Compressor for like 600$!!! I turned around and went back home desapointed. Didn’t want to spend that much for a 05 civic.
This fixed the issue on my 08 Civic ! I don't have the proper tools so I asked my local garage to try it and it worked for $40 of his time. Thank you so much!
Thanks Shawn. I filed down that clutch center piece on my 2009 Honda fit and it worked perfectly. I would suggest that folks find those clips that hold the splash guard on the fender before you pull it off. I broke the damn things getting them off. Thanks again for this money saving tip!
anytime glad it worked out. You can get those clips cheap on Amazon as well for around $8 bucks.
DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YOU DA MAN!!!! TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY AND YOU JUST GAVE ME A $900 BIRTHDAY PRESENT!!!!!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INNOVATION!!!! I used to be a car mechanic until I started driving a truck, and a dam good one at that certified in all areas but Heating and AC and Automatic Transmission's was my speciality at a Ford dealership! You think like I do but this fix is da BOMB (ooop's , now they gonna track stalk follow taze and arrest me for saying that word anyway who cares!) You got my AC blowing like an Eskimo after being chased by a grizzly!!!!!! THANK YOU AGAIN!!!!!!
Wow! Thank you thank you thank you! My daughters car is doing this exact thing.. Quote to replace compressor and clutch was $1600... I can't wait to try this!!! Daughter is gonna be happy!!! And also, thank you for a great "get to the point video" with no stupid music playing in the background and a decent camera that didn't make me sea sick with constant motion!!!
Did you fix it?
Before you take a grinder to it, there is a small shim between the clutch and compressor where it bolts up. Remove that shim with a small magnet first and see if it will work that way. Makes life easier.
Did this fix yours? My wife's 04 Civic hybrid is having this problem. Replaced the filter, and unclogged the AC hose. Same problem. Blows cold but when you drive it it's hot like when you turn off the AC completely but leave the fan blowing.
What does a shim look like? I'm trying this tonight and want to know before I buy a grinder. Thank you :)
@@theowlsofouterheaven the shim(s) are very thin washers.
@@theowlsofouterheaven just replace the clutch lol
@javier m No there is already a washer(shim) in there, remove it, that has the same effect of grinding and you can't over do it like grinding.
I just love these mechanics/technicians with that hick grit accent, who are smart as hell. The accent makes you think they ain't too smoort. Then then show you what's up. I used ta get fooled by that accent, but then I went to navy nuclear power, worked with some terrifically smart good ol boys from the South, and got my city ass handed to me in terms of smarts, problem solving, and being great ship mates. Wish Shawn had been on my boat. Oh, and like a good nuclear engineer, he starts most of his explanations with , "basically"
I'm from Arkansas, and I definitely think we know how to rig some things lol. I'm looking forward to trying this on my wife's car. We're going on a trip soon and she has a hybrid and it's doing this same thing. Did you try it?
Thank you! I think this is exactly why my ac was squealing, 700 dollars later, I am going to fix this myself! I almost sold the car just becus I’d have to wear a disguise driving my car becus that squealing was embarrassing asf! You’re a lifesaver!
Thanks Shawn!!! Although I did have to hit up Harbor Freight and grab an angle grinder and wheel for a whopping $15.98, this fixed my AC!!! Done in 45 min and saved the $700+ I was quoted. 🤘😎👍
Also Honda people, there is a thermal protection switch made of brass that bolts to the compressor that are known to go bad from corrossion. Bypassing it or replacing it will also fix the clutch not engaging. The switch is designed to cut power to the coil that engages the clutch if the compressor gets too hot from lack of freon in the system. So first check your freon levels, if they are good, try cleaning the brass on the switch, or bypassing it. If the clutch kicks on after that, then you know it's not the clutch wear and thus avoid taking off the clutch and grinding it down or a use smaller shim. If it doesn't work then this video is the next step. Great how-to.
@James Bartley, I have an Acura RSX that is having this problem with the compressor not engaging. When you say "cleaning the brass on the switch" can you explain that a bit more? Where do I find that? Maybe that is my issue. Thank you.
@@texman1166 there is a wire that is going to your compressor, before it goes in behind your clutch and pulley there is brass piece that is screwed on to your compressor that it is wired to. Other things to check, if you have a feeler gauge, check the distance between the clutch and the pulley, it should be between .016 and .023 I believe. If it's more than that, your clutch is probably worn and all you have to do usually is pop the one bolt off holding the clutch and take off the only spacer it has or you might have to grind it down like this guy in the video. Buying a new clutch is preferred, they are cheap, but usually only found online. Also you can check for worn clutch by turning on the ac and tap the clutch while the car is running. If it engages, but disengages while revving the engine without reengaging after reaching idle again its probably worn. If it doesn't engage at all it probably electrical related (coil, thermal protector, a/c fuse)
2011 Honda Civic, this worked like a charm!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!! So much!!!
How did you remove the bolt? Any advise on the wrench that I’m supposed to use?
Great video and another idea to use. Thanks. For anyone reading try removing the shims first and maybe grind the clutch wheel as the last resort since it's a higher risk fix. As magnetic clutches wear its common to have issues engaging. I've just learned this recently between my civic ac and lawnmower blade clutch!
What does this shim look like? Thank you for your reply. I'm gonna be looking at my wife's 04 Civic Hybrid soon, and we have a six month old baby. He gets so hot.
@@theowlsofouterheaven a shim is just a really thin round washer.
I did this to my 03 civic and it worked , thank you so much for saving me hundreds of dollars!!!
Cannot thank you enough for your help, I have 2 Civics 04 & 05 and they had those issues.
God Bless you and your family.
Just did this for our 04. New parts are in the mail. But we are going on a little road trip today and could use the air. Worked like a freakin charm! Raising a proverbial beer for you sir!
Worked for my 04 Civic, saved me $300 in half an hour. Thanks for the hack
God bless you Sir!! I live in Texas, have all my life, but the summers are brutal with no ac! A guy told me he would have to drop the motor and put a washer on it somewhere. He also said I should replace the compressor, even though the ac is ice cold when it’s on…but doing the same problem, cutting off after awhile. Your effort to help we folks who can’t drop $1000 plus like it nothing, so appreciate your help & hacks!! I subscribed! 🙏❣️🙂
This fix worked great on a 2009 Honda Civic 1.8 liter, just removed the shim without having to use a grinder as others have suggested. Was able to get the bolt off without touching the bolts on the compressor after removing the inner fender. Let the compressor cool down and install a jumper in place of the relay to energize the coil which will aid in getting the bolt off as the belt will help keep the compressor shaft from turning. With the tight space used a 14mm shallow socket and a breaker bar.
This worked like a charm on my 04 crv. Already had a replacement compressor ready to go but hey if I can get another thousand miles maybe more with this trick I'm still saving on the evap/recharge service and all that. Nicely done sir!!
You sir just solved my ass backwards of a problem I have been dealing with for months. Thank you a million times man you just made my hole week! 07 civic
How difficult was it to remove cluch
I had slight difficulty getting the bolt broken free. if you jam/wedge a specific sized wrench on the ac cluch plate so it wont spin freely. it should break free and slide off easily by hand. I had two different C-clamps I was working with and a wrench worked best.
Dremel with a diamond wheel if you have one gives a nice, smooth material removal. How far to go down? Judge from the inside. You can go down to just before where the splines start (the grooves on the inside of the spindle) , but no farther. About 1/8th to 1/16th of an inch before where they start was good for me! Thanks for this hack. Saved LOTS of cash ($400 to install plus cost of compressor kit).
When remounting it, be sure to check that it spins freely (as per video). If not, put it back on but a quarter turn to the right or left. I got a flush/level mount the second time and it was crooked the first.
holy shiitttt this WORKED. you just saved me $200 i was about to buy a new compressor/clutch assembly on amazon. damn man you are awesome!!!!
I did this with my 2008 Honda civic LX. The frame was a little more obstructive then earlier models but it worked like a charm. Saved me over $1000.00.
Bravo ! Great fix for an aging AC compressor clutch that works without buying new parts. THANK YOU!
My 04 Civic had this problem and I did exactly as you mentioned in this video except I used a 120 grit flap wheel after I did the grinding to get a nice flat finish. I also made sure to take a light grind to it and work my way from there if it needed more which to you sir I say thank you because first attempt worked great! AC working again! I hope to get another year or two from this fix.
Mines had no shim so I took it down with my grinder just a quarter thickness like you said. It worked! Thanks brother!! Never had a/c for 6 years... Totally happy! It's hot in Hawaii! Great vid
Thanks man! I did this on my 2009 Civic Si (8th Generation)
I took off about the size of a dime and that was too much too. I then added a 5/16 washer about the thickness of dime. Placed the clutch back on and it worked!!!
Also, I had to take my compressor off and move it because the body of my car was in the way of accessing the bolt that holds the clutch on. First I had to remove the serpentine of course.
This is a great hack. My 05 civic has 200k on it and the ac stopped working. Was going to buy a new compressor but I’m definitely trying this first!
Thank you Shawn! Hardest part was putting the inside shroud back on. 2007 version, they put a post almost right in front of the clutch, made it a little trickier.
Had the same issue with mine... zip tied that Sumbitch tho, she worked.... Shawn H you the man
Definetly giving this a go, replaced the relay switch, fixed issue for a while, second relay switch replacement didn't fix the fix.... loving this hack, will try it and the comment about shim vs grinding 👍👍
I tried this on my 2001 Ford Taurus...removed compressr, removed
clutch...removed spacer, grinded down
clutch spindle, cleaned, wirewheeled,
polished...installed...clutch Held!!!...
BBBRRRRRRR ICE COOOOLD A/C!!!!
Man you don't know how much I appreciate this. About to try to fix my mom's.it was noisey like that and stopped yesterday
Can't let her drive around in this NC heat.
AC technician: but you need to bring the car in for me to fix!
Shawn H in his confident accent: Hold my beer
Civic 2007 i confirm work 100% with removal of the small shim between the clutch and compressor --pull it with magnet
One of the few, hard to find, youtube gems
09 civic removed spacer washer behind compressor clutch. This video led me to the answer I needed. It works.
Sir i have 06civic but is it difficult to remove the bolt??
Thank u shawn.. that was a awesome video .. i showed the video to my car mechanic. Told him do exactly as u did on the video.. work like a charm...even the mechanic was surprised... thanks once again...❤❤❤❤
For anyone with a Civic Hybrid, the AC Clutch is on the passenger side, not the drivers. Gonna try this soon and hopefully it fixes it. 04 Civic hybrid
did ya get it fixed?
@@shawnh9677 I haven't grinded it down, yet, as it was very dark last night but I did remove the shim between the clutch. And it's working so far like a charm! You are so amazing, thank you so so very much. I cannot even tell you how thankful I am. I have a six month old son who gets overly hot. We live in Arkansas, and are driving to Massachusetts soon for vacation. Thank you so very very much! Seriously. Thank you a million!! I'm subscribing to you.
@@theowlsofouterheaven good to hear man glad you got it fixed im in Arkansas too getting ready for these storms this afternoon.
@@shawnh9677 Really? What part of Arkansas? I live around the Mountain Home area. I'm not looking forward to these storms we're supposed to be getting today, but if it does rain I hope it downpours and cools us off some lol. We're traveling the first part of June to Massachusetts to visit my wife's family and since it's a hybrid, it's what we will be taking. It's was seriously so miserable driving around without the air.
Yea no kidding man im down near Conway area myself.
Thanks so much, Shawn. It worked for me! Saved me $$. Hardest part was getting the nut off. The rest of it was easy. I really didn't have to grind very much off for it to work. My civic is now ice cold, thanks to you.
Steve Harrington what year is yours
mine was a 2003 Civic. About to try it on a 2006, fingers crossed.
Steve Harrington did it work on a 2006 8th gen civic???
Any advice for getting the nut off?
@@sawyerharrislive that nut is a BITCH! I had to buy a drill and eventually it worked.
this is the best fix yet I've seen for this problem ☺️
worked on my 2010 honda fit!!!! you're a lifesaver!!!!
Wow!!! Great trick! Worked on my 2010 CRV. Thanks.
Did this trick back in the 80 on all GM's ... But good to see a new generation fingering things out for themselves like we did... " when your poor you live by poor ways"
I did what you said ground the clutch and guess what cold air. Had this Honda for ten years 186.000 miles . I ground the pully shaft about a 1/8 of a inch . Thank you
My civic is having this very issue you just saved me 70 bucks and an hour or two of work!!
Bravo and thank you you for public service! I removed 1 of the 2 shims on my 2010, and it's blowing ice cold.
I'm subscribing just based on the comments on this. But seriously... Why is this not common knowledge by now? You're a genius, my friend. Makin' us southerners look GOOD.
Dude, u are a life saver! after hearing everything from the heat snyc on top of the compressor, to the evaporator low temp sensor,and compressor itself, i watched u, and said,,,shit!, i thought the entire pulley had to come off to get the clutch plate off, but, you were right 14mm,,,and it comes right off. damn, i pulled it off and low and behold, the plate was all rusted on the backside, not allowing the clutch solenoid to hold it in, cleaned, sanded, and put it back on, WORKS PERFECT!, thank go for the internet and youtube. greatest resource ever, i think if u wanted to do brain surgery, u could probalby find a detailed video on "how to"..gotta love the age of technology! thanks again!
I got calipers and measured a penny. 50 thou. I needed a 30 thou washer shim. ONLY SHAVE OFF 15-20 THOU!
Great hack tho. Much appreciated!
Great video. You can also remove a shim. I did that on my 01 Cherokee. Got another year out of the a/c. I plan on removing a shim on my 07 crv. When it stops working in the next couple years, I'll grind down the clutch and get another year or 2. Thanks for the idea.
What does a shim look like? Thank you!
This is my man, having this problem for a wile ago, I did try to many things but with no solutions. Thanks man.👍
Just stumbled upon this hack and about to try it. It sounds extremely promising. Fingers crossed!
Thanks Shawn!
THIS just solved my problem with a 2004 rsx that cools when you first crank it up but stops right after it warms up.
I just went out and checked the clearance between the drive plate and the constant roller plate and it is over
.... 45 feeler guage. Used a screw driver to push the drive plate into the constant roller and it connected and cooled
out the vents....... fk yes,,,, I WILL fix that shit tomorrow.
Thank you for the info and bring my head out of my ass after not working on any cars since 1996. I thought for sure
it was a friggin sensor on this automatic bs ac system. Back in the day with the old york compressors when you turned
on the ac there was no kick in out out with auto controlled bs , they would hook up and run til you turned the AC off.
same with the old general motors compressors. But with all the bs auto control , it can be a lot of things to keep it from
coming on. Mine ,,,, I cranked it up, turned on ac and it cooled for a few minutes and then the auto air kicked it off ,,,, but
when the condenser fan came back on the compressor drive did not do shit til I touched it with the screw driver and then
it ran and cooled til the auto kicked it off.
Thank you much.
And yes, I KNOW this is a 2 year old video. :)
Works on 06 civic ac compressor clutch too. Dude you are a life saver! Thanks for the video!
Thank you buddy fixed my problem perfect was going to order a clutch today but thought I would look for a better option. I cam across ur video and glad I did fixed it in twenty min. But I just pulled off that shim so I didn't have to grind it down.
Did you just pull off the one tiny thin shin inside? And it's worked fine? I pulled mine out last night, haven't got to try it yet. Hopefully it works now. 04 Civic Hybrid.
AFTER THOUGHT... Come to think of a couple cars I had did the EXACT SAME THING!! now I wish I didnt trade them in on other vehicles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this is a very tricky symptomatic intermittent bs problem with these types AC! Again Thanks! 2008 HONDA CIVIC LX REPAIRED!
would just like to thank you for this video! i have been barking up the wrong tree chasing an electrical or control system problem for the better part of the last 2 summers with this problem followed this video on my 2005 acura RSX type S and about 30 min in the passenger wheel well and my ac hasn't stopped running yet these past 2 90 deg days so thanks for the nudge in the right direction great vid!!!!
How hard was it getting to that? Aside from the obvious (wheel and splash shields), anything else that would help to get out of the way? Got the same model, same year, same problem.
Ohh man. Im starting to get these just now. I dont have any issues with my AC but these fixes are quite good to know. I have seen many upset people who coplain how their AC ain't working. When i bought my car i started to read ins and outs how things work as people are forced to buy new parts when old ones get a bit dirty or wear out a bit. Now days there are clutch kits on ebay that you can replace the worn out parts. But this is also a good fix for a buddy who just has a case of beer and promise you will have it if you fix hes shit.
This guy is awesome. I'd grab a beer with this dude.
Me too. If I still drank beer.
Me too. 1 Beer, 2 Straws.
That's good information to know. I just watched another video to replace my ac belt on my 2000 civic and saw this in recommended videos. I've got 231k miles on it, but haven't had this problem yet - it's probably coming. Thanks, Shawn!
I’m very surprised. Worked great on my 98 civic. Thanks.
I was looking for something else, but this great tip will fix another issue l have with my 04 civic. Thanks man
Great video. I think I have this problem right now with my wife's 2000 civic, thanks a bunch for this posting...
Wow never knew this, i have an 04 civic SI hatchback and does the same thing. Gotta try this when i get home. Thanks!
Just did this! Thanks man you are a lifesaver i live in louisiana so not having ac is a death sentence
Thank you you’re video helped me to fix my 2005 Honda Civics A/C. I would rather do it myself and it only took about 20min. That’s awesome thank you again
Nice hack!!! It is nice you explain how that clutch works and what was the problem with a nice zoom of the whole thing!
Awesome share! The AC motor on my 98 Civic busted open and released refrigerant while on the road so I had to buy an entirely new AC motor and will install it for next summer. But this is still great to know on how to troubleshoot future AC issues!
Beautiful! Thanks for the uncomplicated fix.
It worked. Thank you. Love this hack. Save me money. Only 30 min of work. Thank you.
I can't even imagine the money you have just saved me and my family. You are a legend.
Just did this and fix my cars ac issues thank you sir..
great info! i did this and now when air con is on it's cold! and snowing! 😳😀😀
Nice little trick!!! My clutch isn’t engaging, so im gonna give it a look see and ill let y’all know what happens!! Subbed!
You are invited to all our BBQs sir!!!! 💯
and he can take a plate home!
And a couple beers to go if there’s any left
Funniest comment!
Damn thanks man you just saved me $40 in a new compresor clutch I'm going to do this in my civic 01
So, I did this, and, works great, but I did it a little bit differently. First I cleaned the surface rust off of both sides of the clutch, then I just removed the included shim washer that was there, no grinding needed, and it works perfectly
That's what pro mechanics do, man.
Awesome job! Such an easy DIY repair. Saved me a ton of work and money.
Same here! Money I didn’t really have to spend! This guy is great!
Thank you my good man . I took mine off using a rachet and a pair of channel locks to hold it in place. Not only is it colder but the compressor and fan come on at the same time . Beers on me .
nice fix and easy to do it. but you need to know why the clutch wont engage as it supposed to be. grinding down the clutch spline hub would help. maybe the spacer on the clutch was missing or the bolt was not properly torqued. anyway if that fix would last long then good. but if it would happened again i would suggest to replace the clutch assembly and the magnetic coil.
Right-on, going to give this a shot on my beater 2006 Civic since I've already gone through all the electrics and replaced the garbage factory clutch relay with Honda's revised part. Thanks for the video!
Did it work?
@@keanuyoshida8491 I didn’t have to grind, just pulled the shim off the back of the clutch and sprayed down all the clutch components with brake cleaner. Worked like a charm!
This little hack will also work on 1997 Honda Civic too.
Much appreciated!!! Thought I was about to do a mandatory compressor replacement for sure but it kicked on as soon as I gave the clutch a little bump. Money saved!!!!
About time that there is finally a back yard mechcanic on this channel thank you sir
There are shims on the shaft between the clutch plate and the bearing. Removing them does the same thing. That way you won’t ruin your clutch plate by grinding it down until it’s unusable.
Just did this on a 2009 AcuraTsx and it work (THANKS)Found out you can press the middle out too if you dont have a grinder
Press what out? Could u explain it to me please i dont have a grinder and is so famn hot in my car here in texas
Thanks man, it worked for me, I was about to spend $300 that I didn't have on a new compressor that a Pep boys mechanic said I needed 😱😀.
That's because you do need a new compressor. Or at least a clutch. This is NOT a FIX. The tech was selling you a fix not a bandaid.
@@jessecampbell9261 Sure he was.
Boutta try this on my 03 civic lx before I replace the whole compressor. Will post back with update! 🤞🏻👍🏼 thanks man!
06 Accord this works. SAVED A TON!
I just did this after looking up some forums. My 2007 civic had a black washer between the clutch assembly and compressor. I took that off instead of grinding it down
Buy this man a beer
Organize that garage first