Hiya, I have a 1999 v6 3.0l auto s-type
The air con doesn't work,
I have checked fuses and the control panel seems ok.

The clutch isn't kicking in when A/C is turned on
but if I run a live wire direct to it it does kick in,

However even with this direct wire with the clutch activated I stil don't get cold air even when I left it running for a while.

Do I have 2 seperate problems?
Does the A/C fluid need filling up before the clutch will kick in,

I have also had a battery drain problem recently that I think I have sorted, don't know if this has anything to do with it.
Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated,
Thanks, Bill

 

If you force it to run with too little fluid you'll ruin the compressor. Get it checked/filled.

 

Yes. You need adequate refrigerant or else the clutch won't engage. There is a pressure sensor on the low side that checks to prevent you from engaging the compressor without fluid in the system. This is a safety feature to prevent from killing the compressor by running it dry.