So I’ve got a 2001XJ8 90,000 miles and the AC does not want to work. What I do know is the clutch is not engaging running the car turning it on and off the AC it does not engage the clutch. Now I don’t know if my Freon is so low that it won’t engage or what but if it does not engage am I to understand that it will not take the Freon? Or whatever they’re calling this new additive for ACs? I doubt that this car is ever had any maintenance on the AC. Thanks for any help

 

The pressure switch has to reach a minimum before the clutch will engage, so it may just be low. Of course, there are other possibilities.

 

But if I buy just a can of refrigerant to refill it will it take it into the system without the pump engaged?

 

pay an ac guy and get it vacuumed/measured and refilled correctly.

diy with manifold gauges is still a ball buster

 

I think that’s the best advice Even get a quote ahead of time? This is more complicated than I was expecting

 

So I got an education on the AC. My clutch would not engage on the compressor and I had no air-conditioning so I finally bought a can of coolant and had a gauge on it from the auto parts store after reading the instructions and I knew that I wanted about 35 psi in my system it said to turn the air conditioning on full and with the car running put it on in there and then check the pressure with it it only had about 3 pounds of pressure to begin with then I hooked it up for real and started charging it took a few minutes but it got up to 35 psi I put just a little bit more in there and then disconnected it I did not hear the clutch kick in. But after getting a cap on the system I went and took a look and it was running. Felt inside the car and I had air-conditioning It is working very well and cold. The place where I refilled it was near the firewall on the passenger side just reaching over the top fender and there was a plastic cap on it it was actually an easy fix

 

Sounds like you did it correctly: just don't overfill it and blow the pressure switch (you can guess how I know that).