A/C Pulsing - is this normal?

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frood
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Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 8:54 pm
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A/C Pulsing - is this normal?

Post by frood »

1993 Legacy Wagon

Symptom:
When the A/C is turned on, the compressor will pulse/release in a regular cycle:
ENGAGED 8 seconds
DISENGAGED 10 seconds
(times are guesstimates based on memory)

Now, I had a rental Ford Focus that would disengage the A/C compressor clutch when you hit the throttle hard or were climbing a hill to favor acceleration. Is this perhaps a SUBARU idea to squeeze out fuel efficiency? It doesn't affect the cooling too much, but it gets COLD then it kind of wanes just a bit... then it gets COLD... then wanes etc.

The system was just converted to R134a from R-12 but it ALWAYS did this even with R-12 at proper charge.

Lemme know!

BTW - the ol' 1993 Legacy Wagon gets 28-30 MPG on the highway -with- the A/C on. =)
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