2011 CRV compressor thermal switch

[troyport]

Hello all! Thanks in advance for any help! 2011 CRV, AC comp and fan does not come on. Pressure at rest about 70. All fuses good, heat works, indicator lamp on controls light up. Jumpered ac relay and fan relay, cools great, pressures good. Removed those jumpers and reinstalled the relays. Then jumpered thermal switch on compressor, and compressor and fan came on, cooled great. But, now controls have no effect, can't shut it off. I thought the thermal switch was just a single pole normally closed switch, so jumping it would simulate a normal state. I don't understand why control panel has no effect on it. Remove jumper and it shuts off. Any advice? P.S. - when I refer to a fan, I mean radiator fan. Cabin fans works correctly.

[JohnHere]

You jumpered the thermal switch, which is prone to fail, and the system came on. Chances are, it's the switch that's defective.

[troyport]

Car has been in the family for many years. It's now my daughter's, and she came to visit today so I am not around the car much anymore. 2 years ago I replaced the compressor due to the clutch coil failing. Pulled a deep vacuum and weighed in the charge. I jumpered the 2 wire switch on the compressor, may have misnamed it. With that jumped, was surprised the controller would no longer shut it off. Thanks for the reply.

[troyport]

Did you change your reply?
Regardless, what you just said was my first thought. But with that switch jumpered, why will nothing shut it off? Even turning off the entire HVAC system via the fan switch, the rad fan and compressor never shuts off.

[JohnHere]

I mixed-up my responses. Apologies for the confusion.

Getting back on topic, if the switch has failed "open" and needs to be replaced, it's possible that the system set a hidden trouble code that's causing the problem of not shutting off. Most parts outlets like AutoZone can scan it for you and clear any codes, usually at no charge. It's worth a try, I think.

[troyport]

Thanks again for the reply. Next time she's here I will jumper it again and play with the controller. I found a procedure for resetting by pushing some buttons. I have a Foxwell scanner, can watch the status of a ton of stuff, and manually actuate components, and reset codes. It was a ton of help on my 2015 accord evap issue. She needed a jump start this winter, maybe the system needs a reboot after the funky voltage when the battery was weak, or she cooked something in the controller. Any other advice? Thanks.

[JohnHere]

With the multiple capabilities of your scan tool--probably more advanced than what the parts suppliers have--you might be able to identify the issue that's causing the no-shut-off problem and fix it yourself. Just replacing the switch with an OEM part might also correct it. Last resort is taking it to a dealer for diagnosis and repair, which I'm sure wouldn't come cheaply.

[troyport]

Thank you. I will post back when I see my daughter again.