# AC Compressor Cycles too quickly



## jkorotki (May 28, 2021)

Hello all! I am working on a 2016 Rogue for a friend and here's the condition. The AC compressor (when it feels like it) will momentarily turn on and off. It only stay engaged for about 2 seconds. The system has been evacuated and is fully charged. When it feels like working the AC blows very cold. I also took a stab at replacing the intake temp sensor which many forums suggest. This did not work either. I have verified the on/off condition using a snap-on scanner and all other parameters seem to be within spec. There aren't any codes whatsoever stored in the vehicle. Anyone have any experience or direction related to this issue? Thanks in advance!


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## VStar650CL (Nov 12, 2020)

Gen2 Rogues all have swash plate compressors, not cycling clutch. They should never cycle unless there's an over- or under-pressure that causes the ECM to kill it. You either have a wrong charge in the system or there's a high-side blockage causing it to go overpressure.


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## jkorotki (May 28, 2021)

Thanks for the reply!! So how would we explain the intermittent “proper” functioning of the system? I would think a blockage would remain consistent no? Perhaps I should put a set of gauges on it when it’s screwing up and see if we get a pressure spike? Are there any “known” causes of an intermittent blockage? This young lady just moved to NY to be a teacher and I don’t want to see someone just throwing parts at it.


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## VStar650CL (Nov 12, 2020)

Most likely it's just overcharged. There is one other possibility, which is a swash stuck in the "maximum" position. That would be unusual because they generally stick at minimum, but it's easy to check. Set the system on "coldest" and the blower on maximum, if the cycling slows dramatically then the swash is causing the overpressure.


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## jkorotki (May 28, 2021)

Nothing changes the duration of it cycling. I asked her to bring it by later and I am going to throw gauges on it. Provided it is acting up of course. When hooked to the scanner you can see the request for clutch being told on and off. So somewhere a module is seeing something it doesn't like but I can't see what it is. Frustrating for sure. All the relevant inputs seem within normal specs. Ambient, In car, sunload, etc.....


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## VStar650CL (Nov 12, 2020)

The ECM is in charge of that, it's the one monitoring the system pressure. If it was a dead sensor (high or low) the ECM would be aborting turn on, so that isn't it. Like I said, the most likely culprit is simple overcharging.


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## jkorotki (May 28, 2021)

So we would see that it’s spiking high either with a manual gauge or through the scanner correct?


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## VStar650CL (Nov 12, 2020)

Yes, but the sensor will only give you voltage and not psi, and I don't think there's a graph for it. If memory serves, something around 1V static and 1.5~2V running should be about right.


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## jkorotki (May 28, 2021)

Thanks. Obviously it’s working correctly at the moment. Seems to work fine on college days and acts up around 80 degrees ambient.


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## VStar650CL (Nov 12, 2020)

That's different too. If it only acts up after some road time on hot days then most likely the TXV Valve is stuck and freezing up. Since the TXV is basically the junction between the high and low sides, that will make the system go overpressure and short-cycle. Does it act right again after it's shut off and sits for ten minutes? If so, an icing TXV is almost certain.


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## jkorotki (May 28, 2021)

Haven’t shut it off and waited ten. However, yesterday she came to the house with it working perfectly. I shut the car off, took 5 minutes to change the air intake sensor and when restarted car it went back to not working. I watched the air intake respond upward in temp and the clutch started cycling. Doesn’t really sound like an icing issue?


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## VStar650CL (Nov 12, 2020)

Nope, it doesn't. TXV icing happens under high cooling loads (hot days, cold settings) and usually takes at least 10~12 minutes of driving to happen. It's the result of the TXV being stuck in a "halfway" position with the evap demand being very high, and it literally closes off the TXV orifice with ice. That's why a 10 minute pause temporarily cures it, because the ice melts. Yours sounds more like a borderline overcharge. The freon in the system will "cook" temporarily when you shut off the engine warm, just like coolant does, so you'll get a temporary rise in pressure just like coolant. My bet is that the 5 minutes of sitting cooked up enough pressure to exceed the limit programmed into the ECM.


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## jkorotki (May 28, 2021)

I really want to get a set of gauges on it when it’s happening. When I had them on while it was working they were about 180 and 45. She DID recently have the system recharged though. It is entirely possible that whoever did it used a can instead of a metered machine. Something is telling the compressor to shut off and it sounds like something like it could be the ecm seeing a high pressure and doing “what is supposed to”. TO BE CONTINUED! She has an appt with a local Nissan dealer tomorrow and it isn’t going to be hot out so I am sure they won’t see anything wrong.


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## VStar650CL (Nov 12, 2020)

If you can get it to misbehave, there's a simple overcharge test that requires a spray bottle of water or a garden sprayer. It's not 100% accurate because a gross overcharge can fool it, but you obviously don't have a gross overcharge. When the AC misbehaves, spray a heavy mist of water on the condenser. This will cause a brief but enormous pressure drop on the high side of the system. If all of a sudden it's acts normal, you're overcharged.


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## jkorotki (May 28, 2021)

I will definitely try that, makes sense.


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## jkorotki (May 28, 2021)

So Nissan can’t duplicate concern (it’s been cold). I did learn that she had the system evacuated and charged BECAUSE of this issue. The guy who did it DID use a tank and gauges so there’s a chance he overcharged it however, this doesn’t explain why she was having trouble in the first place. Perhaps it was two different issues but at this point we won’t know. I told her when it acts up to come by and I would check for over charge. Thanks again.


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## Mmorg (Jun 22, 2021)

I am having a fairly similar experience and it is so frustrating. We have replaced the evap sensor, ensured there is adequate Freon, put it on a computer. Nothing fixes it!! So happy to see someone else is suffering like I am!! Mine is a 17 SV 
Any updates?


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## VStar650CL (Nov 12, 2020)

Mmorg said:


> I am having a fairly similar experience and it is so frustrating. We have replaced the evap sensor, ensured there is adequate Freon, put it on a computer. Nothing fixes it!! So happy to see someone else is suffering like I am!! Mine is a 17 SV


Dunno about the OP, but same advice. The Rogue compressor is a swash plate type and should _never_ cycle. Find why it's going over- or under-pressure and you'll find the culprit. Blockages causing overpressure can usually be tracked down by feeling for very cold or frozen spots where they shouldn't be cold.


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## jkorotki (May 28, 2021)

Mmorg said:


> I am having a fairly similar experience and it is so frustrating. We have replaced the evap sensor, ensured there is adequate Freon, put it on a computer. Nothing fixes it!! So happy to see someone else is suffering like I am!! Mine is a 17 SV
> Any updates?


She took it to Nissan recently and they advised changing the condenser. I haven’t heard from her in a bit so it may have worked. The symptoms don’t indicate a condenser to me but if it is fixed, I am happy for her.


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## VStar650CL (Nov 12, 2020)

She may have broken the dessicant bag in the receiver dryer and they had to and replace it and flush the lines back to the TXV. The R/D comes with the condenser as an assembly.


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