2001 Peterbilt 379 ac help please

Discussion in 'Heavy Duty Diesel Truck Mechanics Forum' started by Trevor19, Jun 16, 2025.

  1. Trevor19

    Trevor19 Bobtail Member

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    I ch
    I checked all the prongs and they are good. I will check to see where the thermostatic switch is located.
     
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  3. Trevor19

    Trevor19 Bobtail Member

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    system was flushed both times I repaired it. First time was just the lines themselves since I replaced all the hard parts (condenser, evaporator, ets). This time I once again did all the lines and the hard parts.
     
  4. Trevor19

    Trevor19 Bobtail Member

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    Yea lines were blown out, I recently read some people claim of the citrus smell just kind of being there for awhile so maybe what I purged out of the gauge lines was not the actual liquid cleaner but it did smell citrus. I just didn’t like that. I pulled 3 different vacuums for a considerable amount of time each as to boil off any residual cleaner, one I bottled up over night to check for leaks. It’s not necessarily cheaper at this point to pay a shop since all the parts have been replaced and it seems as there’s just an electrical gremlin to chase down. Only thing a shop could do better than me is to possibly re flush, vacuum, and charge it up. But for the sake of saying screw it im done with it, sure I’m about to take it to a shop.
     
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  5. Trevor19

    Trevor19 Bobtail Member

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    The new pressure switches were installed correctly, the only one you can really mess up is on the high side you have the one on the firewall and the one near the radiator. But I got them through Peterbilt so they were verified to be the right one for the locations. I believe the hi and lo were different sizes but I’m sure I can manage to mess that up too lol.
     
  6. Star Rider

    Star Rider Road Train Member

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    If that relay is clicking when you hit the switch you have eliminated the in cab problems.
    The issue is under the hood.
     
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  7. Trevor19

    Trevor19 Bobtail Member

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    That’s what I was hoping for at this point. Tomorrow im going to remove all the wire from the loom from the compressor all the way to the firewall connection and do the same for the sensor wires and hope that there’s a break or something. Once I get it to at least turn the compressor on I’m not going to actually use the compressor until I get it to a shop for a flush, new dryer and orfice tube, a proper vacuum and charge. It’s just odd it was working until the last compressor gave out and now that I’ve replaced what needed replaced it has a new issue. That’s just kinda my luck though I guess lol.
     
  8. Star Rider

    Star Rider Road Train Member

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    Troubleshooting A/C with Paccar was always easy. I hated International! you had to clear codes at one point to even recharge.
     
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  9. Trevor19

    Trevor19 Bobtail Member

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    if not I’m he
    Oh boy. Well I appreciate your help with all of this. I’ll let ya know what it was when I figure it out. If I don’t figure it out I’m going to stop by this shop on my return trip where there’s a gem of a mechanic and I’ll let ya know what he finds. It will probably be him who finds it, but I ain’t quitting until I get it to him!
     
  10. bjytech

    bjytech Light Load Member

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    You won't find a thermostatic switch on your Peterbilt, they just have 3 switches controlling the clutch relay.
    Low pressure switch → high pressure switch → switch on the control panel.

    In your fuse panel, bottom right side should be 3 relays stacked, from top to bottom those 3 are:
    A/C compressor,
    cab fan low,
    fresh/recirculate air.

    Depending on where the controls are at when the AC is turned on it will activate both the AC comp. And cab fan low relays.

    If you don't have any power at any pins for your AC clutch relay with key on you have a power issue in the fuse box.
    Fuse is the bottom one on the left hand side of the fuse box and it directly feeds both powers you should have on the AC clutch relay.
     
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  11. Trevor19

    Trevor19 Bobtail Member

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    attached is a picture of my fuse panel. Something seems to be off. The only relay that I feel click when I press the ac button on/off is the one on the bottom near the right.

    I replaced the fuse you were talking about and it didn’t change anything unfortunately. I was hoping for it to be simple like that since it was working not that long ago.
     

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