Some days you're the hammer...

[clutchdust]

...And some days you're the nail. Today was my day to be the nail.
Neighbor sees me working on my cars all the time so he stops by and asks me if I can fix the AC on his '04 Ram. I take a look and there is an obvious leak on the front shaft of the compressor so I say "no problem". After *no shit* ten hours today, I replaced the compressor, dryer, o-rings and orifice, put an initial charge of 134 in it and nothing. Try as I might, I can't get the compressor to kick on. No idea what it was doing. At 10pm I decided to call it a day, or night, and told the guy to forget I was there.
Can I just tell you how much I freakin' hate Dodge?

 

[big2bird]

...And some days you're the nail. Today was my day to be the nail.
Neighbor sees me working on my cars all the time so he stops by and asks me if I can fix the AC on his '04 Ram. I take a look and there is an obvious leak on the front shaft of the compressor so I say "no problem". After *no shit* ten hours today, I replaced the compressor, dryer, o-rings and orifice, put an initial charge of 134 in it and nothing. Try as I might, I can't get the compressor to kick on. No idea what it was doing. At 10pm I decided to call it a day, or night, and told the guy to forget I was there.
Can I just tell you how much I freakin' hate Dodge?

See if your getting 12v at the pressure switch when you call for cold.

 

[clutchdust]

Yeah, I'm suspecting the pressure switch too. There's only so much in the system. All fuses were good. Like I said though, it was 10pm and just time to hang it up for the night. I was just expecting to be done in early afternoon. Just one of those jobs where everything that could go wrong did.

 

[MYBAD79]

R134 systems have a low pressure switch and a high pressure switch to protect the compressor, the high pressure switch could be "stuck" preventing the compressor to kick on.....

If the compressor did not kick on at all I'd check the switches first. If it came on for a few seconds and then stopped then I'd look for an obstruction on the high pressure side like debris from the old compressor in the condenser or in the line to the expansion valve (orifice) ...

From what you're describing it sounds like it never kicked on so I'd go for the switches.....