If my compressor wheel isn't spinning how do I know if it is the compressor or the ac clutch? System is charged but ac is blowing hot air

did the mechanic vacuum the system to get any moisture out before re-charging?

clutch on pump could be bad

You need to have the refrigerant charge level checked, it sounds like it is low. You Need a set of AC pressure gauges to do this testing. If the system has a low charge the pressures will be very low in the low side testing port.

Have the dealer check to see if the AC compressor cycling switch is stuck.

What do you mean when you say it wont shut off? is it blowing hot air or do you just feel a lite flow of hot air even if you have the settings to cold?

If this is the problem that you always feel hot air at low flow and the ac goes to hot air then i would say one of two things, first if you have the selector to cold and you feel hot air then there may be a problem with the blend door, this door move to allow hot or cold air, the door may be broken or just a bad motor that controls it. keep in mind if the ac system shuts down for any reason the air then will be warm, it will be about the same temp as outside and maybe a little hotter.

this problem almost sounds like the ac compressor shuts off and then you are getting the outside air which is hot, there are many reasons for the compressor to shut off, it could be the compressor clutch heating up and disengaging , this would be due to a bad compressor clutch.

another reason is the fans are not working, the best thing to do is when the system starts to blow warm check and see if the compressor is running, start engine and look at the front of compressor, with ac off the front of it will not move, and then with ac on the front will spin, check it out and let me know, if it blows warm air and ac is not working then it may be compressor problem but if you are getting warm air and the compressor is spinning then it may be a door problem.

This is hard to check with out testing the system, so i listed a few things to check and let me know the out come. also the ac blows cold for how long before it gets hot air blowing out of the vents, good day.

My 2003 Toyota Camry AC often starts blowing hot air and the AC light starts blinking. I don't know why the following process works, but it does. Using the temp selector (left) reduce the temperature all the way down to Max Cold and then push the Auto button. It will start blowing out very cold air. After a little while push the temp selector to the desired temperature.

Might be your AC clutch isn't kicking in(actuating).OR you might not have enough refrigerant in the system to tell the low-pressure cut-off to actuate the clutch.
Staying clear of the engine with any loose clothing, look down at the AC compressor while someone starts the engine and turns the dial from OFF to MAX air and you should be able to see the pulley end of the compressor grab and start pumping.
If it doesn't,it could need more refrigerant,but more likely it is a blown AC fuse or circuit breaker.There is sometimes a row of relays in a box in the engine compartment.They occasionally need replaced just like a fuse. don-ohio (:^)

If all you get is hot air there are several possibilities. The compressor is driven by the serpentine belt and is engaged and disengaged by an electric clutch mounted on the compressor drive pulley. With the engine running, have an assistant turn on the AC while you observe the AC compressor clutch. If the clutch engages, you can be reasonably sure that the system has freon, and the electric circuit is OK. If the clutch doesn't engage, which is the most likely situation, either you are low on freon, the AC clutch relay is inop, or AC compressor fuse is open (blown). A search of Google images will give you the location of the AC relay. You can pull out the relay, carefully remove the cover, reinsert the relay, and engage the compressor clutch by manually closing the relay contacts. Warning: do this only for a second or two in order to see the clutch engage. If the clutch does engage, then you are probably low on freon. There is a safety switch that prevents the clutch from operating if there is not enough freon in the system. Hopefully, this is the case. Go to Walmart and get two cans of r-134 and the inexpensive kit, and following their instructions, charge your system. If this is not the problem, you'll need a set of AC gauges and the skill to use them. Hope this helps. Dano

I would check the following possibilities:
1. Is compressor clutch working? - You need to do this when the ac is blowing hot air only - locate compressor drive pulley on engine - rubber belt wraps around it. Start engine and set to max ac. When the ac is blowing hot air, look at the center of the compressor drive pulley using a good flash light - watch it for a while, it should be spinning with the pulley - this means the compressor is engaged. If not, the compressor is not engaged. If your ac is blowing hot air, then the compressor should be engaged and running (trying to cool). If it is not engaged, then your compressor clutch is probably going out. Could be low voltage to clutch, but more likely the clutch is worn out and only working some of the time. Note: if working normally, the compressor clutch will engage and disengage in cycles- but the air should always be cold. If clutch is bad, compressor would need to be replaced (sold as one unit). This is tricky to diagnose and could take some time - you need to do it when ac is blowing hot air but set to max cooling.

2. Low on refrigerant or refrigerant has moisture in it? If your ac blows cold initially after being off for a while, then heats up, and continues to regularly cycle back and forth between hot and cool air, then the system may be low on refrigerant or the refrigerant may have moisture in it that is freezing and restricting refrigerant flow. An a/c shop can check refrigerant level and even replace refrigerant if moisture is suspected.

Could be other issues, but I would start with these.

Good luck

possibl ac compressor clutch problem,cooling fan at rad not working so ac goes into high press mode and turns off(so it doesn,t blow system apart,built in safety)not enough r134 in system(low charge)