AutoTemp II, The Inside Story (Link)
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AutoTemp II, The Inside Story (Link)



Robert,

I took an old AutoTemp II servo out of storage and
photographed its construction from top to bottom. 

You can see the electrical circuit, the vacuum
circuit, the sweep arm, the motor, the transmission,
the flawed valve chamber, and even the lockout switch.

Point your web browser to:
http://www.duricy.com/gallery/albums.php

When you see the picture of the AutoTemp servo, click
on it to enter the album.

Now I'll try to answer the questions in your original
e-mail.

--- Robert Weldon <rweldon@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
 
> After starting
> the car, I watched the servo as the car warmed up,
> to see if I could see any signs of it functioning.

Thanks to my aluminum servo, my memory is hazy.
However, I believe that if you put the igntion in the
"On" position, the servo will be activated. Without
the noise of the engine, you'll better hear servo
movement.
 
> I didn't hear any noises, and when I pulled the case
> apart again, with the engine still running and at
> operating temperature, I noticed that the motor on
> the bottom of the unit would turn very slowly, and
> only if I helped it.  

> The system appeared to be
> stuck on high heat, no amount of changing the
> temperature knob would change the temp, nor would
> changing from low to high a/c or how or high
> defrost, and there was no sign of the A/C compressor
> clutch working.  I also noticed a slight amount of
> coolant inside the casing, again in the part where
> the motor goes, although I could not see where it
> was coming in, and it remained only a small amount
> on the bottom of the housing.

These are classic symptoms of a compromised servo. The
plastic has failed, liquid has entered the servo body,
the motor is frozen, the gears are rusted together,
the sweep arm is stuck to the circuit board, etc.

When the servo is stuck, it is stoped at the fan
speed, door position, and temperature level where it
was when it died.

> My questions are, how do I test this motor in the
> servo to see if is in fact, actually working, and
> are replacement motors available and at a reasonable
> cost.  

You can hook up the servo (off the car) to a 12 volt
transformer. If a replacement motor is available,
you'll have to find the match yourself.

And when you do, your new motor will be just as doomed
by the plastic body.

> Also I couldn't figure out the purpose of the
> smaller motor mounted in the top part of the server,
> it never seemed to do anything while I played with
> the system, and I couldn't determine it's purpose.

That's not a motor. It is somekind of switch. It can
only turn when the real motor tells it too. If the
real motor is frozen, well. . .
 
> And finally, how do I know if the a/c compressor
> clutch is engaged, I am assuming the outer part of
> the pulley should be spinning with the pulley?  

You can tell when the compressor is engage when the
center portion spins.

However, the compressor will only operate if there is
enough refrigerant in the system.

You can still see if current is getting to the clutch
by using a test light. I recently did this with my '68
Crown, which uses a different AutoTemp system but the
same A/C clutch.
 
> Anyway, I am hoping I can get some answers or
> suggestions from the gurus here, otherwise I will
> have to spend actual money at an a/c specialist in
> town, although I don't want to spend money getting
> the refrigerant flushed and changed over until I
> know the system is functional.  

Unless your A/C expert is an exceptional fellow who
once worked for a Chrysler dealer, you're likely to be
disappointed. As has happened to me, you'll probably
end up with a fat bill, a damaged car, and no
air-conditioning.

For me, the money was better spent on an aluminum
servo, tools, and education.
 
> Robert Weldon
> 
> 72 Imperial 2 dr (for sale)

Is your AutoTemp in the 2-door '72 Imperial? The '72
and '73 2-doors are among my favorite. What color is
it and does it have bucket seats?

Good Luck!
Dave


                
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