Hi I just bought a 2005 Honda Civic in Feb and being Feb I did not need to try the A/C much. Now being the middle of summer I am in need of it. Well it doesn't work. The button for the A/C lights up but that is about it. Same thing with my recirculate and my defrost buttons. They all light up but none of those systems actually work. My blower works and the heat works but that is not part of the three button cluster below the radio. Trying to figure out what else I can trouble shoot with this system. Fuses are fine, been checked. Lights are on for the buttons again systems just don't work.
Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

 

The Climate Control Unit has a self-diagnosis function.

Running the Self-diagnosis Function

Turn the fan switch OFF.
Press the recirculation control switch and the rear window defogger switch.
While holding the both switches down, turn the ignition switch ON (II), then release the both switches. The recirculation indicator light and the rear window defogger indicator light come on. The recirculation indicator light goes off 2 seconds later and the A/C indicator light comes on (if so equipped), then the self-diagnosis will begin. About 10 seconds later, the self-diagnosis will finish and the A/C indicator light goes off. The recirculation indicator light will blink the Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) to indicate a faulty component. If no DTC's are found, the indicator light will not blink.
NOTE: LHD type is shown, RHD type is symmetrical.

 

Sorry don't mean to sound dumb but what does


NOTE: LHD type is shown, RHD type is symmetrical.

mean. Thanks

 

LHD = driver sits in the left front seat (cars sold in USA, etc where they drive on the right side of the road).
RHD = driver sits in the right front seat (cars sold in UK, Japan, etc where they drive on the left side of the road).
It's just saying that the picture (which anibis didn't copy) in the service manual will be mirror image if it's a RHD model.

 

Ok so I did that, it didn't bring back any errors. It didn't do much of anything really. What was supposed to happen.

 

If the test was initiated successfully, you should see the lights change and hear motors running behind the dash for the 10 second test.

The control panel test only tests a few things. It should pick up a problem with the recirculate control motor though. If you hear the motor run when you push the button but the air doesn't change to recirculate, the gears could be stripped or the linkage broken. This can be inspected by removing the glove box, no need to take the whole dash apart.

There are lots of other reasons for the A/C to not work which the test will not detect. Most common is to have a refrigerant leak, if the pressure is zero the pressure switch will shut down the whole system except for the light on the dash coming on.

The defogger will not work if all the strips are damaged (which can happen if someone incorrectly cleans the inside of the rear window), the fuse or relay under the hood are bad, or the wires are broken (hatchbacks where the wires flex every time the hatch is opened). This is more of a winter issue but a good test is to turn the key on and press the button, then measure with a voltmeter at the contacts on the window to see if power is being supplied to it.