Brief hesitation while driving with a/c on.

First time using the AC since last year and today i noticed intermittent hesitation while driving, at first i thought it was wind gusts, but after turning the AC off and on a few times I narrowed it down to being related to the AC being on. It would happen maybe every 30 seconds, not drastic like taking my foot off the gas, but more like what i thought it was, a brisk gust of headwind.

Didn't really affect drivability, just annoying as something is clearly not quite right.

Any ideas fellas?

 

Your compressor can cycle every 30 seconds or so. I don't notice any hesitation when mine cycles but maybe there is an issue with your AC clutch binding that causes the engine to bog down slightly.

May want to Inspect the serpentine belt as well

Just spitballing. .

 

Is there an easy way to tell if my ac clutch is binding?i assume its not under any load until the engines running and ac is on..
Belt looks to be in good condition, no unusal noises that i could hear when the hesitation kicks in.

 

I feel like my A/C puts an over the top load on my engine... i get hesitations as well when its running. I figured its the A/C clutches but will continue driving it as is for now. Like if i'm just cruising on the freeway i can definitely tell when it kicks on/off.

 

Not sure of an easy way to test the clutch. I think you can replace just the clutch but if I recall it is is a tough location on the v8. However, and as much as I hate the parts cannon approach, if you're gonna go through that trouble, replace the whole compressor

That being said, too much freon can make the compressor lock up. That is why I hate the "add freon" kits. If you have access to a manifold, check the low and high pressures. May want to have the freon captured and start with the proper measured amount of freon and pag oil. Of course, you will need to put a vacuum on it to boil off any water and remove other impurities. So having the equipment (manifold, vacuum pump and small scale) is key.