P0530 to P0539 and P0645 to P0647: air conditioning sensors and compressor relay
The air conditioning's refrigerant pressure sensor or evapourator temperature sensor has a circuit fault or an implausible reading, the system has lost refrigerant (P0534), or the compressor clutch relay circuit has a fault.
SeverityLowLittle risk to the car, but the fault stays until it is repaired.
Can you keep driving?Safe to drive, book a checkWhat does P0530 mean?
The engine computer runs the air conditioning compressor, so it watches the refrigerant pressure and the evapourator temperature to switch the compressor on and off, raise the idle and start the cooling fans. If the pressure is too low or the sensor cannot be trusted, it keeps the compressor off to protect it, and the cabin is no longer cooled. P0534 means the system has lost refrigerant, almost always through a leak, so a top-up alone will not last.
What causes P0530?
- A refrigerant leak at a pipe joint, the condenser or the compressor seal
- A failed pressure sensor or evapourator temperature sensor
- A failed compressor clutch relay or a blown fuse
- A damaged wire or connector at the sensor in the engine bay
- A condenser damaged by stones at the front of the car
What to check first for P0530
- Check whether the compressor clutch engages when the air conditioning is switched on
- Have the refrigerant pressure read with gauges and compared with the sensor reading
- Have the system leak-tested before it is refilled
- Check the compressor relay and fuse
Can you drive with P0530?
You can drive safely. The air conditioning will not cool, so in hot weather keep the cabin ventilated, and if the windscreen fogs without it, use the demister and do not drive until you can see clearly.
Since May 2018 an engine warning light that stays on is a major defect at the MOT, so the car fails until the fault is fixed.
Codes on this page
13
- P0530A/C Refrigerant Pressure Sensor "A" Circuit
- P0531A/C Refrigerant Pressure Sensor "A" Circuit Range/Performance
- P0532A/C Refrigerant Pressure Sensor "A" Circuit Low
- P0533A/C Refrigerant Pressure Sensor "A" Circuit High
- P0534Air Conditioner Refrigerant Charge Loss
- P0535A/C Evaporator Temperature Sensor Circuit
- P0536A/C Evaporator Temperature Sensor Circuit Range/Performance
- P0537A/C Evaporator Temperature Sensor Circuit Low
- P0538A/C Evaporator Temperature Sensor Circuit High
- P0539A/C Evaporator Temperature Sensor Circuit Intermittent
- P0645A/C Clutch Relay Control Circuit
- P0646A/C Clutch Relay Control Circuit Low
- P0647A/C Clutch Relay Control Circuit High
Related codes
Checked on · Rafael Soares
These are the generic meanings every manufacturer shares. Each brand adds its own detail, so your car's handbook, its service information and a qualified mechanic have the last word. OdoKeep has no connection with any manufacturer, and the app does not read codes from the car.
