A/C clutch doesn't engage. Disconnected the 2 wires at connectors atop the compressor and on the 2 wires no longer attached to the clutch verified one is grounded and the other supples power when A/C switched on.
On the other 2 wires still attached to the clutch (did not remove compressor from van) both indicate they are grounded which doesn't seem right but I'm not sure. I took a jumper wire from battery + to the wire I know by testing and color is the wire power is meant to come into the clutch and whether I reconnect the other (ground) wire or leave it unconnected my jumper wire gets way to hot in a matter of seconds.
Does this indicate a short? I add that about a month before this problem a bad idler arm pulley caused my fan belt to jump track which partially stripped the 2 wires where they turn down behind compressor pulley. They weren't stripped bad but were hard to access so I made sure they weren't touching each other or any housing and put silicone gel around them which worked fine for a while and the A/C went out intermittently before the permanent condition I have now. I don't know where those wires enter the clutch but wonder if the jumped belt jerked them causing damage. If I do have a short is there a way I can determine if it's the wiring or the internals of the clutch- like can I know before a repair shop tries to nail me through the pants if it's a couple hundred bucks I can do or the thousand I can't.
Thanks,
​​​​​​​HOT in Fl.