Mechanical advice please!

[Olphart]

I've got a 97 Ford pickup that runs pretty good. However, the A/C cuts out (and blower) if I approach a slope where a little more gas is needed at highway speeds. This isn't a situation where heavy acceleration is needed or used. I know this is a protective feature to prevent damaging the compressor, but this seems a little too sensitive. I can let off the gas a little and the system kicks back on.

Is there a sensor that controls this and where should I look for it? Is there anything else that would cause this?

[MikeJ]

Air gap between clutch and pulley may be too wide due to wear.

[MikeConner]

That or you have a vacuum leak. Does it actually go off or just blow through the floor or defroster vents?

[catslayer]

Air gap between clutch and pulley may be too wide due to wear.

this sounds like experience lol because that is WAY to detailed a response to be pulled out of his rear lol

[Olphart]

That or you have a vacuum leak. Does it actually go off or just blow through the floor or defroster vents?

It shuts off.

Air gap between clutch and pulley may be too wide due to wear.

Whaaa?

[Olphart]

I'm bringing this back up cause I've discovered that it is in fact switching to the defroster vents and not cutting off like I thought. Anyone had this problem and either fixed it themselves or had a shop do it? If so, what was it?

[Buckshot-73]

Vacumm leak. If it defaults to defroster, you got a leak somewhere.

[Olphart]

Thanks Buckshot-73. Kinda what I thought but I didn't want to spend a lot of time in this humidity looking for the wrong thing.

[ShawnG]

You can add a vacuum canister to the system if needed. Sometimes the older systems need more than they used to. Lines stretch out dry and crack. May be very small or combination of several. Also put a new one way check valve in the line.