The ac in my adult children car quits working out of the blue. If they stop and disconnect the battery and then reconnect the battery it will usually start working again. This would be bad enough just for them but they have two small children so it is terrible. With the battery in the back everything has to be unloaded, what a pain.
Can anyone tell us what the problem is?

 

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Your kids are either having a problem with the engine temperature sensor(ECT), the thermostat, or a low coolant level.

When the temp sensor gets a reading that's "out of range", the A/C will be disabled as a precaution against overheating.

When they disconnect the battery, the trouble codes are cleared and the A/C will function again until the vehicle senses the fault, then it will repeat the cycle.

Have them take it either to their dealer or your mechanic to get this checked out, but in the meantime, make sure they check the coolant level to avoid possible costly engine damage.