Air Conditioner Will not turn on Recirculation

OUTSIDE AIR: Press this button to direct the system to use outside air.
Pressing the OUTSIDE AIR button will cancel the RECIRCULATION button.

RECIRCULATION: Press this button to limit the amount of outside air entering your vehicle.
This is helpful when you are trying to limit odors entering your vehicle or attempting to quickly cool down the interior. Pressing RECIRCULATION will recirculate air continuously.

RECIRCULATION is used when the fan control is OFF to limit odors, outside air and dust from entering your vehicle. All button lights will go off. The last setting selected will activate when the blower is turned back on.
Pressing the RECIRCULATION button will cancel the OUTSIDE AIR button. To return to normal operation and to prevent stale air, be sure to return the OUTSIDE AIR.

Between HEATER and BLEND mode, outside air is forced to reduce window fogging. If the RECIRCULATION button is pressed, the LED indicator will flash three times indicating that forced outside air is activated and RECIRCULATION is not available.

I think what your experiencing is normal. If you want to keep cold air form coming into the cabin, press the recirc button.

I hope this helped,

Sounds like it is low on the coolant which causes it to only work part of the time. You could probably take the car to a auto parts store and at least here in the midwest, they can help recharge your freon/R22 so you have a good working air conditioner. If that is properly charged and leak free, then your air conditioner compressor might be going bad, but then you would hear a lot of belt squealing when it wasn't working. Most likely though it is just low on the freon/R22.

By the way, air conditioners don't have spark plugs......LOL

If yu didn't already try, make sure your setting is not on defrost or defrost floor. This car automatically puts the setting on ac and recirculation. Turn it he setting off defrost and try again

I just had that same problem!!! The BCM(Body Control Module) was bad in my car.... same as yours 2001 Monte Carlo. It cost 280 for the BCM and 95 to program it. The dealer wanted 695 for the BCM and programming. My. Heated seat buttons begin to work and my reverse lights work now also.
F.Y.I turn your antitheft lock off from your radio before you take it into the shop. I'm having a helluva time trying to unlock mine since the BCM was put in. And for some reason my airbag light is on now also. Just a heads up.

Means that the recirculation feature is ACTIVE. What this does is take the cabin cooled air, and re-cool it again, using very little fresh air from the outside, and allowing the air conditioner to work much cooler and efficient. Not advisable if you have a full load of passengers, and absolutely recommendable if you are going through long tunnels, or behind vehicles with visible tailpipe smoke. Keep me posted.

If the vehicle is equipt with an ambient air temperature display, the sensor also prevents the AC clutch from engaging if the outside air is below as certain tempreture. To test, turn the AC on. Press and hold the AC button at the same time as you press and hold the recirculate button. Hold for 5 to 8 seconds. If this is the cause of the issue, the AC will kick on and you will hear the compressor clutch engage. This should also reset the sensor and correct the issue.

The recirculation door is most likey stuck. You should be able to see the door if you take the cowl and wirers off. If it's stuck the actuator or the door is binding. Hope for the actuator not the door. If the door stuck then you have to remove the dash

take a good look at the bulb sockets if their burned and chared they may be the problem. Also the photo sensor(the sensor that detects light and turn your running lights off and primarys on) could be bad if equiped.

Your idle control valve,doesnt sound like its working,And I dont think it will give you a engine light when it fails.

The manual instructions are basically:

Turn the fan to 0 (off, far left).
Turn the air control to full defrost (far right).
Press the recirculation button at least 5 times within 3 seconds.

If you've done it right, the recirculation button light will flash a few times at about 1/2 second intervals.

I've tried it on mine and this works.