It was the pushbutton controller. Swapped it out and the compressor started right up. Took anther voltage reading with the replacement and it was 7.19 volts to the compressor wire.
The slowly rotating condenser fans (like 5 rpm) was a strange sign that something was wrong. They don't normally start spinning until the high side reaches 225-230 psi on the high side manifold gauge and then they are spinning fast, never that slow. Once the new controller was installed they didn't start spinning at all until the 2nd can was flowing in and the high side psi gauge hit 225.

tjs1--since the compressor was not turning a 12 ounce can of R134 would never be able to get to 7 bar or 101 psi using a manifold gauge. I think the compressor would have started between 20-30 psi if my controller had been working.

John

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1999 E300 TD
1999 E300 TD, WVO conversion
2007 Jaguar XJ8
1993 190E 2.3, Limited Edition, 239,000 miles (sold)
1991 300 SL (sold)
1977 MGB
1969 TR6
1980 TR8
joturbe@comcast.net