The A/C cycles on and off because it is removing humidity from the air, not for A/C purposes.

On some cars, when you select the "auto" setting, the CAR determines whether to use the A/C or not. The only way you can deselect the air conditioning is either to turn the heat on (selecting "heat") or to just turn the temp all the way up.

The reason the compressor cycles on and off the way it does, is because the A/C isn't transferring a lot of heat out of the cabin of the vehicle. Therefore the pressure remains low most of the time, just switching on periodically. If the A/C is removing little heat, the system will cycle frequently.

This does not harm the compressor or the system, and it is not necessarily indicative of a low system charge. Again, if the interior is cool and the outside air is rather dry, the A/C will cycle on and off a lot.

Turning the A/C off effectively stops this condition, but allows moisture to return to the climate system. If you want a true "auto" feature, just set the dial and allow the A/C to do it's thing. If it is too cold outside, the A/c will not come into use. But it is not unusual in an ECC vehicle like the 960, for the A/C to be used periodically by the system.

In a few short words: Sounds normal.

However, if the cycling persists when it is very warm outside, and you run the fan speed at max, have the temp set to coldest, and have the windows open, then there is a low charge condition. If the air remains cold, don't worry about the charge level.
--
chris herbst, near chicago