98 chevy prizm ac issue?

I was given a 98 chevy prizm to drive, and the ac does not want to work. Very very rarely it will turn on and blow air, but maybe once in two months. The controls on the dash don't seem to turn do anything except when it randomly comes on. We had problems with the cig lighter but I replaced the fuse and its working again. I went thru three fusebox areas on the car looking for a blown fuse or relay, the one on the drivers side, and three under the hood, and found nothing out of the ordinary. Last time it kicked on when I started the car and plugged my phone into the charger. I'm guessing some wiring issues or a loose connection, but I don't know enough about the car to figure it out. I hear the ac is a common issue, any help?