A/C Recharge FAIL Part 2

[ddasilva99]

Hi Everyone,

This afternoon I purchased an A/C recharge kit from Walmart. Steps I took (in order).

1_Started the car and turned on the A/C to max.

2_Took a can of R134a and screwed in into a/c recharge hose (with gauge)

3_Connected the other end of the recharge hose to my low pressure port.

4_Observed the pressure was in the yellow zone, however, I would hear a click and the fans on the car would turn on then the pressure read 0.

5_While the system registered 0 I would turn the tap on the can to release the coolant. The pressure would go up into the red zone again.

6_I would hear a click and the pressure would read zone.


What am I doing wrong with this A/C recharge?

 

[bluesrt]

take it and have it evacuated,pumped and shot to correct spec and see what happens from there. dont chase your tail buddy

 

[Martin]

I've seen similar behavior when charging the AC system. What's probably happening is you're seeing some pressure in the system while the AC compressor clutch is disengaged (not pumping) and then when it starts pumping, it creates a vaccuum and pressure goes down to zero. When you have the fill valve opened to let the freon into the system, if the compressor disengages again, you'll see the pressure go way up since it's basically reading the pressure inside of the freon can. When the compressor starts spinning again, it should drop.

If your compressor isn't engaging with the freon flowing into the system, you might have a problem with the pressure switch.

When the AC compressor does engage, what do you see in the sight glass (should see a small round sight glass on the junction near the fill ports). If you see tiny bubbles flowing, you've pretty much got the system as full as you need it. If you see no bubbles, either it's overfilled or totally empty. If it's totally empty, you can try to slowly let freon into the system and hopefully the AC compressor clutch will stay engaged and will pull the freon in. It might take a little while before you get enough into the system to keep the compressor running - they're designed to shut off if the high-pressure side is too low. That keeps the compressor from burning up because of lack of fluid and oil.

 

[ddasilva99]

Thanks for your help guys. Martin's statement above is absolutely accurate in every aspect and confirmed by the "Duracool Manufacturer Chief Engineer".

Since my system was out of refrigerant and it was ~30 Celcius outside the compressor kept kicking off to protect itself. The high pressure reading from the gauge was inaccurate since the compressor was not turned on. When the compressor clicked on the gauge read 0PSI. The reading after the compressor clicked on at 0PSI was the proper reading. I had to act fast and fill the system with a little refrigerant before the compressor kicked off. Once I got a little refrigerant into my system the compressor stayed on for longer than a couple of seconds. I proceeded to fill the system then add a sealant (as instructed by manufacturer).

My A/C is blowing cold air again I am very happy with the result. The A/C is pumping air at 60F. I also filled the system to around low to mid 30PSI.

Is it normal for the A/C to operate around 60F?

Thanks for all of your help guys.
D

 

[eucharistos]

good news ddasilva99,

like having a new car

how many cans did you end up using?

if it still leaks, check the o-rings, there is a thread about it

 

[ddasilva99]

HI Eucharistos,

I used one 17OZ can of refrigerant to bring the pressure to normal. After driving for 20 minutes I noticed the pressure dropped a little so I added the sealant (4 OZ). I am hovering around mid to high 30PSI.

I may need a "top up can" in the near future. I will check out the threads regarding the O-Rings.

Thanks again for your advice eucharistos,
D

 

[Black Moon]

Hi Everyone,

This afternoon I purchased an A/C recharge kit from Walmart. Steps I took (in order).

1_Started the car and turned on the A/C to max.

2_Took a can of R134a and screwed in into a/c recharge hose (with gauge)

3_Connected the other end of the recharge hose to my low pressure port.

4_Observed the pressure was in the yellow zone, however, I would hear a click and the fans on the car would turn on then the pressure read 0.

5_While the system registered 0 I would turn the tap on the can to release the coolant. The pressure would go up into the red zone again.

6_I would hear a click and the pressure would read zone.


What am I doing wrong with this A/C recharge?

Buying a kit from Walmart and thinking it will fix a deeper problem.

 

[ddasilva99]

I guess we will find out soon
My Camaro had a small leak and it was fixed using a similar method (recharge+sealant). The kit from Walmart was surprisingly great quality.