Automotive AC troubleshooting 101 - help me get started?

If you are satisfied with it leave it alone. The low side pressure coordinates with how cool the air out of the vents is. Me personally would not like 58F air out of the vents assuming that the gauge is correct.

I do not recommend adding refrigerant to a partially filled system. You have no idea how much to add and even going by pressures with r 134a can be tricky
Short drive around the neighborhood - fresh air mode - in 2nd gear, so 25mph, just under 2000 RPM, it held pretty good at 51 degrees.

Let off the throttle and it would creep up to 53 ish.

91 degrees, 61% humidity outside
according to weather service.

Its plenty good enough for this old rig, unless there is something else I should do?
51 degrees F air temp at the left-center vent is well within the performance parameters of the info table that I posted above in #112. Time to leave well enough alone and enjoy your accomplishment. I'd use the A/C throughout the Summer and recheck pressures and temperatures in September.
 
I am just going to leave things for now. If it keeps putting out cold air thats good enough for now - knock on wood. I am happy to have gotten it fixed for so little - even if for now.

I wish I had properly checked it with the gauges first time around by getting it up to 1500 rpm, now I wonder if they are off. But there likely not off by that much. I just ended up with Harbor Freight tools after my initial go around. I bought the same vacuum pump again, and this one did not mist oil. One of the biggest hurdles on this was tools. I have read a lot more - and everything points to either spend the money on good tools - and that means at minimum mid-level priced stuff from the top brands, because even the cheaper stuff from the good brands have issues. I re-read the reviews on the Mastercool set i had ordered, and every one of the 1* reviews had the same hose issue I did.

O-rings were another bit of a hurdle. I ordered OEM O-rings. One size came in individually sealed marked bags. The other came in a baggy with no label, and they were brown, not black. Z1 assures me they get them from Nissan and the come in a larger overpack. I want to believe them - supply shortage maybe. However I did not use them anyway - I used the O-rings that came in my 4-seasons "all O-rings needed" for my vehicle - because I was still communicating with Z1. I did use the other OEM ones on the suctions tube.

The 4-seasons dryer I bought came with O-rings. Luckily because it appears the 4-seasons kit had nothing close to that size. It does appear the giant set of O-rings I ordered from Jeff Bezos does have the right size. So O-rings could be an issue. After the fact I found the manual does list every size I am supposed to need - but the manual is lacking in other areas so I am not sure I would trust that fully either.

Anyway, if you read this far - thanks again for all your help everyone. I learned a ton, and would encourage others to try on their own also - its much less daunting (with a lot of help) than it seemed at the start.
 
Back
Top Bottom