Help with A/C problem

[drifter420]

So of all the times my A/C decides to quit.. it has to be in the middle of rush hour in a heat advisory day with gross humidity.

the condesnor didn't come on.. so I had some left over freon from my brother's car that I put in.. so the condensor comes on. So I know I have a leak somewhere which I will get some freon/dye to find out where its coming from.

I went over the the in laws as they have a big tank of R134.. so we filled it to bout 50 PSI I think with car runnin for bout 10min. connected.. the pressure drops when the rev is brought up. However I wasn't gettin any cold air out. And I wasn't gettin much heat either. I took the glove box out and I can see the mix door actuator. It moves around 2" when I go from full hot to cold.

So I"m wondering what else could cause this? I'm plannin on getting some carb cleaner and attempt to clean the evaporator core. Any other ideas or suggestions?

 

[Quest]

You got everything all wrong man!

You shall take on a systematic approach when dealing with A/C systems, esp. modern R134a for this refrigerant is extremely finicky in auto systems.

You need to check to see if you have leaks, refrigerant lost, etc. and then evacuate the system properly before you can re-introduce the refrigerant again.

Also: use the 2-gauge (low-side/high-side) to verify against your factory spec and do not assume that what DIYer/backyard mechs had done in the past RE: R12 same tricks apply to the new refrigerant.

Also: you need an expert in dealing with this (R134a is not for faint of heart nor amateurs). Get some help before you blow something out...

Q.

p.s. you don't sound knowledgeable enough to deal with A/C systems when you mentioned that you want to blow some carb cleaner through to clean the evaporator core.....I would stop at this very moment if I were you.

 

[oldmaninsc]

Originally Posted By: drifter420
So of all the times my A/C decides to quit.. it has to be in the middle of rush hour in a heat advisory day with gross humidity.

the condesnor didn't come on.. so I had some left over freon from my brother's car that I put in.. so the condensor comes on. So I know I have a leak somewhere which I will get some freon/dye to find out where its coming from.

I went over the the in laws as they have a big tank of R134.. so we filled it to bout 50 PSI I think with car runnin for bout 10min. connected.. the pressure drops when the rev is brought up. However I wasn't gettin any cold air out. And I wasn't gettin much heat either. I took the glove box out and I can see the mix door actuator. It moves around 2" when I go from full hot to cold.

So I"m wondering what else could cause this? I'm plannin on getting some carb cleaner and attempt to clean the evaporator core. Any other ideas or suggestions?


Not to mention - I think the term is "compressor". The condenser is the radiator looking type device that sits behind the radiator.

 

[onion]

Well, first of all- what make, year, and model of vehicle are we talking about here?

It sounds to me like you have a refrigerant leak. Forget about the carb cleaner- that isn't your problem. You'll need to fix the leak, then charge it properly ("filled it to bout 50 psi" isn't going to work).

But let's start with year, make, and model... and go from there.

 

[Quest]

Dear onion,

as much as I would like to sympathise with the original poster's situation and would like to post my knowledge to help, the truth is:

(a) a little knowledge is a dangerous thing to do, as you can tell by the poster's contents.

(b) R134a is a biatch to service and upkeep, and it's very, very finicky to maintain (so long as you don't casually crack open the line or try to top it up with those OTC refrigerant fill sold at Walmart, you'll be fine)

(c) automotive A/C system w/ R134a is not something that any amateur can handle, letting alone old R12 guys like me would have the courage to touch with complete confidence for if you flake it up, it costs you loads of $$$$$$$$.

(d) and did I say it costs a lot of $$$$$$$ to service even if it's not completely flaked up due to sheer silliness?

No, I would stop from here at this very moment. I bet ya medtech, alanu would agree on my point of view on this subject matter as well.

Q.

*sorry, can't help you further in this case. Please cut the chase and seek professional assistance before it's too late*

 

[JimR]

Conversely, a lot of knowledge is a dangerous thing also!

 

[mechtech2]

Filled to 50? High or low side? compressor cycling on or off?
What outside temp?
You may be grossly high or grossly low with your refrigerant fill.

 

[rcy]

If you filled it to 50psi on the low side with the compressor running, I'd say you are overcharged. You can get poor cooling from an overcharge as easily as an undercharge.

If the compressor is not coming on, you can clean the evaporator core all you want, and it won't help. If you do chose to clean this though, I would stay far away from carb cleaner.

Like already mentioned, you should seek professional help - for the car too