R134A Slight Overcharge: 23 oz in 19 oz system.

[qjohn]

My 2006 Honda Accord 2.4L 4 Cylinder's AC had all the R134 leak out. I fixed the leak and pulled a vacuum, then refilled. System spec calls for 19 oz, but the last few ounces went in faster than I anticipated (Arrrg!) and I ended up with 22-23 ounces in it.

Is it any harm to run it with the extra 4 ounces in it, or should I take it in for an evacuation and refill?

 

[mclasser]

I'd take it in and have the correct amount of R134 & oil put in. Four oz = over 20% overcharged, which is enough to cause problems. You may not notice an issue until it's 90+ out and the system pressures become too high.

 

[JHZR2]

Id suspect not in IL. Cooling will likely be compromised, but I'd suspect the system design ambient temperature is 120F or so, and it just doesn't get that hot in IL.

You did great finding the leak and fixing it. Id personally leave it in unless I encountered a cooling issue or were planning on going somewhere that sustained 100+ conditions were likely.

 

[Leo99]

Look under the hood for the sticker. There is a range to fill the A/C unit. On my Rav 4 it says 1.0 to 1.2 lbs. Or 16 to 19 oz.

Since it's been leaking the past few years, I just dump in a small can from Walmart every few months in the summer. I don't think it's very critical to get it exactly right. A few ounces over might not matter. It doesn't matter in my Rav4.

 

[Kestas]

Hopefully the extra refrigerant was taken up by the accumulator. Some savvy techs will refill the refrigerant beyond what is needed and add more until the accumulator is filled. This extra bit helps delay service in case some refrigerant seeps out.

 

[Chris142]

As percentage goes that a big overcharge. It needs to be recharged with the correct amount.

 

[OilFilters]

...or just let some out until the gauge reads correct. R134A is used as a propellant in various things and in industrial air duster...it's not going to hurt anything.

 

[qjohn]

I think I'll check the pressures when it is a little warmer out. If the high side is not too high and it is cooling ok then I'll just leave it as-is. A couple follow-ups:

There is not an underhood sticker that I could find, but service manual says capacity is 17.6 to 19.4 oz.

I was recharging with 12 oz cans from my R134 stash, so was trying to put in one can plus leave 5 oz in second can. A much better approach would have been to just buy one 19 oz can of R134 and put the whole can in -- no measuring and no leftover!

 

[Lubener]

Originally Posted By: qjohn
My 2006 Honda Accord 2.4L 4 Cylinder's AC had all the R134 leak out. I fixed the leak and pulled a vacuum, then refilled. System spec calls for 19 oz, but the last few ounces went in faster than I anticipated (Arrrg!) and I ended up with 22-23 ounces in it.

Is it any harm to run it with the extra 4 ounces in it, or should I take it in for an evacuation and refill?

Performance goes down hill if overcharged.