97 ac problem?

[panteramatt]

The accumulater (dryer) in my 97 explorer limited with sohc v6 rusted a small hole ni it so I replaced it. I tried recharging it and the compressor keeps kicking on for a second and then goes off and the ac wont get cold. I have 100psi and it wont take more. What could be the problem?

 

[adam4584]

is that reading coming from the low side or the high side if it's the low side that it's way overcharged if it's the high side it's way under charged

 

[panteramatt]

Its coming from the valve on top of the accumulator. Wheres the other side?

 

[adam4584]

that is the low side and the system is more than likely over charged. is the vehicle running when you are checking the pressure? there should be another valve between the compressor and the condenser. oh and what kind of gauges are you using?

 

[panteramatt]

Yes the vehicle is running when Im checking pressure. Im not sure what kind of guages they are but they show green area to 25 psi and Im far in the red at 100psi. I held the can uprigth the whole time can possibly non of the liquid got in there and all air? What psi should I be at on the accumulator?

 

[Blee1099]

Go get a set of manifold guages.. Those little guages on the cans are unreliable. The low pressure reading should not go above 45 and the high pressure should be around 200 at 90-100*F ambient temperature. Harbor Freight sells a nice cheap set of guages for around $40.

 

[panteramatt]

So the low side is on top of the dryer? If I have too much do I just let some out? I kept the can right side up the whole time so is it possible I have too much gas and not enough refridgerant? Should I have replaced the orfice?

 

[Blee1099]

You can't simply vent out refridgerant into the atmosphere since its regulated by the Clean Air Act. You need proper equipment to capture the old refridgerant. I'd recommend going to a reputable shop and ask them to discharge it for you and to pull a vacuum on the system. You want to remove all outside contaminents from the system.

 

[panteramatt]

Ok but I need this to work in 2 days when we leave for a trip and want to do the job myself since no one is able to take it in? Do yo uhold the caN UPrigth or upside down when recharging and is 100 psi on the accumulator valve too much? Should I replace the orfice tube?

 

[yzrnxkn]

It sounds like you are on the low pressure side and if so, 100psi is waaay too much. More than likely, when you had the hole in your system and the refridgerant leaked out, it pulled air and other stuff in throwing "garbage" all in your ac system. I would suggest replacing the orifice tube/expansion valve and having the the system vacuumed and recharged.
The shop I used to work at pulled a 30lb vacuum for 20 minutes to make sure it was sealed good and get all the garbage out.
Running a system with a low pressure of 100psi is asking for bigger problems.

 

[panteramatt]

Thats what I figured. Can I just replace the orifice for now till I can get it flushed?

 

[Blee1099]

Why do you need to replace the orifice valve/tube? Without a set of manifold gauges, its hard to diagnose the actual issue. From what you mentioned, its definately a ovecharged situation which is preventing your compressor from fully engaging. Please read up on the AC forum's threads on overcharging like this one.. http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=188632

 

[Glacier991]

The problem here is severalfold. There is no baseline. There is insufficent time on "on" operation apparently to draw down the low side so we know what it really is.

A system recharge SHOULD start with a system evacuation (not vacuuming the system, evacuating it). It does not sound like you did this. The system will need a little oil when you replace a component. It does not appear you added any. The system requirements for refrigerant need to be followed. You are silent on how much you added.

I once swore I would refuse to provide advice to anyone based on the cheapie can gauges, but that mean and silly. Blee's advice is good. Without a gauge set I cannot really diagnose much of anything. Without evacuating the system you are settingyourself up for disappointment and premature failure.

If there isn't time to do it right, roll the windows down. In other words, get it evacuated a charged properly. Paying for that is not a sin if you do not have the proper equipment. And it's fast.

 

[yzrnxkn]

I agree with Blee that it could be an overcharge issue and I also agree with Glacier that it needs to be evacuated.
I was assuming the hole allowed the freon to escape and running it during this time allowed garbage to plug something. Replacing the drier would let freon escape as well.
A lot of AC places run summer specials to evac and recharge the system without checking for leaks or anything.
If you have a slow leak, the cheap refill canisters are ok, but it is always good to get a decent set of gauges.

 

[panteramatt]

Yea Im going to get it done right but Im going on a couple of big trips this week and would really like to get it working at least a little. SHould I relieve some pressure from the accuater so it doesnt mess up anything? So it would be a bad idea and not worth it to try to get it to work for the next week without evactuating it?

 

[dynamite196]

How many cans (better yet, how many ounces) of refrigerant did you put in? Is the can getting cold while you try and charge the system?

 

[panteramatt]

The can got a little cold but not freezing.

 

[dynamite196]

There is part of the problem. How much refrigerant have you put in?

 

[BubbaFL]

Check the can

When you were filling it, are you sure refrigerant actually went in to the system?

When I replaced my accumulator [97 4.0 SOHC] a while back, I found that the el-cheapo refill cans with a built-in gauge didn't quite fit correctly. I had to apply downward pressure on the fitting so that it would let refrigerant into the system - otherwise, the refill can's hose would fill with refrigerant almost instantly, and the built-in gauge would show very high pressure.

Hope this helps.