ac recharging issues

[shibby_cbs]

well i have access to an air compressor but its about an hour and a half away...im just gonna go ahead and price out a few shops and have them do it when i get a little extra cash...the cold air i have now is doing the trick for now...i just hope its not hurting anything the way it is

 

[robertoa1a]

I recently replaced my compressor and drier tank. I live in Florida and mine freezes me out. Just let the air out.

 

[robertoa1a]

I recently replaced my compressor and drier tank. I live in Florida and mine freezes me out. Just let the air out. Less is more.

 

[shibby_cbs]

how much air do i need exactly

 

[Maniak]

If you have a good sized air compressor (better than 5 scfm), you could buy a venturi vac pump from someplace like Harbor Frieght for around $20. The pump does a good enough (not as good as a rotory vane pump) job to get you system going. I would strongly recomend purchasing one.

for < $90 you can get a real vacuum pump from Harbor Freight..

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=98076

they price match in the store (The store told me they still do it).. and since I'm on their mailing list I get 10%-20% off coupons once in a while.. which really brings the price down..


~Mark

 

[robertoa1a]

Like you are letting freon out of the high and low side with the engine off. First air will come out then you will start smelling and seeing freon. Once again NOT the best method "by the book" but It works.

Sorry for the confusion, when I said that I replaced my compressor and drier I was refering to my A/C unit.

 

[shibby_cbs]

so obviously stop when i start to see and smell the 134

 

[robertoa1a]

Yep, purge it out. Then run it for a while. Shut her down let it settle and do it again. See, air doesn't compress as easy as refrigerant. The refrigerants ability to compress and expand easily is the principal that allows it to work. Air lessens this effect.

 

[Maniak]

The other big reason to evacuate the system is to remove all the moisture. As you lower the pressure you lower the boiling point of the moisture in the system (from the air).. Then as you continue to evacuate the system you pull the air and moisture out.

~Mark

 

[shibby_cbs]

alright thanks for the ac lesson...lol...now i just have to figure out why my ac only blows on full blast and only blows cold if its on max ac...it dosnt work on any other setting

 

[Maniak]

alright thanks for the ac lesson...lol...now i just have to figure out why my ac only blows on full blast and only blows cold if its on max ac...it dosnt work on any other setting

If the fan only runs on high.. and not on the other speeds.. look into the blower motor resistor. When it dies, only high speed works..

~Mark

 

[robertoa1a]

I agree with you on doing things the right way. The advice I gave was intended to get by 'till then, and the method is provably 90% efficient. An improvement and better than what they had.

 

[robertoa1a]

Hey Maniak. My A/C works great. The problem I have is when I turn on the heat. The heat works but I can hear my A/C compressor clutch cycling. What triggers that? Its too hot to troubleshoot now but I would like to know.

 

[Maniak]

Hey Maniak. My A/C works great. The problem I have is when I turn on the heat. The heat works but I can hear my A/C compressor clutch cycling. What triggers that? Its too hot to troubleshoot now but I would like to know.

If you had a 1st Gen X, I'd say that it thinks you want it to be in Defrost and that maybe the control head (the thing with the knobs/sliders) is having a problem.. as having it in the defrost position will make the a/c compressor run with the heat.

You have a 2nd gen.. and I don't know what they changed in the controls as I've never seen the a/c controls on them.

~Mark

 

[shibby_cbs]

well i bled air out of thw system and no 134 came out...theres almost no air in the system now and the air compressor dosnt even kick in

 

[Shifferbrains]

You really need to have the system evacuated and run in a deep vacuum for at least 45 minutes to an hour. Really sounds like your system was ravaged by moisture in the first place, it's very important to remove that moisture.

Probably wouldn't hurt to add some PAG oil to the system as well, doing this will prolong the life of your compressor.

So to reiterate, I'd do the following:

1. Evacuate and run at deep vacuum for 45 minutes to an hour, the longer the better.

2. Add about 6 to 8 ounces of PAG oil to your system. You'll have to look up the viscosity requirement for your system.

3. Recharge the system to proper level and pressures.

4. Check for leaks.

I firmly believe that should you do these steps, you will have a long lasting and trouble free system.

 

[robertoa1a]

With the A/C off you need about 70 psi in the system to satisfy the low pressure switch. When the the compressor starts working the low side should read about 40 psi on a 80 deg day.