ac recharging issues

[shibby_cbs]

i i went to charge my ac for the first time since i had the truck the other day and as soon as it started going in i couls see a huge leak coming from the accumulator...as you might expect it was completly rusted through...needless to say i ordered a new one and got it in today...i installed it and went to charge the system again...well of corse theres another smaller leak in a line running under the accumulator at two of the links...im guessing just replacing the o-ring on these will do the trick...anyway heres my question...since the leak was so small the second time i charged it it actually held a charge for a while...but when it was fully charged for that little bit the air coming out of the vents never budged in coldness...i figured i might get at least a little cooler...could this be caused by a blend door being stuck open or can you not tell untill the system is completly holding a charge and not cycling anymore?

p.s. i inhaled a pretty healthy dose of R134a gas...should i be concerned?

 

[KPT]

No offense but it sounds like you need someone experienced with AC systems to work on it.

From what you said it doesn't sound like you evacuated the system or you would have noticed the leak in what sounds like the orifice tube joint.

 

[shibby_cbs]

im not shure i understand what you are trying to say...its kinda hard to hear or see a leak when first of all its underneth everything with the added engine noise...plus my infrared light was acting up...instead of telling me im not qualified to work on my own truck maybe you should give me a few suggestions to help me solve my problem...otherwise you are just wasting my time and yours

 

[robertoa1a]

If you can hear or see a leak then It is huge in terms of A/C. R134a isn't cheep, is it? Replace the orifice (expansion) tube. Do not overfill or underfill. There is a lot more to A/C then what you might think.

 

[shibby_cbs]

your not kidding when you say it isnt cheap...i think im going to try and return the used bottles that came in a kit...the gauge on the bottle was not working and the infrared pen wasnt working either...hopefully i can get a refund...im going to chech rock auto tonight for the part but i think a simple o-ring might do the trick being the leak is right at the spring lock connection...but i still need to know if i should have felt any difference in air temp when the r134a was still in there...this way i can get to work looking at the blend door

 

[robertoa1a]

The orifice tube is about two bucks and is provably clogged. It comes with an o-ring and its in the joint you are explaining, and would cause the problems you are explaining.

 

[shibby_cbs]

good deal...thank you for the advice...im going to take a picture of the spot where it is leaking when it becomes daylight again just to make double shure...ill post it up later

 

[robertoa1a]

You can get to it through the wheel well. Inside the fitting close to the passenger side there is a screened tube about 4" long you can pull out with pliers. CAREFULL NOT TO BREAK IT OFF OR YOU MAY NEVER GET IT OUT. You can buy a removal tool but I never needed it. After recharging the system with R134a you will have a bunch of air in the system (not good). You are supposed to use a vacuum pump on it prior to adding the R134a. Though not highly recommended, I have had good luck With just purging the air out after adding refrigerant by opening each valve a little with the engine off.

Good luck and don't over fill the system or it will get real expensive.

 

[shibby_cbs]

ok well i took the accumulator back out and pulled a couple hoses so i was able to geet to it real easy...what i found was not good...the connection right there was completly loaded up with rust...i think when the initial leak started there it caused the connection to be constantly wet filling it with rust...anyway after prying the rusted clip off i got a clear look at the connection...it was rusted inside and out so there was no way to get to the spring...i sprayed some wd40 in there and let it sit for a while...i then tried to twist the connection to see if i could break it look and as soon as i touched it the hose snapped right off on the radiator side...looks like the rust got the best of it...so it seems that im going have to replace that section of hose...also on the other side of the connection there is a bracket on the line that connects to the bottom of the accumulator bracket...where that peice connects to the line i believe there is a leak as well due to rust but im not shure if this section can be replaced...if i had a picture of that section i could explain this easier but i wasnt able to get one...does anybody know where i can get these parts?

 

[robertoa1a]

I can imagine. I'm sorry to hear all of that bad news and I'm not real sure about parts availability. I would find a "you pull it" junk yard in your area and work a deal. My brake lines are rusty and i wonder how much longer they will last but that's a whole other issue.

 

[shibby_cbs]

its funny you sya that cause im headin to one here in a couple hours when they finally open...plus this place is having a you pull it 50% of sale next weekend...im gonna stock up on a bunch of goodies

 

[shibby_cbs]

ok well i got everything replaced and the ac is holding pressure like a champ...no leaks...BOOYA!!!...anyway i have a question...i filled the ac system per the bottles description...the ac is blowing decently cold now but deffinately not as good as new...i was crious and checked the pressure in the system when the engine was off and it read at just under 100psi...this is way into the danger zone on the scale...now when the engine is running with the ac on it cycles and never goes into the caution area let alone the danger area on the scale...it hits the yellow and releases pressure and goes back down then back up again....what should the pressure be when the truck is off?

 

[my98nnj]

A/C pressures are measured with the system running, not off.
You had the system open, you absolutely need to evacuate the system before you charge it. Let a professional do the work with an A/C machine. They will evacuate it for you and then replace the R134 accordingly.

Thats the only way to get ice cold A/C back after your system has been opened and or components have been replaced.

 

[Dilbert5]

A/C pressures are measured with the system running, not off.
You had the system open, you absolutely need to evacuate the system before you charge it. Let a professional do the work with an A/C machine. They will evacuate it for you and then replace the R134 accordingly.

Thats the only way to get ice cold A/C back after your system has been opened and or components have been replaced.

I agree, since you have opened the system it must be evacuated and then recharged properly. Also a gauge set is min reguirements to properly charge a system. The best way is to measure the weight of the charge, a gauge set is a viable alternative. The recharge cans, with a single gauge is a poor alternative at best. You need to know what the high pressure side is running in order to get a good charge.

 

[shibby_cbs]

well i guess i can just deal with what i have for now...its still cold enough to where i cant have it on full blast for to long till i get cold...so its good enough for now...i just cant justify hundreds of dollars for a luxary at this point...thanks for the help and advice guys

 

[Dilbert5]

Ok, so you say that the air is comming out reasonably cold, but the compressor is cycling. How fast is it cycling on and off? I am not use to the recharge kits that you purchase in the store, do they have a pressure reading as far as # PSI or such. If so with the compressor running I generally aim for a little over 30 psi. At that pressure the compressor should not cycle on and off often. and should give resonable cooling.

Also it is a very good idea to wear a pair of safety glasses when charging the ac system, you want to protect you eyes when working with pressurized gasses.

 

[eXcali]

A couple hundred $$ is outrageous. I have a shop out here that will do the evac and charge for $75 plus I have a $10 off coupon!
R134a is bought by most shops under $15 per pound. I have a buddy who told me he'd get me topped off for his shop price of $6 per pound.

If you didn't evac your system you will have a lot of problems when you get into the warmer months. The moisture inside the air trapped in your lines will cause rusting in the long term. The air will also compress more than the R134a, when it expands it will cause it to freeze up your lines.

 

[shibby_cbs]

i guess i was misinformed on prices then...ill call up a few shops around here and get some prices...i was always under the impression that recharging costs a couple hundred...herd this from a few different people...oh and the system may not be cycling now...i havnt payed attention to it since i was charging it in which during that process it was cycleing the entire time but ran longer and longer as time went on

 

[robertoa1a]

Yeah you did the expensive part. Now you have a whole system worth of air in there (air being the enemy). Not highly recommended but since 134a is heavier than air you can let most of the air out. With the engine off you can carefully purge a little out of the high side and a little out of the low side. Breathing that S--t Is bad for you and the environment.

 

[Dilbert5]

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.