Another AC recharge question...

[jbuszkie]

My 02 explorer which I mainly use for heavy winter snow driving does go out once and a while in the summer. I used it the other day and the AC
wasn't blowing cold. I looked and the compressor
is short cycling.

So it's probably really low on refrigerant. Since the compressor is at least cycling, there must be some refrigerant still in the system, right??
My question is.. Do I need to have it evacuated? Or can I just get one of those recharge kits. I know if I was completely out I would want to evacuate the system to get the moisture out... but since there seems to be some..
maybe I can just get the recharge kit.

I don't own the manifold guages (yet) to possibly check the pressures.

Thanks,

Jim

 

[BlackOut33]

Hey JBuszkie, If I was you take it in to the MECHANIC and have it properly checked sometimes you never know you might have a big LEAK like a bad ac pipe or something or accumalator have it done by a pro trust me you don't want to overcharge your A/C system.

I have a 03 explorer limited dual zone a/c ive replaced condenser accumalator and the ac lines costed me a bit but when I turn it on its ICE COLD A/C

Good luck buddy!

 

[JoshMcMadMac]

You sound to have a pretty good handle on it. Since there is still positive pressure in the system, evacuation is not necessary. Get a can of refrigerant with a reusable low-side connector and gauge on it to add to the system. Use a thermometer on the driver side vent to monitor cooling, and do not over charge the system.

BlackOut33 has a solid point...it is always better to have it done "correctly" by a professional or someone who is very knowledgeable. However as long as you use good sense and have a solid understanding of how the system works, you can almost always get away with the "easy" fix on a slow-leaking refrigeration system.

 

[jbuszkie]

Thanks. I was hoping an evacuation wasn't necessary.
This bandaid will be fine for now. If it seems like a major leak, then I'll probably
just get it evacuated and leave it at that! It is a mostly winter car after all!

 

[Exproblems]

This bandaid will be fine for now. If it seems like a major leak, then I'll probably
just get it evacuated and leave it at that! It is a mostly winter car after all!

When you go to top off the refrigerant charge as others have mentioned, get a refrigerant with a leak detector dye in it, so you can find the source of the leak sometime soon. Whether you have a small or large leak, don't waste your money on getting the system "evacuated"(with a vacuum pump) until after the source of your leak is repaired. You'll just be throwing your money away if the leak isn't fixed first. FYI, it is good AC maintenance to run your AC system at least once a month for a few minutes whether it is mid-summer or mid-winter.

 

[jbuszkie]

When you go to top off the refrigerant charge as others have mentioned, get a refrigerant with a leak detector dye in it, so you can find the source of the leak sometime soon.

I will do that. They also have some that claim to plug slow leaks. Maybe I'll get lucky...

Whether you have a small or large leak, don't waste your money on getting the system "evacuated"(with a vacuum pump) until after the source of your leak is repaired. You'll just be throwing your money away if the leak isn't fixed first. FYI, it is good AC maintenance to run your AC system at least once a month for a few minutes whether it is mid-summer or mid-winter.

Well.. The thought was to have the rest of the referigerant removed in an environmentally safe way and just leave the system empty and NOT repair it.

 

[Exproblems]

I will do that. They also have some that claim to plug slow leaks. Maybe I'll get lucky...


Well.. The thought was to have the rest of the referigerant removed in an environmentally safe way and just leave the system empty and NOT repair it.

I doubt the leak sealer kind will work, but hey, it's your money. You don't want to remove all the refrigerant from the system and leave it "empty", since it is the refrigerant that lubricates the compressor. Refrigerant contains an oil additive in it that lubricates the compressor. The compressor would eventually seize up and cause you problems. You would be better off disconnecting the compressor and removing the AC components from the vehicle all together. You would also need a new, different length serpentine belt since the compressor belt pulley would be taken out of the belt loop.

 

[jbuszkie]

I doubt the leak sealer kind will work, but hey, it's your money. You don't want to remove all the refrigerant from the system and leave it "empty", since it is the refrigerant that lubricates the compressor. Refrigerant contains an oil additive in it that lubricates the compressor. The compressor would eventually seize up and cause you problems. You would be better off disconnecting the compressor and removing the AC components from the vehicle all together. You would also need a new, different length serpentine belt since the compressor belt pulley would be taken out of the belt loop.

Couldn't you just disconnect the electrical connection to the compressor clutch?

That seems really straight forward and easy... If the clutch never engages then it shouldn't ever have the chance to seize?

Jim

 

[Exproblems]

Couldn't you just disconnect the electrical connection to the compressor clutch?

That seems really straight forward and easy... If the clutch never engages then it shouldn't ever have the chance to seize?

Jim

You can try disconnecting the electronic connection or fuse to the compressor, but I don't know if that will affect anything else with the vehicles systems or how long you can go with it like that. As long as the compressor pulley bearings hold up, you might get away with it. On older cars I have owned(25+ years ago) where the AC was shot and the vehicle wasn't worth the cost of the AC repair, I just removed the compressor from the system. If you do run the system out of refrigerant thru the leak for sometime, you can expect the compressor to be shot if you ever went to use it again. Good luck with what ever you decide to do with it and post up any findings you get in the near future because it may help someone else with a similar problem down the road.