AC is 67psi! Was: So, where do I attach this thing (ac recharge)

From : tom lawrence

Q: ill check again. when the plate at the front of the compressor is not spinning does that indicate the compressor is running or not when the plate isnt spinning the clutch is disengaged. yes short the terminals on the connector you pulled off which will keep the compressor running. then see what your pressure is. the pressure will always read higher when the compressors not running. when the compressors running its pulling sucking refrigerant from the low side compressing it and pumping it out to the high side. thats why the low-pressure line is also referred to as the suction line. it stopped spinning altogether when i took off the low pressure cut-out switch but now i cant be sure. it certainly would. again unbend a small paper clip and shove the ends into the terminals of that connector you pulled off to force the compressor to always run. if it still cycles then there are other issues - like an over-pressure situation caused by either an overcharge highly unlikely as you said it worked fine for a while then degraded... you usually dont accumulate refrigerant over time or a clog in the system usually a gummed-up orifice in the liquid line... but were getting ahead of ourselves here. pull the low-pressure switch connector jumper the terminals hook up the gauge and see what the pressure reads. if it drops low depress the button on the can to dispense refrigerant until you can keep it in the blue. .

Replies:

From : tom lawrence

how can i tell when a can is actually empty when you shake the can and cant hear/feel anything anymore. i was sort of afraid something horrible would happen if i drained it past empty nope... all that will happen is the pressure in the low side of the system will equalize with the residual pressure in the can. one that happens you could hold the button down for weeks on end and the only thing youd get would be a sore finger. on the top of the radiator support there should be a label telling you what the charge is for the a/c system. it will be in pounds and ounces or just ounces. compare that with the net weight printed on the can. it can take up to the amount listed on the vehicle sticker depending on how much leaked out. like i said my friends durango took two of the big cans i think 18oz. each or 2lbs. 4oz. professionals would recover all the remaining refrigerant draw the system down to a strong vacuum then recharge by weight. without several hundred dollars in tools and equipment you have to things the way youre doing them. tom do you think i have a leak definitely. what isnt known is how big of a leak. recharging it like youre doing serves two purposes. first it gets it working again and second it lets you identify where the leak is coming from after its run for a few days and the dye has a chance to leak out. once you determine where its leaking you can make an educated guess as to how much its going to cost to fix vs. recharging it now and then when needed. for example if its determined that the evaporator is leaking and you run for 3-4 months before the performance falls off its a pretty tough pill to swallow $800-$1000 vs. $50 per year of recharge cans. however if its coming from a hose fitting and it leaks out after a week its an easy decision the other way maybe $200 total. youll probably fall somewhere in the middle though. wrong or is it just a silly tired non-mechanic fumbling around with a new procedure gaaa i need to make friends with a car hobbyist g well we know somethings wrong - no question about that. this is the process to determine what that is. and youre learning something about your a/c system in the process .

From : tom lawrence

finally i stopped. turned the truck off and heard a hissing sound. normal... thats the pressure equalizing between the high and low sides. theres a puddle of something under the truck - will have to wait until also normal - thats condensation off the evaporator. that means the evaporator is getting at least cold enough to wring some moisture out of the air. full dark to find out if its refrigerant or condensation. at atmospheric pressure refrigerant is a gas.... so no puddles of r134 it seems to be coming from somewhere behind the firewall right behind the cannister. thats where the condensate drain for the evaporator is located... little rubber elbow coming out of the firewall. so i think i have a leak. pretty major one or does it really take that long to load refrigerant how long should it take several minutes... the pressure in the can isnt that much greater than the normal low-side pressure so it can take a bit. depending on how low it was it could even require more than one can. .