so what does that mean?
AC not cooling now
- Thread starter Joshawa
- Start date
I found it, Ill use it tomorrow. Posting it here for others sake.
SEARCH KEYWORDS: AC Pressure, A/C, AC, Pressure, Compressor, Chart
If the sensor falls in line with getting the appropriate level of pressure, what's left? I really appreciate all the effort and expertise you've put in so far, I'd be beyond lost without you. If anyone else has dealt with something similar please input your experience as well.
SEARCH KEYWORDS: AC Pressure, A/C, AC, Pressure, Compressor, Chart
If the sensor falls in line with getting the appropriate level of pressure, what's left? I really appreciate all the effort and expertise you've put in so far, I'd be beyond lost without you. If anyone else has dealt with something similar please input your experience as well.
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Joe I bought one of those recharge cans with the gauge just to see if by chance, the gauge was WELL into the red (I only pressed the trigger once to get the initial reading, I did not attempt to force more in). Does that mean anything?
So for a Re-Cap:
1. Replaced a Dead Evap Sensor, cleared all EATC errors
2. Compressor still spins with AC on,
3. Engine fan does in fact work,
4. Discharge pressure (According to sensor, analog test pending) was 118 PSI
5. Suction (low side) reported as "In the red zone" With an AC Pro Recharge can dial (analog pressure test pending)
6. The air that comes through the vents is the same as that around the engine (High speed = cool, not cold, air ; low speed = hot (engine compartment) air. Note that this is different than when I have the heat on. When the heat is on, the air temperature is regulated and constant.
7. All 3 fuse compartments contain no dead fuses or relays (all fuses/relays regarding AC anything were swapped with known working fuses/relays for good measure, everything we swapped with still worked.)
8. Probably totally unrelated but my cooled seat still works. I thought that the AC and cooled seats were connected by some fashion, but I believe that was simply my ignorance.
2. Compressor still spins with AC on,
3. Engine fan does in fact work,
4. Discharge pressure (According to sensor, analog test pending) was 118 PSI
5. Suction (low side) reported as "In the red zone" With an AC Pro Recharge can dial (analog pressure test pending)
6. The air that comes through the vents is the same as that around the engine (High speed = cool, not cold, air ; low speed = hot (engine compartment) air. Note that this is different than when I have the heat on. When the heat is on, the air temperature is regulated and constant.
7. All 3 fuse compartments contain no dead fuses or relays (all fuses/relays regarding AC anything were swapped with known working fuses/relays for good measure, everything we swapped with still worked.)
8. Probably totally unrelated but my cooled seat still works. I thought that the AC and cooled seats were connected by some fashion, but I believe that was simply my ignorance.
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
1. Never use those. You can't accurately charge that way, and they have crap in there that reduces the capacity of the system and may clog the thermal expansion valve.
2. This usually (almost always) means that the AC clutch is not engaged. Are you positive that it is (inner part of pulley is spinning)? Did you turn the AC off and verify that the inner part stopped spinning?
Here's a video showing an AC clutch turning on and off. Yours should not be doing that, but the video does make the difference between engaged and not engaged clear. The outer part always spins, but the inner part does not when disengaged.
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
The DATC controls the heated/cooled seats, but they do not use the AC refrigeration system or engine heat. Instead, each seat has two small solid-state electrical heat pumps.
Thank you for that info and clearing that up.
Here is the video showing you that the clutch is in fact activated. Given that the can of AC Pro gauge said the low side was high pressure, and the high side is slightly low, do you think they might have equalized from a bad compressor?
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
Okay, it is running.
Assuming that the real gauges verify the pressures, then yeah it is either a bad compressor or a bad expansion valve. It's more likely to be the compressor. The next question will be did the compressor shred internally. If it did, then a lot of stuff will be ruined and have to be replaced. If you are lucky, it will just be that the scroll control valve failed completely.
Assuming that the real gauges verify the pressures, then yeah it is either a bad compressor or a bad expansion valve. It's more likely to be the compressor. The next question will be did the compressor shred internally. If it did, then a lot of stuff will be ruined and have to be replaced. If you are lucky, it will just be that the scroll control valve failed completely.
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
Then you are at least replacing the compressor, the dryer (have to replace that anytime anything is replaced), the condenser (impossible to flush it well), the expansion valve, and then at least flushing all the lines and the evaporator. It may be cheaper/better to replace the evaporator anyway, since you had to remove the dash to get to the expansion valve. The flushing will have to be done by machine. It's extremely important to get all the flush chemicals back out, usually be flowing a lot of nitrogen through.
If it comes to this, when you remove the compressor, carefully pour the oil out into a clean container. If the oil is clear (may have green or yellow tint) with no specs whatsoever, then you don't have to do any of the above (except the dryer).
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
Then you would need to determine if it is the compressor or the expansion valve that is bad.
If it is the compressor, then you might just need to replace the scroll control valve on it.
I'm thinking, I'm assuming it would be the control valve, as your *surprisingly vast* experience has pointed to. I'm hoping we caught it early enough that it would just be the compressor valve, and not it being shredded up inside (my logic is that the inside would stop spinning if it decided to seize inside.)
I'm thinking my best bet would be to replace the compressor (I know I could save a good amount by just doing the valve, but it's a 14 year old compressor and I use the AC a lot, rather just get it out of the way.) and the Drier, oil/refrigerant.
Your opinion is probably my most valuable asset. You've done at least 3 of these. What would you do in this situation? Do you think doing the compressor and drier would be the way to go?
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
You are getting ahead of yourself.
Get the pressures, and go from there. If pressures are as expected and the oil is clean, I (for myself only) would first try the control valve. In your case, replacing the compressor is probably the right way to go. I have the vacuum pump, hoses, gauges, and all that. For me it would not cost much to take a chance on the control valve first. Assuming that you have to go somewhere to have it evacuated and filled, probably better not to take the chance.
Get the pressures, and go from there. If pressures are as expected and the oil is clean, I (for myself only) would first try the control valve. In your case, replacing the compressor is probably the right way to go. I have the vacuum pump, hoses, gauges, and all that. For me it would not cost much to take a chance on the control valve first. Assuming that you have to go somewhere to have it evacuated and filled, probably better not to take the chance.
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
Pressures no longer matter if there are flakes in the compressor oil. (Though the pressures and the flakes both support drastic compressor failure.)
New compressor
New condenser
New dryer
New expansion valve
complete flush of lines, followed by nitrogen purge.
Complete flush and purge of evaporator, or replacement of evaporator.
The expansion valve is cheap, but it's a couple of days of labor to replace it.
Dash Board Removal Thread
these are the things I bought. I see the expansion valve is in the bundle with the compressor, but to be totally honest, If I replace all of this and it ends up being the expansion valve, after I flush everything out w/ nitrogen {mechanic-neighbor's dad has a tank of nitrogen for AC systems, thank god they fix Truck reefer units} and change the condenser, dryer, compressor and clutch, make a vacuum in the system (i swear to god I couldn't be luckier to have a neighbor like him he has a vacuum pump too). Even if after all that, it magically turns out to be a f**ked expansion valve, I might just not do it, because that was days of work, and I'm not in a position to go without my car for that long, unfortunately.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C7VSVQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BPETB1S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C7VSVQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BPETB1S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
In my opinion, you are wasting your money if you don't change out the expansion valve and flush or change the evaporator. It's not a question of your problem being the expansion valve, it's not. The problem is that your whole system is contaminated by debris from the failed compressor. I don't think that you can effectively flush out the evaporator with the expansion valve in place. Just for the lines, you'll need professional help to flush them. The problem is that once flushed, you have to completely get rid of the flush chemicals too. This is usually done with nitrogen.
Anyway, if you don't get all the compressor particles and flush out, the new compressor won't live very long at all. (Of course, if your $188 compressor is anything like the one that I tried, it will only go a few months anyway.)
I guess that your low dollar option here is to just pop a new dryer and the cheap compressor in and see how long it takes the particles to destroy it.
Anyway, if you don't get all the compressor particles and flush out, the new compressor won't live very long at all. (Of course, if your $188 compressor is anything like the one that I tried, it will only go a few months anyway.)
I guess that your low dollar option here is to just pop a new dryer and the cheap compressor in and see how long it takes the particles to destroy it.