air conditioning tech

DarkoStoj

DarkoStoj

A mysterious figure named Darko
so say you put a car away before winter and the a/c worked, get it out in the spring and there is none left...what is the best way to go about fixing the a/c system?

Basically from reading around i've found that

-you need a certain amount of oil in the system
-you need a certain amount of refrigerant in the system
-you have a high side and a low side, and they sell gauges that show you both at the same time
-if you had a leak it is a good idea to evaquate the system to a certain amount of vacuum to get rid of moisture, contaminants, and air in the lines...once a certain vacuum has been achived you can check the system for leaks whether it holds vacuum or loses vacuum.

now some questions

How do you know if you have the right amount of oil in the system?
Where should the high and low side numbers be on the gauges...how much r134 to use?
what is the best way to detect leaks? I know they have the electronic units, but what about injecting dye in the system?
 
What car is this for???

Honestly... A/C systems in cars are a fucking nightmare if it isn't done right...

You overcharge the system... You can push seals out in the compressor...

You undercharge the system... It won't kick on...

Moisture in the system? It will start destroying the compressor from the inside out from rust...
 
ReiKo said:
What car is this for???

Honestly... A/C systems in cars are a fucking nightmare if it isn't done right...

You overcharge the system... You can push seals out in the compressor...

You undercharge the system... It won't kick on...

Moisture in the system? It will start destroying the compressor from the inside out from rust...
Click to expand...
hmmmm well........its the newest addition to the bunch. I forgot to check how the a/c did and on the way home i found the a/c wasn't working...motherfucker!
 
134 pressure is about 1:1.
60degee's out should have about 60psi.
it should be done by weight but you can do it by pressure once you get enough in to cycle the compressor
 
1BADAIR said:
134 pressure is about 1:1.
60degee's out should have about 60psi.
it should be done by weight but you can do it by pressure once you get enough in to cycle the compressor
Click to expand...

what does 134 pressure and 1:1 mean?
60psi...is that for the low side?

a little slower here...i'm a a/c noob :spank:
 
both sides should be even with the system not on.
r134 is freon. 1:1 as in 60degrees ambient temp= about 60(56psi ) psi static pressure
 
1BADAIR said:
both sides should be even with the system not on.
r134 is freon. 1:1 as in 60degrees ambient temp= about 60(56psi ) psi static pressure
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ahhhh gotcha.

right now my system still has a little pressure so its not completely empty. Should I just pump some cans of 134 into it right now with some leak dye to see where its leaking at?
 
alright i looked up my car and it needs 1.88lbs of r134 which is 30oz. Should I just empty the system then do the 30oz, and then add the dye? i just want to make sure i do this right...it probably has a slow leak out of the orings at the compressor...i guess its a common problem on these?
 
It could be anything... You really need to leak down the system and find the leak first... Otherwise you will keep throwing away money...
 
1BADAIR said:
at 70f the pressure should be about 150-190 and 25-30 or so when the comp is engaged
Click to expand...
alright i charged the system up to 70 (the high and low side are the same) With the engine running and the blower motor on max with the a/c controls engaged the compressor isnt kicking on

what a pain, I'm determined to get this fixed. No way i'm bringing this car to any shops.
 
ReiKo said:
It could be anything... You really need to leak down the system and find the leak first... Otherwise you will keep throwing away money...
Click to expand...
yea you're right and it would be easier, but i've always wanted to learn how to work on a/c systems and i'm not really comfortable bringing this car anywhere.
 
well alright, i got it going took about 2 cans. I filled the low side at about 30 and the high side is just over 200 and i can see cloudyness in the sight window. Looks like I may have some moisture in the system and it needs to be evacuated and recharged? I atleast got cool air and the a/c is running, but would like to get it colder.
 
normally you check temp by holding at high idle(1800 or so), fan on medium
depending in humidity, ambient temp and such vent temp should be around 40-50.
some can get into the low 30's
 
DarkoStoj said:
yea you're right and it would be easier, but i've always wanted to learn how to work on a/c systems and i'm not really comfortable bringing this car anywhere.
Click to expand...

DarkoStoj said:
well alright, i got it going took about 2 cans. I filled the low side at about 30 and the high side is just over 200 and i can see cloudyness in the sight window. Looks like I may have some moisture in the system and it needs to be evacuated and recharged? I atleast got cool air and the a/c is running, but would like to get it colder.
Click to expand...

Here's the problem... Your A/C system is suppose to be a sealed system... That means if there was no A/C in the system... There is a leak and moisture got into the system... Now the problem is your whole system is contaminated and you have a leak...

I'm just hoping your compressor doesn't lock up because of this...
 
It isn;t uncommon "If this is a pre 2000 era 134a car" for the hoses to leak the refrigerant out. Alot of the earlier hoses had susectiability issues with the refrigerant leaking through the pores in the hoses.

It was especially bad on chrysler vehicles.
 
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