A/C frustration, HELP!

89psychobird

Registered User
I installed a new compressor (not a reman), new liquid line, new condensor, cleaned the other line, converted service ports to r134a, and added 2 cans of r134a. The readings on my gauges were 100psi on the low side and 120psi on the high side.

I really hope it is not my evaporator. My wife will take me to SC divorce court if I tear into it for an evaporator. I am on vacation and did not plan any SC projects.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Did you pull a vaccuum with a vaccuum pump before charging? You should have used about 32 oz of r134a. 2 cans doesn't sound like enough. Also, 100 psi on the low side is odd. Assuming you know how to use guages and purge the lines and all that sort of thing; I'd evac what you have in there, rent the pump.. pull the vaccuum for 30 minutes, and charge into the vaccum initially. Then start the engine and fill with a total of about 2.5 cans while monitoring the pressures. Generally you should get about 2.5 time the ambient temperature for the high side and it should cycle to around 25 psi on the low side.

Oh, and be sure that the fan runs when you turn on the A/C. If it doesn't run, stop what you're doing and fix it. You will have excessive pressures and poor condensing and hence warm air out the vents..

Here's a site that has a wealth of knowledge about auto A/C. ACKits :cool:
 
I pulled a vacuum for 30 minutes. Yes, my fan does run. I only put in the 2 cans (24oz.) because the pressure was so high on the low side.

I am going to hook up my gauges again and see what happens
 
The low side port (blue cap) should be just in front of the accumulator and behind the compressor. Your low side pressure will start out higher and as the compressor moves refrigerant it should drop to something in the 20s or low 30s and then the compressor should start cycling. This may take a minute or 2 to reach but the low side will definitely drop.

If your lowside pressure is that high, all I can thing of is 2 things.. some sort of restriction at the back of the compressor.. that is preventing flow, nothing is moving into the compressor and nothing is moving through the lines or no Otube :eek: Do you know which otube is in the liquid line you purchased? and do you have the part number for the line? If there were no Otube in the line (as in wrong part #) your A/C wouldn't work and your pressures might be as you described. :confused:
 
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I got the liquid line from acsource.net, the part# is 67179-P/N: 55610A

I am going to feel like an idiot if there is no o-tube in it. :rolleyes:
 
Guess what, I feel like an idiot! The liquid line that I bought does not have an orfice tube in it.

How long can I have the a/c system open before I have to worry about replacing the accum/drier again?
 
You will be ok. Just change the liquid line or add the orifice tube and vacuum down again. Accumulators have a desiccant that absorbs moisture, but a few minutes exposed to outside air wont hurt anything. Leaving the system open for a week or two could be a problem though. Have everything ready so yo can reseal the system the same day.


Jerry
 
89psychobird said:
Guess what, I feel like an idiot! The liquid line that I bought does not have an orfice tube in it.

How long can I have the a/c system open before I have to worry about replacing the accum/drier again?

Are you sure the orifice is missing? You can't see it from either end. Where it comes out of the condensor the tube makes a s-turn. Where the tube straightens out, about 2.5", you should see two indents in the metal tube. This is where the orifice is located. Did you change out the accumulator? Since your low side is so high, the old one could be plugged up. If the orifice was plugged, your low side would be very low reading.
 
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The Orifice tube is inside the liquid line, if not buy the ford one, as for your crappy pressures, sound like the a/c compressor was not kicking on. The correct pressures are like this 200-240 high and 30-45 low. Make sure fans are on, make sure compressor is on, most times the low press switch goes bad. That is on the acculmator. If you do not have the correct charge, the a/c compressor will not come on and the low press switch is not grounding, therefore the a/c compressor will not come on.
 
The place I bought the liquid line from said there is no o-tube in the line.

I replaced everything except the evaporator.
 
89psychobird said:
The place I bought the liquid line from said there is no o-tube in the line.

I replaced everything except the evaporator.

Then buy the orifice replacement kit and install per the directions. I have used these on two cars and they work great.
 
I was out of town this week or I would have answered sooner.

I assume that you can see the compressor turning or you wouldn't have been able to get 2 cans in. If it isn't, then jumper the pressure switch connector and see if it comes on.

The 55610 P/N for the liquid line looks correct, but I don't know if the "A" means no Otube? As for the accumulator, I'd do as Jerry suggested.. cap the lines off and reuse it a little bit of air won't hurt, but a lot would soak it.. The Otube kit is probably the way to go. You should be able to use the old liq line with a new tube (blue is the recommended one)... Either way, if you're sure that its not there, I'd try and return the part they gave you.
 
Hey , I didn't read all the other replies, so I am sorry if i am repeating something, but it is most likely the orifice before the evaporator. It is what regulates the pressure going to the evaporator.
 
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