Air Conditioning Not Working

[GabrielGoes]

Please dont bash me over the head with this but am just about at my wits end and options before i have to get it "serviced" at a shop for the price of buying the car again... i have a 2006 ACURA RSX with air conditioning issues and during this heat wave it is absolutely brutal lol

Checked all proper relays and fuses

Compressor only kicks on when relay is jumped with a paper clip

I have a question maybe someone knows off the top of their head, the issue is when I have the AC gauge attached to the L port, it reads high of course when the compressor isnt on, but when i kick it on via the relay the psi drops only like 10-15 so it still stays relatively high. Is this a sign of a compressor thats going?

[Boriqua]

My solution may not apply to your car but .. I was going to try and save the $900 the mechanic wanted. I bought a rebuild kit from Autozone which included the pulley/bearing and stator and it even comes with a lender tool. Cost was a bit over $100. Then I used the canned refrigerant they sell with the guage on it .. I think it was called arctic air. The guage isnt top quality and I am sure a mechanic with proper guages could get me closer but doing those two things saved my ac and about $800

My car ac blows COLD!

[Burque73]

We had an 85 ram truck and an Audi Cabriolet stop blowing cold air. Both were remedied with cans of R134a refrigerant. Cost about thirty bucks for each.
That's my only experience with car A.C..

[rustybronco]

Compressor only kicks on when relay is jumped with a paper clip

I have a question maybe someone knows off the top of their head, the issue is when I have the AC gauge attached to the LOW port, it reads high of course when the compressor isnt on, but when i kick it on via the relay the psi drops only like 10-15 so it still stays relatively high. Is this a sign of a compressor thats going?

Is the HIGH side low as well when the compressor is running? If so that's an indication of a low charge. If the HIGH side is higher than normal then that's an indication of a partial blockage.

Without knowing the manufacturers recommended pressures at a given temp you should be seeing the running low side pressures in the mid 30 to 40 psi range.

A pressure to temp chart...

http://acprocold.com/faq/r-134a-system-pressure-chart/

[GabrielGoes]

thanks going to throw the gauge on the high port and check it out! and i am going to check into the rebuild kit. thanks i knew there was some knowledgeable people on here

[rustybronco]

What do you mean by "the rebuild kit"?

[GabrielGoes]

What do you mean by "the rebuild kit"?

the earlier post the guy talked about a rebuild kit from autozone. at this point I am going to first check gauges on the high and low port, but i think i will likely just get the compressor replacement kit which is just everything i need for like 160 dollars.

[Boriqua]

What do you mean by "the rebuild kit"?

on my 2003 crown vic the pulley bearings were worn and the stator wasn't popping the clutch the way it should and was making a racket. For about $100 you get the pulley with the bearing already installed, the clutch and new stator. I am pretty sure the stator was fine and it was the pulley and clutch but if I had to take it all apart anyway I figured I would install it all. Having the shop perform this "rebuild" is a fortune. Mostly because they take the compressor out of the vehicle to do the work as a matter of course.

I was able to change all those parts and never had to disconnect the compressor. After install and some refrigerant and it was good to go. Nice and quiet. Next year I will have a shop with proper gauges evacuate the system and put in new refrigerant but for the last 8 weeks the AC blows nipple hardening cold.

[rustybronco]

the earlier post the guy talked about a rebuild kit from autozone. at this point I am going to first check gauges on the high and low port, but i think i will likely just get the compressor replacement kit which is just everything i need for like 160 dollars.

What if it's not the compressor that's the root cause of the leak? May I suggest you add the necessary amount of refrigerant and monitor the system for leaks over a period of time.


I currently have my wife's 2010 Edge apart trying to find where the rapid loss of refrigerant stems from. I had already purchased the condenser thinking it might be caused from the transmission lines rubbing through*, which is a known defect on that particular year and model. Checking with a UV flashlight at every possible point on the system shows no evidence of dye (leak check) which 'should' have been added from the factory. At this point there's either no dye installed, or it's a gross evaporator leak. I can't go any further with the repair until I get my R12 to R134 adapters in the mail, then I can open the system, put a bit a dye in and follow that with a partial charge.

*TSB 12-5-1

[GabrielGoes]

What if it's not the compressor that's the root cause of the leak? May I suggest you add the necessary amount of refrigerant and monitor the system for leaks over a period of time.


I currently have my wife's 2010 Edge apart trying to find where the rapid loss of refrigerant stems from. I had already purchased the condenser thinking it might be caused from the transmission lines rubbing through*, which is a known defect on that particular year and model. Checking with a UV flashlight at every possible point on the system shows no evidence of dye (leak check) which 'should' have been added from the factory. At this point there's either no dye installed, or it's a gross evaporator leak. I can't go any further with the repair until I get my R12 to R134 adapters in the mail, then I can open the system, put a bit a dye in and follow that with a partial charge.

*TSB 12-5-1

i have yet to rent the gauges however at the moment i cannot refill the refrigerant because the compressor still shows high psi on the L port when i jump it to start. i forced the compressor to run for like 30 seconds and all the sudden i believe refrigerant bursted out of no where like a nitrous purge so i may have an even bigger problem now

[rustybronco]

When the system is at rest, the pressures on the high and low side will be the same. It's only when the compressor runs does pressure go low on the suction side (L) and higher on the discharge (H) side.


Can you see any evidence of oil on any of the lines or fittings since the release of refrigerant? We may have to take this offline via a phone call.

[leftlostcommonsense]

ABC auto here in my area has a tool rental program, I had to rent gauges one day they only wanted $100 deposit which you got back in full when you returned them. It's basically free to get all kinds of tools. I've used spring compressors, presses for ball joints and everything from them and never cost a dime as long as you return them. Just a heads up in case you'd like to get the real gauges in order to do it yourself the rental program is nationwide i think...

[GabrielGoes]

When the system is at rest, the pressures on the high and low side will be the same. It's only when the compressor runs does pressure go low on the suction side (L) and higher on the discharge (H) side.


Can you see any evidence of oil on any of the lines or fittings since the release of refrigerant? We may have to take this offline via a phone call.

I need the double gauge im going to rent over the weekend.

However with the single gauge you get free from the A/C Pro recharge, the L port reads high at rest, and when I JUMP @ the relay to engage the compressor the pressure drops but only marginally by like 15 psi or so (im not going to attempt to charge like this still reading high)

I read The compressor doesn't turn on automatically due to there being no refrigerant and it protects it self since it needs the refrigerant to lubricate itself.

since its still high in the red zone on the gauge even when the compressor is forced to turn on. i am thinking the compressor might be out

but elsewhere i read it might be a sign of "air in the system" so my other solution i am thinking is a vacuum (evac and recharge).

[rustybronco]

DIY refrigerant recovery.

https://maxima.org/forums/general-maxima-discussion/317690-recovering-r-134a-refrigerant-c-cheap.html

[GabrielGoes]

Thanks Rusty for the guidelines

The Issue has been resolved, the wire going to the "AC/ DRIER" unit which looks like a little soda can with two hard lines going to and from it, was cut. repaired, refilled, now i can hang meat in the car.