lakerschamp2000

my ac is freaking hot, i already recharged 3 freon bottles and still. again, no leak whatsoever. what could go wrong? compressor on, fan on, full of freon but not cold. could it be compressor?

Former User

What year Civic? Is the system overcharged with refrigerant? Is the heater valve stuck open?

Does the compressor clutch engage? If not, for 96-00 Civics:

lakerschamp2000

year 2000
compressor running along with ac fan.

those ac alluminum lines are not cold as they should

r1whore

im having some problems with mine too. i took it to a mechanic and he recharged it and it worked for like 3 weeks. now when i turn it on it blow nothing but hot air TILL I START DRIVING OR REVING UP MY MOTOR is when itll get cold. however as soon as i stop-like at a light itll get hot again.

any insights?

Former User

What are the pressure readings on the low and high sides using manifold gauges?

dohc-father

maybe a blown fuse?

lakerschamp2000

if fuse blown, ac compressor would not on and fan right?

also brought it to the shop and they recharged freon full and all but still not cold.

Former User

When the shop recharged the system with refrigerant, they should have hooked up manifold gauges and measured the pressure on the low and high sides. Those pressure results can be used to diagnose the problem:

FearTheH

iTrader: (5)

Ron, you da man!

XKINGX

u could have a blockage in the line some where, expansion valve stock open or closed, to much oil causing to much head pressure, the little door that flops between the heater core and the cooling coil maybe not moving like it shod. this is a very hard area to try to cover with so few details from you. we really need the line pressures to have a better idea.

The_Honda_Guy

A/C work is generally left to the people who are experienced in using the equipment, i.e. not a "DIY'er." Everyone thinks those cans you buy at the store are the solve-all for A/C problems when they're really not. You need to take the car to a shop, evacuate it, vacuum it, dye it, and then re-charge it and start checking for leaks and pressure readings. Without having a A/C machine it makes things much harder to diagnose.

Former User

A DIYer certainly can diagnose A/C problems and add refrigerant to a system with a minor leak as long as you have a manifold gauge set and know to use them. I also believe that you can rent a vacuum pump from an auto parts store if you need to drain and evacuate an A/C system. If you are uncomfortable with this type of work, however, such service is also available from many shops.

trustdestruction

could be a stuck expansion valve

lakerschamp2000

thanks alot guys for the help, now how do you check or fix if that expansion valve stuck?

Former User

You must know the low and high side refrigerant pressures to diagnose the problem. Without this key information, you or anyone else is just guessing what the problem may be. You don't just want to replace parts randomly. Do the proper troubleshooting or let the professionals do the work at a shop.

Unseen Racer

if you really want to solve this, PROVIDE US WITH THE PRESSURES OF BOTH HIGH AND LOW. many shops, automotive stores, etc allow people to rent their manifold pressure gauges.

trustdestruction

like RonJ said, get the high and low pressure side readings first

lakerschamp2000

yeah i will check both pressure hi and low later when i get home.

the shop where i took it to, they diagnosed it for almost 2 hours but did not find anything wrong. they claimed that theere might be some clothing issue or valve stuck somewhere inside the dash board

Former User

Here are normal pressures with the engine idling in the shade, the A/C ON, and the outside temperature not too hot or cold:

Low side - 23 to 36 PSI

High side - 240 to 300 PSI

Compare your R134a pressure readings to those above and then use the chart I posted to identify possible causes for your problem.

trustdestruction

How could i forget about this, damn.

Okay, i think i know what you're problem is. Under the passenger side of the dash, there are some cables controlling mechanical A/C control arms and stuff. Look and see if any of those cables have come off of the peg that they normally sit on. Also, look at the heater valve under the hood. It's by the intake manifold, about 3" from the firewall. It has a heater hose leading to it from right underneath the distributor. That's where the cable in the car leads to. Make sure the cable has not come off of its peg there either.