Hey people, I have an A/C question for the troubleshooters. I followed this A/C FAQ link to fully vaccum out the system and recharge it.

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1665946

I followed the procedures to the letter as well as change out my valve cores/caps (had a leak from there) and change out my drier for the benefit of the system. The recharging section of the post states that the recharging the A/C takes 30 mins to an hour. When I recharged mine, it sucked two 12oz. cans of freon dry within 7 mins and the air only blows very mildly cold but I can feel tiny difference. I vaccumed out the system from 30mins and it held fine before hand.

The A/C system first started acting up when the drain pipe on the evaporator was clogged and water was leaking into the passenger side footwell. The cold air first stopped blowing when I had the system on high during a long drive and so much water leaked out that a big puddle about 1/2 in deep formed in the floor pan.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

What is the fill capacity for your car?

Is the condenser fan working?

You might want to check your temperature and pressure switches for proper operation. These switches control the refrigerant flow, and thus the temperature of the evaporator air.

Temp Switch:
Temp cut off is 35-33 Degrees F, should have not continuity, cut in is 36-41 Degrees F, you should have continuity.

And are you using ACTUAL Dichlorodifluoromethane? OR are you using that cheap *** propane modeled ****? If it doesn't say Dichlorodifluoromethane on the bottle, its not R12.

How much vacuum did you put on the system and for how long? I vacuum all refrigerant systems at 29mmHG for at least 40 minutes following a parts replacement that left the system exposed to air for any amount of time. Air holds moisture, and when it contacts R12, it will form hydrochloric acid. (134a forms a variant of mustard gas)

How long was the system kept open during the receiver/dryer replacement? As you can imagine, leaving the system open will allow acids to form deep inside the system which will destroy new components in short order.

What kind of service tools do you have for A/C?

 

did you go from R12 to R134a?

 

The car is a 95, so it is an orginal R134a A/C system.

The fill capacity is 19.5oz.

Condensor fan is working properly.

The low side switch is defineantly working because I ran the car with and without freon, and the clutch was not engaged when it was empty and it is engaged now.

I forgot to read the specs on the vaccum pump I used from napa, but my manifold gauge read -29 for the full thirty minutes I held the vaccum.

I immediatly started the vaccuming after I replaced the drier, however after I rechecked everything again the inlet side of the drier (the side closest the the front of the car) has a small leak but I still don't think that that would keep the whole system frorm flowing at all. Probably got some dirt caught under it because I also changed the o rings.

I have a gauge manifold set, and r-134a valve attachment, and I used the standard vaccum pump from Napa

As for the bottle saying Dichlorodifluoromethane, I'll have to check the bottle when i get back to work, but now that you mention it I would guess that it probably the propane model because it was the house brand.

 

Forget all the R12 stuff I said if you are 134a.

Hook your manifold gauges to the high and low side, and see what your pressures are, and post back with the results.

If your readings are normal, you could have a blockage in the ducting/gates. It's not uncommon to find mold/other crap growing in the fins of the evaporator.

 

if your system only takes 19oz any reason you charged 24oz into it?

what is the temperature difference through the evap?

 

I rechecked the pressure yesterday and low side was at 30psi and the high was a little over 150psi. i first thought all the blockage was caused by the clogged drain pipe from the evaporator, do you think that could have had a adverse affect somewhere else in the system other than the water leak?

The system is rated at 19.5oz from the factorybut the post I read said that every A/C system (just like an lubrication system ina motor) takes a different a different amount of freon. I monitored the pressures of the system while recharging and they were still within operational limits. Its not the fact that it took 24oz and is not working thats concerning me, its that it took the freon so freely and so fast without any results.

Have not been able to the check the temp difference on the evaporator because I have not been able the take anything off the dash to expose it? Is there an easier what to measure?

 

there should be a little duct that is the return duct going to the evap, then the supply vents in the top of the dash. no need to remove anything.


refrigerant will be sucked into the system when its under a vacuum, thats not your problem. a system i did yesterday took the full 30lb charge in about 10 minutes, because the system was under a vacuum.

what was the temperature outside when you got the head pressure of 150psi?

 

I checked the pressure during dusk, so say about 65-70 degrees. I won't be able to check the pressure differnece until after monday because I have to drive back to school and I have a test to study for, but I will let you know I do it.