I charged my 1991 Honda Accord today and it took me over an hour. I put 2 12oz cans of R134a and each can took over half an hour to empty. My only question is why did it take so long to empty each can. I left the cans upright like it said. I always thought that it only took 5-10 minutes to empty a can.

The ac at running full blast is at 60F when the temp outside was close to 90F

 

Was the system vacuumed out before charging

 

You have a refrigerant leak. Fix the leak. Evacuate. Charge with proper amount by weight of refrigerant. The only reason why someone would have to recharge is if it is leaking. A/C systems DO NOT consume the refrigerant.

 

R134a in a '91?

 

60* isn't good, you gots problem.

 

I went to my local AC "doctor" and they vacuumed it for me. I put a retrofit kit in.

What temp should the ac be?

I put in 24 oz but I know that it should have 80% of 34 oz which is 27 oz. Would that
3 oz make that much of a difference.

I also added some of that ac stop leak with red dye so if there is a leak then i'll see it.

 

You should easily be able to get into the 40's with these cars.

A/C stop leak sounds scary

 

They dont consume, but they do leak. ALL AC systems leak. The EPA sets the standard as to what the acceptable percentage of leakage is and some states(like California) set the bar even higher for each vehicle manufacturer. While there have been great strides in sealing technology, like changes from single O rings to double O rings all the way up to current metal gaskets and seals, they still leak, hence the need for periodic recharge. So a sytems that is low on charge does not necessarily have what is termed a "gross" leak.

 

He'll never get better than 60* with the way he did it. But he's happy for now, until the moisture and contaminates destroy his AC system....

 

Why what did I do wrong?

 

From my experience I am never able to completely empty the can, there always seems to be an ounce or two still left. Try putting the can into some warm water while recharging to speed up the process.

 

Yea ive had the same problem. If I don't need to use the whole can what do I do with it. Should I go ahead and buy another can.

I just checked the temp out of the vents again. The temp outside is 92F and the temp out of the middle vent is 65F. The temp out of the passenger side is 60F. Should it still be at 40F.

 

A properly operating a/c system should be between 36 and 40 degrees. It seems like you have another underlying problem. You really need to hook up a manifold gauge set to check pressures for further diagnosis.

 

A properly operating a/c system should be between 36 and 40 degrees. It seems like you might have another problem within the system. You need a manifold gauge set to check the pressure to further diagnose the system.

 

Does not vacuuming down the system cause it to run not as cool? Should I go and get the system emptied then vacuumed, then refill it.

 

Vacuuming the system draws out moisture. Having excess moisture will degrade the performance. The system should be vacuumed for at least a half hour. Longer vacuum times will remove more moisture. Also, they should let the system sit for at least ten minutes to make sure it maintains that vacuum. You should really pay to have it diagnosed so you don't keep throwing money into it.

 

I dumped 3 cans in my system it worked for a day and then the next day quit cold turkey.

The first 2 cans I put in, the AC worked as it should but a day later it stopped working. I decided to add a 3rd can after that task the compressor was behaving funky (shutting on and off) and then few days later the system quit working. Now i have to stick my head out of the windows during 100 degrees days.

any experts here have an estimate on how much it would cost to vacuum and test for leaks in the AC system?

 

It's not vacuuming it's evacuating.

 

You could have overcharged and killed the compressor.

Good info here: https://honda-tech.com/forums/showth...2953164&page=2

 

Bumping an old thead.

Looks like the compressor is leaking because I used a UV light to look for leaks and there was green goo near the compressor, not sure what I'm gonna do . Looking at the helms there aren't any seals that can be replaced therefore it looks like a new compressor must be bough

 

Check your local pull n save type JY. I know mine has about 20 accords on the lot and I bet 15 have compressors on them for like 30 buxs if you pull it yourself. If they have dye on them, most likely the AC was running when placed in the lot.

 

back from the grave. I bought a kit from ebay and I will be replacing the 3 main components (minus the condenser). I just have one question. Will I need to adjust the clutch shim, or do I simply put in the compressor and complete the mandatory procedures? I don't want my ac clutch seizing and catching on fire.

 

If the compressor is made specifically for your vehicle,you do not need to adjust the clutch(assuming it was assembled correctly)


If the compressor seized,you need to replace the condenser or you will be replacing everything again in 6 months to a years time.....