1st. post. 1994 civic ac performance test. @ 1500rpm low side 55 to 65, high side 155 to 180. Blows cool air, not cold. this is after system evacuation (2hrs.) and recharge. Driving 55mph system is cool, not cold, come to a stop no cool air, back to 55, system cools again, but not cold. Seems like compressor is not up to par. It's all original equipment. Any input is welcome, thanks.

 

Sounds like a leak to me.

 

yes, i did replace the high press discharge hose frrom comp. to cond.

 

Did you run a dye or anything through the system?

 

How clean are the condenser fins?

 

no. the system is orig. there have been no problems til 3 wks. ago. initial inspection showed much oil traces on high pressure discharge line from comp. so i replaced it. did not suspect any more leaks.

 

they appear to be clean considering the cars age. mi' 120,000 + or-

 

What was the outside temp when you ran the test?

And yes, a bad compressor is a possibility, as is a faulty expansion valve.

 

What does an expansion valve do?

 

Meters the proper amount of refrigerant into the evaporator.

 

What does the evaporator do?

 

outside temp was about 91. what checks are to be done for the expansion valve besides visual

 

I should have more quickly recognized who was asking the question. I'm being trolled by the king of trolls.

 

OP -- Maybe this chart will help. The low side pressure (suction) is too high and the high side pressure (discharge) is too low.

 

i ran performance tests again, this time low side was high at 80 psi. high side low at 135 psi. outside temp 90 degrees. i lookedinto the evap. compartment, evaporator and expansion valve were cool to touch, no frost. i cleaned out the debris and closed it up. system still blows cool air, not cold. the additional symtoms on the chart were not present. the chart points to comp. and expansion valve replacement. i'd like to be more sure before i make this repair. any more insight?