Now before you reply with your fan doesn't work please read further.

I admit I'm an ac noob and still learning. I have a 2002 acura rsx base. Had a compressor blow and assumed it was black death. Took every part out (all lines, evaporator, etc.) cleaned and reinstalled. Also installed new ac compressor, condensor, drier and expansion valve. The fan is working just fine. Everything seems to be working properly but when the car is idle at a stop sign my ac gets warm. While I'm in the highway it is nice and cold. I can rev the car up at a stop sign and the ac will get cold.

I vacuumed the lines for over an hour to remove moisture. I put the correct amount of freon in according to the sticker on the car. When installing the compressor I emptied the oil in it and filled it with the correct amount of oil.

With all that said I have emptied the freon and refilled it once to make sure I didn't overfill it the first time. On my guages the low side is higher than it should be at idle but when I rev the car up it drops.

I just can't figure out what problem could be left with all these new parts and everything cleaned. Any ac gurus on here with any ideas would be much appreciated!

 

Are you 100% certain you are putting the correct amount of refrigerant in ? Double check.

 

i mean im pretty sure. calls for 19.5 ounces max. emptied 1 12 ounce can in and about half of another one so it should be around 18 ounces...

 

ac work is tricky but if it works the way it should while driving then you have to look at the component that activates the compressor and that would be the pressure switch on the condenser.

 

well i decided to double check the levels, hooked up my gauges again while the car was idling ac full blast. it was blowing somewhat cold (since its dark) but the levels were 70+ on the low side and like 150 on the high side. I know that the low side should be around 40-45 so i opened the low side and let refrigerant out until it got down below 50. now the ac blows hot while idling and when i rev the car up...idk wtf is going on

 

Who needs a/c?

And it sounds like you have too much or too little. Can you feel the compressor kick on and off while your driving? If so, you have too much.

On a serious tip, I did it to the wagon. I got a cheap adapter from autzone that my friend gave me, and I added one can of freon. It worked fine until the coil fried.

 

no the compressor doesn't kick on and off while driving, i've had that happend before so i know what it feels like. it doesn't have any weird symptoms at all...

 

The first problem is you did not bother to search for my in depth A/C thread.

https://honda-tech.com/tech-misc-15/...oesnt-2900177/

Second, do not assume anything, do not simply replace all the parts simply because you can, you will never figure out why the compressor died in the first place. You may end up replacing it again, and again because you did not properly diagnose the problem and the cause.

I will assume that you made your repairs to specification and did not overlook something. If you think you might have, say something.

What grade of oil did you install?

Did you use straight R134a? Or did you use a leak kit? The leak kits will include some amount of oil (usually an incorrect grade) which can create a situation where the oil insulates the evaporator, preventing cooling.

You cannot gauge refrigerant level with a gauge. Refrigerant is dispensed by weight.

The switches are high and low pressure switches. If the pressure is too high, it will trigger these switches. You can use a meter to determine if the switch is opening prematurely. This is doubtful given your pressures. The system will cycle in over or under pressure events.

You high side pressure is too low. This can be caused by too little refrigerant leaving the evaporator WITH a full system charge. Did you properly secure the sensing bulb to the return line of the evaporator?

If an expansion valve is defective and will not open, it will move refrigerant to the high side to be cooled off. Since the refrigerant has no where to go, it continues to cool off, reducing the high side pressure to near system resting pressure.

Never assume that because it should be at 40-45psi on the low side, that is actually will be. If you read my post, you will see there is a large operating range depending on the conditions outside, and the refrigerant level. If you simply fill up your system until an ideal low pressure is reached, the high side can be too low or too high.

Potential Causes:
1: Low refrigerant level. Find the leak and fix it, or evacuate and recharge the system to specification with a recovery machine and recheck.
2: Defective expansion valve. If after fixing number 1 you still have problems, replace the valve.

 

qjermo, did you fix the ac issue with your rsx. I have the exact same issue and I donr know what it is. It almost seems as though the ac isn't turning the correct rpm. As soon as I get it up to about 1200 rpm, ahe low side drops to a "normal reading" and the high side rises to a "normal reading.

 

I actually never did fix it brotha. I'm pretty bad at AC and could never get my certified mechanic buddy to check it out, we could never link up when we both had the time. Ended up selling the car because i wanted a TSX...sorry i cant be more help

 

Either have the system recharged with the correct amount of refrigerant, sounds like it is low, or the other possibility is a defective expansion valve or a bad compressor.

A proper recharge would be the easiest and cheapest then the expansion valve and last, [most expensive] is replacing the compressor. 94

 

Just had a similar problem with a Dodge 2500 and it was the compressor. It work better off idle because your low side pressure goes down and high side pressure goes up in to a more efficient range.

 

It's might be your a/c fan going out and not working and cooling the gas's in the condensor.