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RedGoat67
Novice
Oct 6, 2007, 3:34 PM
Post #1 of 3
(1937 views)
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I have a '95 Buick LeSabre. Two months ago, a mechanic add some R134a for the first time ever for this car since it was not blowing cold air. He suspected a small leak but could not find any. The car cooled fine for about 2 months. Now the A/C does not cool again and the compressor just cycles every 10-15 seconds. Thinking I was low on refrigerant, I bought an Interdynamic do-it-yourself recharge kit. Basically here's the scenerio; With the guage attached to the low side, the compressor kicks on at 45 and runs until the needle drops down to 25. At 25, the compressor goes off and the needle slowly goes back to 45. At 45, the compressor kicks on again and the whole cycle starts over again. The compressor cycles on and off every 10-15 seconds. I hate to add more refrigerant since the needle indicates 45 at one point. Am I doing something wrong? The car, receiver/dryer and cooling lines never get cold. Am I still low on refrigerant? Or is there another component causing my problem? Any suggestions?
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 7, 2007, 12:41 AM
Post #2 of 3
(1924 views)
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From the info available it's low again. The most common leak area in this car is the shaft seal in the compressor. Leaks can be anywhere there is refrigerant.
Boosting with only low side information is incomplete. There is no way to know the correct charge without removing it all and filling it by thet exact listed weight which is hard to do without some equipment. Being too high or too low by just 10% is a big deal with 134a which you should have. Avoid the kits that use anything but pure 134a refrigerant as the additives will void all warranties and can destroy the whole system at costs of thousands!!
A chart I have for this cars shows 39oz of refrigerant. It's illegal to vent it but of course it's done all the time. It is supposed to be recovered and weighed for re-use.
There are electronic sniffers to pin point leaks and dyes that help find them. The problem with a leaker is that the oil in system is carried by refrigerant and when low the compressor can run dry and then throw debris into the system so fixing this early will save $$.
These kits are fondly called "DEATH KITS" in the trade as unwary folks just wrecklessly pump in refrigerant destroying the whole thing or get hurt. Never mind global warming from refrigerants - it is high pressure gas/liquid and can really hurt you if something ruptures.
The pressures you noticed and the likely gauge with a color chart is incomplete at best. There is NO perfect # for each vehicle and it's so temerature dependant it's an art. These things shouldn't be sold without warnings like a book. Just read what it takes to properly charge an A/C system that is fixed or in good working order to achieve the right charge and performance. You can read it here at >>>> http://www.autoclimas.com/...igerant%20charge.php
Do you intend on fixing this yourself? It's more than you might expect and some required equipment is rentable for free with a 100% deposit that gets refunded with safe return.
Let me know how I can help with how you want to deal with this,
T
(edited to correct clickable site)
(This post was edited by Tom Greenleaf on Oct 7, 2007, 12:45 AM)
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RedGoat67
Novice
Oct 11, 2007, 5:54 PM
Post #3 of 3
(1906 views)
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Tom. You were absolutely correct in that the system was indeed low on refrigerant and that the leak was probably in the compressor's shaft seal. I took my car to an ASE repair shop where they replaced the compressor, receiver/dryer and orifice tube. A leak detector indicated that no other component was leaking. I am so glad you cautioned me against recharging using the "death kit" as I might have done some damage to my otherwise unbroken A/C components. I agree that working on automobile A/C is BEST left to the professional to do. Sure it was costly to repair, but it WAS repaired. Merely adding aftermarket kit refrigerant would not correct a leaking system and potentially cause damage to the entire system. Thanks again. Do-it-yourselfers out there: Don't buy those aftermarket recharge kits. Let a professional repair your system properly.
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