Who stole my freon?
#1
Senior Member
Certified GM nut
Thread Starter
Who stole my freon?
It was slightly warm yesterday, so I thought I'd turn on my air conditioning for the first time this year. I soon noticed the air through the vents was the same temperature as the outside air.
I popped my hood and noticed the outside of the compressor wasn't spinning. When I got home, I put one of those free-with-the-can gauges on the A/C low side nozzle, and it barely registered a zero. As soon I pressed the button, the pressure shot up to about 50 psi (the "stop filling" zone) then fell back down.
I remember having great air conditioning last summer, once I got the blower motor wiring fixed. Assuming this gauge isn't junk (which it might be), where do I go from here?
I popped my hood and noticed the outside of the compressor wasn't spinning. When I got home, I put one of those free-with-the-can gauges on the A/C low side nozzle, and it barely registered a zero. As soon I pressed the button, the pressure shot up to about 50 psi (the "stop filling" zone) then fell back down.
I remember having great air conditioning last summer, once I got the blower motor wiring fixed. Assuming this gauge isn't junk (which it might be), where do I go from here?
#2
Senior Member
True Car Nut
put some more refrigerant in it with the car off and in a quiet area and look and listen for leaks, sometimes a bottle with a mist pattern with water and dishsoap helps, spray around unions and welded joints thats the most common areas for leaks.
#3
Senior Member
Certified GM nut
Thread Starter
I bought a quality gauge: zero psi. I started filling the system, and as soon as it hit 35 psi, the compressor clutch kicked in. I charged it up to 50 psi (compressor off, 25 psi on) and the system was blowing ambient-temperature air.
I turned the engine off and heard a hissing with a strange smell from (I think) the front center of the car. A few hours later, the compressor wouldn't engage.
Unsurprisingly, it looks like a leak, maybe the condenser. How simple would it be to replace the condenser (assuming it'* bad)?
I turned the engine off and heard a hissing with a strange smell from (I think) the front center of the car. A few hours later, the compressor wouldn't engage.
Unsurprisingly, it looks like a leak, maybe the condenser. How simple would it be to replace the condenser (assuming it'* bad)?
Last edited by SignOfZeta; 03-18-2012 at 12:24 AM. Reason: Typo.
#4
Senior Member
True Car Nut
not bad to do most of the time you tilt the rad and there is enough room to get the core out without draining the coolant, never done a bonnie though so not 100%. but you need a vacuum to evacuate the air a few times before recharging. i usually purge it with nitrogen and suck it down a couple times then if it holds vacuum for a while charge it back up.
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