What's up with my A/C ?

It blew ICE cold after I charged it.

 

oops, yep, I was thinking of the r-12 pressures (showing my age ), r-134a as you see runs slightly higher pressures but follow the chart and you can be just a little bit above or below those numbers especially with older well worn systems because the compressor pistons may not be sealing like new.

after the a/c system has been running a few minutes with fan on high with the windows open, hold your fingers under the big tube coming out of the firewall from the evaporator, give it a little gas (1500 rpm) and you should feel it go from being cold to being "ice cold" and that change to feeling "ice cold" is the liquid Freon you are feeling coming out indicating the evaporator is full and the system is fully charged.

as for pressure and oil under the cap, that definitely sounds like your leak. when Freon leaks it carries an oily film with it. the oil film constantly circulates throughout the system to keep everything lubricated and operating as it should

and yes, using soap water on the valve, to see just a small bubble every 5 minutes, that sort of leak would have the system not cooling in a about 2-3 weeks. if you saw a bubble in a minute or two it would stop cooling in a week or less.

the compressor low pressure shut off trips at around 20 lbs, so that means when the system is only around two thirds to half way full, the compressor will no longer run

 

How

How do I know how much oil to put in? Also should I use oil with uv die... Or put them in seperate????

 

you don't want to add oil, the amount you lose with a leak is tiny (a few drops) and oil is usually added only by an ounce when you flush the entire system clean or if you replace a condenser or evaporator where 50% of the tubing area is now dry. as a rule you leave adding oil to the professionals the determine and judge the amount it needs if any.

even with a regular leak needing Freon every year I have not seen any systems needing oil to be added.

 

I replaced the suction line (used) compressor (used) and the other hose off the compressor (new) I used soapy water and couldn't find any leak at the valve

 

Remember that these Toyotas also have a sight glass, mine is on the driver side between the grill and core support.
I have never found the store bought refill cans to have enough pressure to damage anything.
You know about liability these days.
Thanks keaker for the write up.
I don't have enough time to be so specific.

 

well there in lies the catch 22 with those things, every time you mess with them they may seal this time but not the next so just messing with it may make it reseal that's why "when in doubt" replace them so you don't risk a leak again next time.

its not uncommon for Freon to leak out, you re-add Freon, then it stays full because it sealed properly the second time but didn't the first time, so you should always watch it for leaks after every time you are messing with it.

its a rubber disk the size of a pencil tip and over time they can harden and stop sealing well so for 50 cents each just put new ones

 

I'm going to replace them anyways. I don't see any noticeable oil on any of the fittings. How much dye do I add to the system?

 

Checked today...zero refrigerant in the system

 

Can anyone else confirm that under you ac port caps there is oily residue??

 

Went to re charge and the freon wouldn't go into the line...cool