Air conditioner blues

well by the title its about my ac in my tacoma. I had watched a video on youtube on AC Pro and how great it works so since my ac wasn't blowing as cold as I'd like to or as cold as I thought it should be. So I went and got a can of it and read the directions and used it accordingly. while driving around testing it out, it didn't seem to be any cooler if anything it was the same or less cool.
I was almost home and I heard a loud hiss and my ac got a little cooler, I got home and parked and heard the hiss again and saw a huge cloud of ac pro refrigerant drifting away from me. I quick shut my truck off and looked under the hood. There was refrigerant behind the compressor. So i'm to assume putting in more pressure into the ac system with the ac pro put more stress on the already weak seals.

My question is how much is A. the seals and B. the labor to do this?

Anyone else have this issue or any problems with your AC???

 

You can't just add refrigerant willy-nilly. A tacoma charge is only about 22 oz. One of those A/C pro cans can have that much R134a. Too much of a good thing is bad. Chances are you are going to have to replace the compressor. Compressors start at $200 or so online. At a dealer, 2x to 3x that. Plus the labor (probably 2 hours to replace compressor, add oil, evacuate recharge and test...) I'd guess 800 bucks. An expensive lesson.

I doubt the compressor survives, as with a significant over-charge, liquid R134a can reach the compressor, and the reed valves inside don't appreciate that any more than the seals do...

 

for fuck sakes! I knew I should have just left it alone. well I guess i'll be saving for that now instead of a warn winch...

Would you or anyone else reading this be able to suggest any names that are quality? or does it not matter?

 

where did it blow excess 134 out? Some compressors have a blow off valve may just need to clean, take to shop and have them weigh the correct amount in.

 

i'm going to go get a picture of it brb

 

rant

I hate these ads that claim you can just charge up the AC system like it is normal for the coolant to go away and need charging from a can with absolutely zero knowledge about what the AC System does or how it does it. As bad as those lawyer ads that want you to sue everybody...

Get the AC Checked by a professional if you want it done correctly. Much cheaper in the long run.

/rant

 

in this image youll see my dipstick [engine oil dipstick sick-o...] resting on the spot where the 134 was released. directly to the left of the spray off looks like a little black valve i thought it was a bolt at first, but it looks rubber... So maybe i didn't break my compressor??

 

Take it to a shop that does AC work. They will be able to connect proper gauges and tell you what's up and fix whatever the issue could be.

Until then we are All Guessing.

 

where'd you go?

 

These ac's have that purge valve I doubt you damaged the compressor. Go get it recharged. Cost about 100 last time I did it.

 

Dang, I had no idea you couldnt hook one of those up and have it fix it

 

The problem with the compressor is that it does NOT like liquid input. Some of the A/C pro cans I have seen direct you to hold the can upside down which injects liquid R134a into the suction side. On some vehicles (accumulator-based) this is fine as the accumulator reservoir captures that liquid and lets it boil away to reach the compressor. Ours is not designed like that. If you slug liquid freon into the compressor, that high pressure relief is not going to prevent compressor damage as the internal reed valves can't take that kind of load and they will bend.

Adding refrigerant is not rocket science, but it is a technical process that requires caution to avoid damage. This is true of ANY A/C system, home or auto. If you eyeball the low and high pressure side, check ambient temp and cabin air temp, you can get a pretty good idea of whether the system is over/under/correctly charged. Just slamming a crock of R134a is NOT a good idea, blindly.

By far the most accurate and easiest approach is to recover the old R134a, vacuum purge, and then charge with 22oz of refrigerant and you are done. I just bought a bunch of R134a at $4.00 per 12oz can, so it won't break the bank to waste the equivalent of 2 cans by letting a local shop recover whatever is in there...

 

.
I learned a lot in here on A/C units tonight ...
.

 

This post has a lot of great knowledge , i can never type that much. yes he may have damaged valves in comp if he put to much in its liquid state.
they make anti slug modules you can wire in low slung compressor systems.
which pulse clutch engagement to keep from (slugging).

 

I add my own when its needed, but only Freon only through dedicated gauges. those gauge/can kits have oil and other additives that aren't needed unless you have flushed or removed oil. to much oil is a bad thing. i haven't had to touch my taco. Partially retired mechanic though. Best of luck to you.

 

My truck's AC works okay, but not nearly as good as my previous car, my wife's car, or even our commuter. It gets cold enough if you've got it maxed out and 3/4 or full blast on the fan on a hot day... my old car would freeze your nads off on low power.

 

You should change your drier while it's in there to its probably full of old dirty oil.

They will fill your system after everything is replaced and smoke it to make sure there is no leaks. Then they will fill it. If you have access to a machine it's actually quite easy to work on.

 

Pretty sure the drier is built as part of the condenser on the Tacoma...

 

today, my compressor seems to be fine. yesterday the compressor kept turning on and shutting off while driving around. today its not switching back and forth and the air coming out of the vents is a lot cooler. I think i got extremely lucky!

AC Pro should have a disclaimer saying "its not a job anyone should be doing without proper researching before".

than you all for giving your suggestions!!!!

 

IMO you should still get it checked for proper fill and lubrication. It could effect the longevity of your compressor.


Just saying pay now or pay big time later... Your move.