Should I expect more from my AC

Ambient temp is 85, truck at 1500 RPM, recirc is off. Pressures seem OK but I see foam (would not call it bubbles, i’ve seen bubbles in a sight glass before and this is more like foam) and best I can get is 60 degrees. Could it be moisture? Would drawing the system down and recharging help if it is moisture?

 

how cold does it get with recirc on

 

^^^ Try recirc. Yes. I would say so. With recirc on. Similar temps and humidity as Atlanta.

 

I would watch the site glass and add a little until it clears... it wont completely clear, you will know it when you see it.

 

Recover. Put in vacuum. And charge per sticker on car. Then see what it does.

 

I can get the temp down with recirculate on to about 55 but I think it should do better. Same ambient conditions, recirculating is off and my wife’s car (2018 MDX) is blowing 40 degrees.

@Glamisman i did that until the low side hit 50 and high side was well over 300 and no change in air temp or sight glass. I’ve hit some kind of ceiling where I think continuing down this path is just going to cause damage.

@Panchovilla6192002 I think that’s my next step.

Thanks all. Heading out of town for holiday weekend hope to pick this ups gain next week.

Oh and Pittsburg manifold and gauges from Harbor Freight suck. The valves on the quick disconnects are flaky at best. The knob rotates like 4 times from stop to stop but the valves are only open for about 3/4 of one revolution somewhere in the middle of that. Took a few minutes to figure that out this morning.

 

I am seeing similar temps and pressures after doing my condenser and dryer. I am gonna evac the system and try replacing the expansion valve and evaporator next

 

my 95.5 will blow in the 40's. if i use the cup holder to hold a warm can of soda, it gets cold in 10 mins.

it might have too much oil after many recharges over the years.

 

Have your pressures changed since you last measured it when you were charging it?

 

Did you do a vacuum?

 

Did you do that after your condensor / dryer change?

Hopefully yes, along with prefilling both bits with the prescribed quantity of oil before installation.

 

I concur wholeheartedly, mine were brand new, but I'd had them for a couple of yrs cause i got them on sale,,, leaked like a sieve. Terrible. I found their top of the line hand tools to be OK, and some of their impact sockets good, but other than that I avoid them. Oh I also have their 20 ton press and it's been good to go.

My buddy just refilled my system and it cranks, big time, 40 to 42 degree air in the heat of the day here in Houston cut the air with a knife humidity. He's good at doing this, I'm going to try and learn from him.

 

You know I wondered about the oil myself. On one hand, i thought if Freon leaked so did oil so Freon with oil should have been added. But then I thought maybe only the gas can escape and the oil remains so just Freon should be added. I’ve read more about AC in the last few weeks than I ever wanted to and somewhere all that I read my symptoms could be from too much oil. Not sure how I could tell for sure or what to do about if that’s the case.

 

I have one of those thermometers and it's cycled through many cars. Cruising down the street at 30mph, I expect 40 degrees regardless of the outside temp.

 

It has a leak or clogged up cap tube, more likely condenser leak. jmo

see if any oil around the ac pulley. If you can pull a vacuum let it set over night, if it's a leak it will show the next day. Being an '04 I'd say a leak.

 

it depends where the leak is, if it's around the compressor it will leak oil, if around the evap or condenser it will be gas.

 

Years ago in school for HVAC we were told rule of thumb for Automotive was 40 degrees from Ambient Air Temperature

If the numbers look good I would wonder if the Evap Coil just has so much dirt it effects the transfer of the cold air I did not read each response so if the OP changed the Evap coil I missed it.

We are talking for the most Trucks 10 plus years old unless a certified Mall Crawler it has most likely seen it`s share of all kinds of dirt

 

Well getting the oil out would mean, do a evac on the system. Then a flush with a solvent, then change the dryer. next get it under vacumn, to confirm no leaks, then recharge with proper amount of oil and freon.

Do not turn on the ac when it has no oil. but you can precharge with oil, hook it up to be charged then turn on.

 

Make sure your thermometer is calibrated. Those things will be inaccurate if you drop them on the ground. Calibration is easy. Just put the probe into a glass of ice water and let it settle. Turn the nut on the back until it reads 32F.

I've seen that style thermometer off by as much as 10 degrees. I've been using them as a chef for 25 years. Well, nowadays I use digital thermometers.

You probably still have some kind of issue but make sure your thermometer is accurate.

 

Wondering if you'd have to pull the compressor and dump the oil out to be accurate....not sure. I probably would.