AC quit on a 2,000 mile drive

I got an hour out of New Orleans in 90+ degree heat and my ac shit the bed.

Looking for any advice to maybe get it to limp through the next couple days, I’ve called a dozen shops and no one will do a same day service and it’s too hard to pinpoint where I’m going to be a couple days ahead.

I topped it up with one of those bottles (I know, I know) about a year ago and it had been running pretty well ever since. Sometimes will start to blow less cold if you run it for a while and then a few minutes turned off will get it cold again. This time it was running just great and then all of a sudden total loss of cooling. The fuse is good and the compressor is still running but it’s not cooling the air at all.
When I plug a recharge can in it reads in the red (full/overfull) so it’s not a sudden loss of refrigerant. It might be overcharged but it seems odd that it would so suddenly go from great to zero, I thought overcharge usually runs but not as well.

Any suggestions for stuff I can try on my own? Obviously will take it to an ac shop as soon as I can.

This girl will be very happy if you can help me troubleshoot it!

 

Remember Freon doesn’t disappear, it goes somewhere. That somewhere happens due to leaks(damage to components or seals). Rent vacuum pump and gauges. Run vacuum for 15 min. If you loose vacuum then you have a leak. Check the most common items. Condenser for oil spots(rock impacts etc) and go from there. Once you identify the leak, fix it and use the pump and gauges to refill to specs.

 

The other thing that is confusing to me is that when I hit the ac switch at idle I can hear the engine change revs which is why I think the compressor is kicking on but when I plug in the recharge can there’s no fluctuation in the pressure reading even if I rev the engine. Like the compressor is clutching on but not actually doing anything.

 

The days of topping off r12 are over.....134a is a completely different animal...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IBFLMYZEzI&t=393s

 

Didn’t realize you can rent ac stuff. is that an autozone thing?
Unfortunately I don’t think it’s as simple as a loss of Freon but if I’m lucky maybe it’s an overcharge

 

Yeah I paid a garage to reclaim/empty mine...
run the risk of losing your compressor oil if not real careful here...

Then I brought it home and did the vac pump for 45 min and then two cans with a gram scale...
22 oz is what mine takes.....little more than a can and a half....

your gonna have to throw a little away when you carefully burp the line's......

should be a label in the engine bay somewhere telling how much.....


You can lend a tool on the gauge set.....but dont think they have loaner vac pumps...

those start about $60 on the bay and amozon....HF puts one on sale for about 60....

 

You can rent all that stuff at autozone, orilleys.

 

What kind of gauges do you have?

 

Dammit don't post a pic of the pup. Poor girl.

Schedule a spot where you can drive to along travels with a shop if possible. Worst cast make a Ghetto swamp cooler for the pup. You can use it too

 

Yeah don’t worry I’m a lot more concerned about her than me. She’s ok she’s a Lousiana dog so she’s already acclimated and we’re making lots of stops to cool off.

 

I figured she is your concern. Where are you headed?

 

I’m just going off the gauge on the autozone refill can but it’s reading over 100psi on the low side and I can tell from plugging/unplugging it that it’s not just broken, there’s a lot of pressure in that low pressure line.
The thing that has me worried is there’s no fluctuation in that gauge when the compressor is running. Obviously it’s cheap garbage and it’s not going to give any kind of accurate reading but I’d think it should still be fluctuating if the pump is working.
I might go rent some gauges and see what I can see but everything I’m reading is making me think this isn’t something I’m going to be able to fix on the road anyway

 

Maine coast. Puppy paradise.

 

Can you call ahead with a shop maybe and plan a stop?

 

If the compressor is running and the pressures are equalized..your compressor may be the culprit

 

I’ve tried about a dozen but not having much luck. Don’t think I’m the only one realizing it’s time to fix the ac lol

 

haha ya I know, do the 1st gens have an orifice tube? could be clogged

 

Thanks. That is what I’m afraid of. From how it went out almost instantly I figured either major loss of pressure or component failure.

 

Not sure I’ll look into it

 

what year is it?