Alright guys I thought I would be cool and recharge the A/C. I bought a can of R134a and hooked it up to the port on top of the engine towards the fire wall. The charge was going a little messey and then I heard a blow off sound underneath and stopped. The blow off happened two or three times and now I see oil on the top of my differential. It appears to have blown down.

The A/C no longer works.... it blows hot. Before the charge it blew cold just not super cold.


Any suggestions? What did I do wrong? How do I fix it?

 

What made you think your system was low? Also, was the recharge kit you used the one with the oil mixed in.
1. You may have over charged the system and the pressure valve may have released on the compressor
Or
2. Too much added oil will damage or hinder the performance of the compressor

Most likely you'll need to remove the compressor and drain out all the oil. Reinstall then vacuum the system and recharge with proper amount of oil and r134. Best to leave it to the pros if your not sure how. I picked up a vacuum pump and manifold gauge set off of amazon for ~$150

 

Did you use any type of a pressure gauge? Even the el cheapo ones that attach to the can?

 

At this point, it may be best to take it to an automotive air conditioning shop.

 

You have overcharged the system. Sometimes here in the Southeast the humidity gets so high that it feels like the a/c is not working well. You haven't done any damage, the high pressure release valve has dumped the excess 134 before the system can be damaged. Check your fuses, your compressor clutch may not be operating. Turn your air on max, your a/c compressor pulley center should be turning with the outer ring (which carries the belt) and the cooling fan should be operating. If they are operating and the system still won't cool then you may still be overcharged, but not quite high enough to blow the pressure valve again. Remove the service port cap and psst ppst a couple of times and see if the compressor won't kick in when the pressure has dropped to a safe level. Those self-service kits should be outlawed, more problems result from their use. Best of luck! If all else fails get it looked at by an a/c shop.

 

THANK YOU for giving me the confidence and another method of fixing it (I just relieve more gas). It is now good to go. I figured it was something that simple but didn't want to risk it with my limited knowledge. It is working great now and I agree those things should be outlawed! Too much risk.

 

While the cans are not outlawed it is against the law to knowingly release refrigerant into the atmosphere. An automotive mechanic can only do it when looking for a leak and in small amounts. Just an FYI.

 

I agree wholeheartedly, as a licensed a/c tech . However since his system had blown down, the amount needing to be released was not really measurable. Probably hooking up a recycling service machine would have lost the same amount...

 

It's up and running but the more I think about it I am worried about the oil level. The blow out that I had, leaked what looks like a ton of oil. So I assume the blow off was a safety mechanism and not something that actually broke. I'm going to take it to a tech and have them purge it and fill it so that I know the levels are correct.

 

yeah to reassure you I'd advise that. Did the 134 you added have oil added? it should say so on the can.