Important: The following is a text only archive!
For full features; Go to Air Conditioner problem
Hi everyone, hope someone can help me out here because I'm sweating my
_____ off. My car air conditioner only seems to work when the car is in
motion. If I'm stopped, it blows hot air. Now I just tried to refill the
low port AC compressor with one of those AC Boosters from the auto part
store but it seems as if it's already filled with coolant. I had 2 AC
boosters, the one with the guage was pointing in the red zone and didn't
seem to release any coolant. The other AC booster without the guage spit
back coolant when I pressed the button so that's why I think the low port
ac compressor is already filled. My car is a 1997 Mitsubishi Diamante LS.
My AC works pretty good when i'm moving above 30 mph so this is strange.
Any ideas out there?
Thanks, Tom
tomvezina
You have two possible things causing this problem, one being probable.
They are compressor speed and lack of airfow to the condensor.
The first is incredibly easy to check for. Whille parked with the A/C
turned on max, simply increase engine RPM to 2,500-3,000 for about a
minute. If the A/C cools down, then you know it's compressor speed related
and can troubleshoot from there. However, I seriously doubt that's your
problem.
Most likely it has to do with insufficient airflow through the condensor at
low speed. That's why your car has not only a radiator cooling fan but
also an auxiliary A/C condensor fan (off the top of my head). it sounds to
me as though one or both of your fans is inoperable or you may just need to
reverse clean the cooling fins on the condensor. I garden hose with good
pressure and a jet nozzle sprayed fron the inside of the engine compartment
toward the front of the car will blow out an amazing amount of crap. All
that being said, my BEWAG says it's a fan problem.
Warning. The #1 mistake well meaning but ignorant owners/shadetree
mechanics make is over servicing the A/C refrigerant. Now that you've
hooked up not one but two cans of some unknown product, you may have
contaminated or over pressurized the system causing it to never be right
until PROPERLY serviced and possibly flushed by qualified personnel. In
other words, you might have made your original problem worse.
vwhobo
Interesting you guys can buy refrigerant over the counter there. We have to
have a licence from the Federal Govt based on trade certificate to buy and
handle said gas. We have to log the use and loss for traceability.
Wally
Civilians can purchase only R134a over the counter in addition to various
magic elixers that companies sell that theoretically work better than the
proper refrigerant. R12 in normal consumer sizes is and has been
unavailable for purchase without proper credentials for about 15 years.
That being said, R12 is available openly and without credentials in
quantities over 30 pounds, am interesting loophole.
While it's unfortunate that anyone off the street can go out and buy
chemicals to service their A/C system without regard to compatibility and
safety (in some cases), that's the price you pay to live in a free society.
Less government intervention is always prefered to more.
I just thought of something. I wonder why our little buddy DorkBeagle, the
ASE certified while still in school "mechanic" hasn't joined in this
discission. I'm sure he would have a good answer for the OP.
vwhobo
I thought the US was a signatory to the Motreal Protocol and thus banned
R12 ?
As far as I know as part of that signing, refrigerants must be reclaimed
and not vented to atmosphere.
Your clean air act extract:
Wally
R12 has been banned for manufacture, not for sale. As long as it's
available form stocks held within the country, it's fair game to sell. As
far as I know that goes for all signatory countries, although I'm sure some
countries may have put additional restrictions on it.
Additionally, you seem to be confusing refrigerant reclamation with
refrigerant servicing. I'll make it simple for you because you're in Oz.
One means taking out and the other means going in. It may be opposite for
you being below the equator... Sort of like flushed toilets swirling the
wrong way.
Finally, paragragh (e) supports my statement about 30 pound containers.
However, down under 30 may be less than 20. Maybe it's just the new
math.
So, uh... What was your question?
vwhobo
Not a query really. I thought it odd that uncertified people could buy R12,
which apparently is unlawful :- in re US Govt v Amar Alghazouli . In that
case Amar got 41 months for, amongst other things, selling to an
uncertified buyer and smuggling the stuff in from Mexico.
It also seems the EPA does require a CAA Title VI Refrigerant Regulations
Compliance Plan and that we can get $10,000 from the EPA if we dob in
tomvezina for handling a class 1 or 2 refrigerant without a licence and
under section 608 and 609 of the act. :laughing: Apparently it's ok to
reclaim from your own vehicles and share it around those vehicles, but not
to introduce any without an EPA endorsed licence and equipment.
I've written to the US EPA to get clarification on buying and handling and
will post their response once it's to hand.
Wally
