94 Saturn AC problem

I'm having some trouble with the AC in my 94 Saturn. installed a new
compressor, charged the system, and when I turn it on it stops cooling after
a few miles and the pressure in the system goes to 100 pounds and the
compressor shuts off and on and the cooling stops. When I release pressure
in the system it starts cooling again until the pressure builds up again and
the compressor shuts off and on rapidly, with no cool air in the car.....



Anyone know why?



Thanks,



Chip

 

You mean when you illegaly vented refrigerant...

I can think of a lot of reasons. Not about to use up my time going
through every one of them. I will say not having a 609 certification
would be the start of your problems.

The a/c system is not for diy'ers or amateurs. I cannot stress that
enough. Please seek out a professional shop and tell them everything you
have done in detail so they can correctly repair your a/c system.

 

What do you care why? Dont worry yourself about it.

Did I say that I illegally vented refrigerant? Dont assume that you know
everything.

You don't seem to have any problem using your time to insult. Maybe you
should have passed on responding to this one.

Here in the last paragraph you appear to be trying to offer some help. You
could have easily limited your response to just this paragraph. Then you
would have been the hero Maybe this will help you on future posts.

 

that guy is a bit crude and with attitude too. I would suggest that
you do a pressure check with a set of gauge that reads high and low
side at same time so you can se what is going on over all with system.
Get the pressure reading and post them here. Charging a A/C system
without a proper set of complete gauge is a iffy way to do it at best.
(a low side only gauge is not reliable)

 

when you removed the refigerant did you change the dryer? Also after
you replaced the compressor did you pull a vacumn on the systen down
to at least 29 for about and hour or did you just put refrigerant in??
If you just put refrigerant in you'll need to do the above otherwise
the air AND moisture in the system will freeze up your expansion valve
and give you the problem you are experiencing. A good set of gauges,
vaccumn pump is necessary to get it back to working. BTW was yur old
compressor bad or did you have symtoms like you have now??

 

Ok have fun telling a real service tech that when you finally take it in
to be serviced. If you cant give a thorough history then they will be
even less likely to fool with it.

Considering you couldn't even give both a high and low side reading I
know exactly what you are doing. You have no RRR equipment.

This isn't childs play like a timing chain bub.

I'm not interested in being a "hero". If you had come here first and
asked what was involved I would have said more than a DIY'er could
handle. If you wanted to rebuild the transaxle I would say have at it.
However the A/C system shouldn't be opened up by anyone who doesn't have
the skills and tools to properly service it PERIOD. It will only lead to
additional repair cost than if you had it serviced by a professional. So
yes I'm going to be a dick about it. I'm not going to write a novel
everytime someone comes in here with ac problems.

29 on a needle gage won't prove anything. Bad pumps will even show a
vacuum of 29 or 30 on a gage set. Water boils at 1500 microns which is
roughly 29.9 inches of vacuum. 29.0 inches of vacuum is 25,400 microns
which wont do a thing. A good service shop will have a "micron gage" and
will pull a vacuum around 700 to 500 microns.

You scratched the surface with questons p_vouers. Hence why I wasn't
going to get into it...

 

I do appreciate your help SnoMan. The original question was from my dad,
who is a very skilled mechanic, more than any diy'er. I did not assume that
I knew everything he did but I can tell you that he has probably forgotten
more about auto repair than BaaBaa Blacksheep ever knew. He asked me to do
him a favor and get an opinion from the newsgroups, which is what I did. I
am a veteran of the newsgroups and I know the type of responses that I can
expect. I typically let the brash posts, chocked full of disdain go
unacknowledged, but not always.

Dad may take it to a shop but my money says he will get it repaired himself
(without an illegal venting of refrigerant).

Thanks again,

Chip

 

Harbor Freight should have gauges for it for about 50 to 60 bucks. You
can tell a LOT about the condition of a car A/C system and its charge
in but a few minutes with a set of gauges.

 

It's repaired. I got the final update. The compressor was replaced because
it was disfunctional and leaking. This is why it kills me when someone asks
"why did you do that?" Always assuming that they're the only ones that know
how things work. Not to get on a rant here but it reminds me of a typical
visit to the local Home Depot.

Guy in red vest: "Can I help you find something?"
Me: "Yes. Can you tell me where to find the mouse bait?"
Guy: "Why do you want mouse bait, what are you going to do with it?"
Me: "I'm going to capture as many mice as possible, put little red vests
with nametags on them and let them loose in Home Depot."

Anyway, a certified service center put tracer dye in the system to locate
the leak. When it was recharged after the compressor was replaced, they
evacuated the system which, (I'm told) you only have to do to remove
moisture in the system - then they recharged it, adding coolant with oil.
The extra oil and the dye was too much for the system and the filter/dryer
became saturated with oil and clogged. (so much for certified technitions
being flawless). This caused the overpressure and the compressor would not
keep running. The dryer/filter was replaced, system was recharged and
everything works correctly now.

 

big fucking deal.
you come in here with a half ass post and you got your stupid ass shot
down for appearing to be a fucking idiot.
man fucking whine and bitch some more

they must have assumed your mechanic father flushed and drained the
existing oil
i guess he half asses the details like his son.

 

Actually the question is very valid. Compressors die several
different ways. If the clutch failed or the front seal sprung a leak
my answer to you would be completely different than it would be if the
compressor had an internal failure.

So the person who replaced the compressor did a half assed job and
didn't flush the system. You are correct, that service center isn't
flawless, they have no way of knowing the person who replaced your
compressor didn't do the job correctly. Now you just need to hope
that all the excess oil didn't slug the compressor.

Steve B.

 

If the guy is wearing a red vest you're probably at Lowe's.
At Home Depot they wear orange.

RK Henry