ThaiCobra

Yeah it def goes beyond being in traffic. Even cruzing down the highway doing 80, and I have it on "MAX AC" it still hardly blows cold. It is slightly cold, but just slightly.

Rudolph Hucker

is your car black?
surely ac has a hard time with a black car?
mine does for sure...

So_Cali

Any particular kit you'd recommend?

Lethaldosage423

AC systems can be very temperamental. you must have the correct amount of refrigerant in the system for it to work properly.
The over the counter cans are easy and convenient but its hard to get the refrigerant level exact.
your car requires 1.63lbs of R-134A. too much or too little creates issues with the pressures and the system won't work.

Id recommend taking it to a shop that can evacuate and recharge the system. They will take out whatever R-134A is left in the system, place it under a vacuum and see if it holds. If it holds vacuum, they will then recharge it with the correct amount and they should put a dye in it. If it doesn't hold vacuum, you have a leak and it should be easy to find.

Once its recharged, see if it works. Does the compressor engage? Does it get cold? are the pressures correct? (the shops AC machine should be able to perform all of these tests)

The AC compressor is belt driven. It is on the Right (Pass side) at the bottom. The pulley will spin with the engine running. The clutch spins separately. When the ac is turned on, a magnet pulls the clutch in and it spins with the compressor pulley.

Im not sure where the fuse is but if the AC compressor clutch is engaging then power shouldn't be an issue.

Use google to see how the compressor clutch engages. most AC compressors are the same setup and youll see what I'm taking about,

If you have no idea still, take it somewhere. AC systems aren't cheep to fix unfortunately.
The entire system is under pressure. (even if the AC isn't working, it could still be under pressure) so it can be dangerous if you don't know what you are doing.
Good luck and again, feel free to post any other questions!
-Chris

Lethaldosage423

If you have a shop recharge it and put a dye in it and it works fine for a few days but then stops working, take it back and they will use a UV light to detect the leak for ya

ThaiCobra

Thanks Chris! Taking it to the shop tomorrow!

66and06stangs

Chris, how do you evacuate an AC system?

ThaiCobra

SO...

went to the autozone today. love those guys.

Bought some AC pro can for $40. It includes the gauge and the can of freon. We cranked up the engine and put the gauge on. The needle was swinging back and forth the whole length of the gauge. So the guy said this means there is a leak somewhere. He said, if its a small leak its not a big deal, but if its a big leak, i need to get it fixed pronto. We put a full can of 134a in it, and even then he said it could use a little more. The AC is now cold, but def not as cold as it was when I first got it. I'd say it's about 75% of its potential.





So now I will just wait for the next 2 - 3 weeks and see what happens.

Thanks for everyone's help!

Lethaldosage423

Leak, large or small is still going to empty out within a few weeks.

take a look through the grille of the bumper. In front of the radiator you have the AC condenser. It acts as a radiator for your refrigerant .
see if there are any oily looking spots on it. it may not be covered in oil but if a rock came up and hit it, you'll see the area where its leaking. That is the most common cause of an AC leak.

If thats not it it could be anything as minor as an O ring in a line or as major as an Evaporator core. (that is located under the dash (like a heater core but for AC)

Good luck.


66and06stangs, Evacuating the system pretty much just means emptying it out.
I highly DO NOT recommend you do this but if you take off the service port cap on the AC lines there is a Schrader valve (like a valve stem of a tire) you push it down and it will spray out. ITS UNDER PRESSURE and its dangerous to your eyes, lungs, and the environment...lol...
the correct way is to hook up an air conditioning service machine. It connects to the high and low pressure lines of your AC system at the service ports and safely recovers the refrigerant.
The machines run about $4000 so your average weekend warrior mechanic will most likely not have one.

My usual opinion when it comes to servicing an AC system is to take it to a shop who specializes in AC. Reason being is it can be dangerous and if people go overcharging the system or replacing parts they aren't really sure are bad, your wasting money.


Ill type up a testing procedure for checking AC systems if you like, maybe the mods will sticky it.

ThaiCobra

Thanks again Chris, I will def take a look soon.