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Hi —
My 2002 Accord w/ 176k m has no refrigerant so I need to charge it from scratch. My fault for putting it off — while it worked last summer, the ambient-vent difference was only 18 degrees. It also worked when I cycled the AC on over the winter every few weeks, but of course just as the weather warmed up the compressor wouldn’t kick in and when I checked there was nothing left in the system. I’m going to replace the schrader valves (I may have damaged one of them last summer — attached a manifold gauge coupler with the valve in the open position 😳 ) and receiver-drier. This is my first shot at AC repair so a couple questions before I dive in:
1) any reason to pay Honda price for drier ($100 or so online) or is aftermarket OK (saw Fourseasons for $40)?
2) is it best to use refrigerant that includes oil? Does that risk too much oil in the system?
3) In Eric’s video the compressor kicked on soon after he started charging. If it doesn’t, should I bridge the pressure switch connector with a paper clip like Haynes recommends?Thanks for the help. With a little luck, Eric is about to save me a few hundred bucks (again). (I have to wonder if he ever gets death threats from mechanics 🙂 )
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Are you certain that it’s the schrader valves that are leaking? If you have no refrigerant, your first step should be to identify what component in the system is leaking.
[quote=”babunovm” post=139038]Hi —
My 2002 Accord w/ 176k m has no refrigerant so I need to charge it from scratch. My fault for putting it off — while it worked last summer, the ambient-vent difference was only 18 degrees. It also worked when I cycled the AC on over the winter every few weeks, but of course just as the weather warmed up the compressor wouldn’t kick in and when I checked there was nothing left in the system. I’m going to replace the schrader valves (I may have damaged one of them last summer — attached a manifold gauge coupler with the valve in the open position 😳 ) and receiver-drier. This is my first shot at AC repair so a couple questions before I dive in:
1) any reason to pay Honda price for drier ($100 or so online) or is aftermarket OK (saw Fourseasons for $40)?
2) is it best to use refrigerant that includes oil? Does that risk too much oil in the system?
3) In Eric’s video the compressor kicked on soon after he started charging. If it doesn’t, should I bridge the pressure switch connector with a paper clip like Haynes recommends?Thanks for the help. With a little luck, Eric is about to save me a few hundred bucks (again). (I have to wonder if he ever gets death threats from mechanics 🙂 )[/quote]
I would use a Honda drier. Just use refrigerant. see if the compressor will stay running before you bridge
the connector.I just spoke to an AC guy about testing my system and he says that you should add dye to the system whenever you add refrigerant just to make it simpler to find a leak if one occurs. Of course that means you need to have the 3 hose high side low side connectors and the filler/evac hose to add the dye with. or to go pay a guy to do it. The guy here in western Or was going to charge $70 to evac the system and add R134a refrigerant with dye.
[quote=”94newtome” post=139067]I just spoke to an AC guy about testing my system and he says that you should add dye to the system whenever you add refrigerant just to make it simpler to find a leak if one occurs. Of course that means you need to have the 3 hose high side low side connectors and the filler/evac hose to add the dye with. or to go pay a guy to do it. The guy here in western Or was going to charge $70 to evac the system and add R134a refrigerant with dye.[/quote]
Or, you can buy the R134a with the dye already added in the can and just use that to charge.
Thanks all for the tips. I figure it makes sense to start by changing the schrader valves, even though I don’t know they’re a problem, because (a) Eric says they’re the source of most leaks, (b) they cost next to nothing, and (c) there’s a possibility I may have damaged one of them last summer when I put the manifold gauge coupler on it with the gauge valve in the open position.
I think a good place to start is by putting a vacuum on the system before charging. If it can’t hold a vacuum, it can’t hold a charge. If it does hold a vacuum and you suspect the schrader valves, replace the valves before charging and put a vacuum on the system again before charging.
Not only will the vacuum help you find any leaks but it will also remove moisture from the system.
I also recommend adding dye when recharging the system to help find any future leaks.
More info here.
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-automotive-hvac-problems
Good luck and keep us updated.
First the good news — the Schrader valves seem fine…
With everyone’s advice, I changed the dryer, then put a vacuum on the system for a good half hour, closed off the manifold valves, and it seemed to hold the vacuum for at least another half-hour. I followed Eric’s advice adding dye to the yellow hose (which was fortunate…) and then charged the system. It took longer for the condenser to kick in than in Eric’s video, but kick in it did, and pressures were in the same ranges and the vent temp dropped to at least 30 degrees below ambient. Drove the car that afternoon to Autozone to return the pump and gauge set, enjoying the AC for the first time this summer.
Started up the next morning, turned on the AC… and nothing. Compressor didn’t start, and refrigerant had completely leaked out. That night the UV flashlight showed dye spattered/puddled on the plastic “side branch tube” off the air intake hose, right next to the high pressure AC tubing. It turns out that that side of the aluminum tubing had been rubbing against the plastic part (first picture) leaving a flat strip on the tubing a couple inches long with a pinhole worn through (second picture). No other apparent dye leaks. I’m mystified by the gauges seeming to show and hold a vacuum –I made sure both the manifold and connector valves were open– but it’s a relief to have found the leak.
It looks like I can order a replacement receiver pipe from autofairhondaparts.com for $40. Any advice — including whether this is a step beyond DIY? It looks like it comes complete with O-rings and brackets. The battery holder may have to come out, but as long as the replacement tubing is the same size and shape it looks do-able.
Sorry for the book-length post but this may help others who takes the plunge. The moral to the story is MAKE SURE your AC tubing has plenty of clearance — in this case it should have had plastic or other protective tubing to prevent the wear.
Hi — I’ve seen your AC posts recently — what do you think of replacing the receiver pipe where I have the pinhole that I described in my last post? Any reason not to dive in??
Thanks.
Driving it is fine just make sure the a/c is off and compressor is not locked in if it is you’ll here your belt squeal then it will snap afterwards. This time vacuum down your system for at least 90mins and leak test for at least 10-15mins. I would also recommend replacing the dryer again as it can only soak up so much moisture and if not the system is likely to have water freeze in it. Even if you vacuum it down for days you will not restore the desiccant in the dryer. The longer you vacuum it down the better just make sure you have the vacuum exhaust port feeding into a bucket so you can measure any oil that comes out and replace it with new oil if any comes out.
Make sure they oil the o-rings with mineral oil and make sure you add the proper style of oil back into the system. The mineral oil is only for o-rings and d-rings. If you use PAG or another style it will attract moisture to the o-rings cause the aluminum to oxidize or metal to rust and force the pieces apart and give you a leak.
At least 60mins on vacuum please you will be shooting yourself in the foot otherwise. I do tons of a/c work 60 mins if zero or close to zero humidity 90mins otherwise and 2 hrs or more if raining or foggy or high humidity. The vacuum is to pull moisture out of the system. The less you have in it the better it will run. TK and Carrier are known to vacuum down Reefer Units for trucks for over a week before filling with refrigerant. It is ok to pull it down to 30 in/hg stop it and check for leaks first and then if no leaks continue it afterwards.
Sorry, I believe I missed your original posts I switched shifts and locations at work and haven’t been as active.
Also if the holes are on the inlet side of the compressor you may want to flush the system.
I changed the receiver pipe and recharged the system over the weekend — so far so good, with the vent/ambient difference over 30 degrees on a 84 degree day (although I’m not returning the gauge set & vacuum pump to Autozone quite yet — don’t want to jinx this). The pipe was a bear to replace — I had to resist the temptation to just cut the old one & pull it out in parts because I knew if I couldn’t get it out in one piece, I wouldn’t be able to get the new one in.
For what it’s worth, the Accord FSM gives these quantities of PAG-46 oil to add (oz):
-when replacing evaporator: 1 1/3
– when replacing condenser: 5/6
– when replacing a line or hose: 1/3
– when replacing receiver/dryer: 1/3
– for leakage repair: 5/6
– compressor: depends on the amount of oil in the new one.Thanks to all for the advice. Here’s hoping this is my final post…
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