A/C Issues

[fliprayzin240sx]

I have no experience with ACs so I figured ill ask. My AC doesnt blow cold, it kinda will for a bit, then itll just blow hot air. I check the pressure to make sure I dont have a leak. There's pressure, actually a bit too much if the crappy gauge I was using is right.
Also, when I turn the AC on, the compressor would put so much strain on the engine that the engine just wants to die. So I'm trying to figure out if the compressor is dying since its straining the engine when its on. If it is, theres no point of getting my AC serviced till I swap compressors. Any other input about this?

[g-ride]

im having the same issues. when it quits blowing cold, it has a wet dusty kinda smell to it also. Mine blows very cold when it works and the car doesnt want to die though.

[nissan_driver24]

I have no experience with ACs so I figured ill ask. My AC doesnt blow cold, it kinda will for a bit, then itll just blow hot air. I check the pressure to make sure I dont have a leak. There's pressure, actually a bit too much if the crappy gauge I was using is right.
Also, when I turn the AC on, the compressor would put so much strain on the engine that the engine just wants to die. So I'm trying to figure out if the compressor is dying since its straining the engine when its on. If it is, theres no point of getting my AC serviced till I swap compressors. Any other input about this?



a few questions for u. what kind of gauge did you use? i'm guessing you were checking the low side pressure.

And about the car dieing... is the idle being kicked up when u put the a/c on? when the a/c turns on it puts a good amount of load on the engine which might cause it to die. My first swap wouldn't kick it up but i didn't care.

i could help you with this if i new if: your a/c would kick on kick off or what the guauge reading is when the a/c is on and running. and what do u mean by it kinda will blow cold air?

[nissan_driver24]

im having the same issues. when it quits blowing cold, it has a wet dusty kinda smell to it also. Mine blows very cold when it works and the car doesnt want to die though.


that wet dusty smell is moisture on the evaporator and the air going into the vents are being blown past that and that's what u smell

[fliprayzin240sx]

a few questions for u. what kind of gauge did you use? i'm guessing you were checking the low side pressure.

And about the car dieing... is the idle being kicked up when u put the a/c on? when the a/c turns on it puts a good amount of load on the engine which might cause it to die. My first swap wouldn't kick it up but i didn't care.

i could help you with this if i new if: your a/c would kick on kick off or what the guauge reading is when the a/c is on and running. and what do u mean by it kinda will blow cold air?

I was using one of those gauge you can get from kragens, the cheap plastic ones. Pretty sure I plugged it into the low side since it wouldnt fit into the hi pressure side. I was seeing close to 60 psi if I remember right. The AC blows a little bit of cold air. Ill have the fan on, flip the AC switch and I can feel a slight change in temp coming out of the vents. Ill check the AC line pressure with the AC on and off when I get home. I might buy a better gauge too since the one I got seems to suck.

[nissan_driver24]

I was using one of those gauge you can get from kragens, the cheap plastic ones. Pretty sure I plugged it into the low side since it wouldnt fit into the hi pressure side. I was seeing close to 60 psi if I remember right. The AC blows a little bit of cold air. Ill have the fan on, flip the AC switch and I can feel a slight change in temp coming out of the vents. Ill check the AC line pressure with the AC on and off when I get home. I might buy a better gauge too since the one I got seems to suck.


yeah those gauges are crap good ones will cost up to $300 but if u're getting a ready of 60psi and the a/c is on *as in the clutch is engaged than that number is too high you want it at about 30psi at i think 80 degrees... so this could mean that u're low on freon. it has been a while since i learned about a/c systems so i'm trying to refresh my memory since i havn't done that kind of stuff for a while...

[fliprayzin240sx]

yeah those gauges are crap good ones will cost up to $300 but if u're getting a ready of 60psi and the a/c is on *as in the clutch is engaged than that number is too high you want it at about 30psi at i think 80 degrees... so this could mean that u're low on freon. it has been a while since i learned about a/c systems so i'm trying to refresh my memory since i havn't done that kind of stuff for a while...

So wait the lower the number the more freon is in the system? I was thinking its over pressurized since the green on the gauge is a lower number...

Here's my question tho, I keep reading freon and people say they are lubricants too. With the compressor acting up the way it is, is it possible that the compressor will run better with more freon? Im basically trying to alleviate getting the system recharged and find out the compressor is crap. I'd end up wasting $120 on getting the AC serviced if Imma have to swap the compressor.

[nissan_driver24]

So wait the lower the number the more freon is in the system? I was thinking its over pressurized since the green on the gauge is a lower number...

Here's my question tho, I keep reading freon and people say they are lubricants too. With the compressor acting up the way it is, is it possible that the compressor will run better with more freon? Im basically trying to alleviate getting the system recharged and find out the compressor is crap. I'd end up wasting $120 on getting the AC serviced if Imma have to swap the compressor.

well the lower the number doesn't mean that there's more freon. each system takes a certain amount of freon and that's (which takes me to the second ?) where the guauges comes into play with readings from high and low side while the a/c is on will help you diagnose what's wrong with the system. so maybe if u take it to a mechanic that knows what they're doing they could tell you what wrong with the system when they hook it up. If i was there with a guauge i could proabably tell you what exactly is wrong with ur system but it's hard to explain and diagnose over the net.

[fliprayzin240sx]

well the lower the number doesn't mean that there's more freon. each system takes a certain amount of freon and that's (which takes me to the second ?) where the guauges comes into play with readings from high and low side while the a/c is on will help you diagnose what's wrong with the system. so maybe if u take it to a mechanic that knows what they're doing they could tell you what wrong with the system when they hook it up. If i was there with a guauge i could proabably tell you what exactly is wrong with ur system but it's hard to explain and diagnose over the net.


K well I just got home. I got a better gauge than the one I was using. Checked the low side port (since with R134s itll only fit into the low side), but I run the AC and had 65psi. The moment I shut off the AC, the pressure on the line started pumping up to pass 100 psi. Also, I checked the sight glass, and its its bubbling which means theres a leak in the system right? But I dont get why the pressure is so high. Also felt the low pressure side and high pressure side lines. The low pressure is cool but but not cold. I dont know if that helps or anything...