Air conditioning doesn't work...what to do

[koan]

From the way it reads, even if the system is charged you should be able to open that inspection hole and expect only a small amount of pressure in the crankcase to escape but the gas content wont escape through that hole.

Not sure about that oscar. My experience with a mate's car with york compressor when I removed the plug on the side to check the oil level after charging it (not the right order to do things) was oil everywhere, no gas left and a degree of embarrassment.

koan

[oscar]

Really!  I'll take that back then.  The manual surprisingly doesn't make a point of discharging the system beforehand so I got the impression there'd be some pressure from whatever's leaked past the rings as though the crankcase becomes pressurised a bit. Of course if chinny's system is flat to begin with there's no drama, but I was going to take the plug out of the red 280's charged system to see what happened.    I'd tend to believe your experience koan and will refrain from risking frost burns from escaping gas. 

If we were closer I'd buy you a couple beers

Cheers chinny,   Might just go help myself and put in on your tab.

[chinny4290]

UPDATE:

Ok so I purchased a Freeze12 Recharge kit, came with 3 cans of Freeze 12, new fittings, and a recharge line.

Followed the directions and all..

So i connect everything, turn the car on, blast the A/C, open up the valve on the recharge can, and let it flow.

I let it sit for about 5 minutes.

So far, no cool air is coming period from the vents.

I looked into the sight glass, and nothing, absolutely nothing was happening. The belt was running on the compressor...and I noticed the compressor was getting hot....but nothing else was happening.

Being an A/C noob, I stopped the valve on the can and called quits because I didn't want to waste $50 worth of A/C stuff.

One noticeable thing though is that, there is a louder, sort of relief hiss inside the car when you turn the A/C knob from off to MAX.

While you could hear a quiet relief hiss prior to me doing this, it was much stronger and louder this time.

What's coming to mind, is that the system just has never been recharged..but then again I don't know if there are any leaks. I don't want to recharge the A/C, to find out there's no oil, or there's a leak in the system and it goes flat the next day.

I'm going to try and open up the compressor from the bolt on the side, and see what happens...while its mostly a dead system (there's a half a can left so there wasn't much that was put in in the first place.)

What say you guys?

[koan]

Are you sure you connected the recharge line to the suction side of the compressor, not the discharge line, and are you confident the recharge line end is depressing the valve in the suction side connector?

koan

[chinny4290]

Yup. Connected the line to the line with the S next to it, and I could hear the stuff going in. ANd the can was even freezing condensation on it so it was going in.

COuld it be that my system is that flat? is there any ohter way to check the oil level?

[koan]

Dare I ask why you didn't check the oil level before starting the recharge?

Wouldn't expect any cooling with only 1/2 a can of the required 3 in there.

I'd put the remainder in and see what happens.  If it cools and stays cool, the job's done, if it loses its cooling capability worry about leaks then, and chalk up $50 worth of experience.

koan

[chinny4290]

I guess it was kinda dmb for me to start without checking the oil.

What kind of oil do I use?

I'll do that tonight. Should I try vacuuming the entire system or should I just try throwing it in, the F12 that is?

I'm at work where we have a vacuum pump for A/C systems. I work at a car dealer.

[koan]

At this stage I'd continue with the recharge.  If it doesn't work out have a rethink.

koan

[oscar]

Wouldn't expect any cooling with only 1/2 a can of the required 3 in there.

Ditto on that, keep going I reckon.
I thought the hissing would probably be the expansion valve etc.  Just the gas changing state and working its way thru the system.  You might even hear hissing continue for a short time after the car's turned off but not for long.  If you're concerned about possible external leaks and can't locate them, makeup some soapy water into an atomizer and spray it on the lines to look for bubbles.

As far as the oil is concerned, use something that's compatible with ester oil, but check with whoever you bought the Freeze 12 from.  They'll have Ester oil or something similar.  But now it's got half a can of Freeze 12 in it, you might as well keep going.

[chinny4290]

OK so I put all 3 cans in.

And unfortuantely...everything that I put in, came right out. Apparently there's a good size leak somewhere. Because it got cool...then went warm again. I decided to open up the bolt on the side of the compressor, and there was a quick hiss, and then nothing. And I pulled the inspection bolt right out.




I also looked around and saw this small puddle under the car, and this wet line that wasn't wet before:


The vertical line  to the left of the radiator wasn't damp before.


The leak is coming from somewhere here


ANother part of the line that wasn't wet before



Puddle


From under the car:







I touched the puddle, it was rusty in color, and smelled of some sort of oil/grease..so I'm assuming there's ester oil leaking somewhere from a rusty line.

What say you guys?

Kinda pissed I just lost $50 worth of stuff so I'm gunna go get some beer and ice cream.

[oscar]

Man, that oil on the ground looks way too familiar.



Not to worry chinny.  I wasted a heap of gas before I discovered I was loosing it.  The problem may be the  hose from receiver/drier to expansion valve.   It breaks down under the battery tray and out of plain view.   My guess is that battery acid eats through this hose.  Read the thread below, it's got photos of just how bad this hose was and how a good  replacement eventually fixed the leak.

http://forum.w116.org/mechanicals/ac-setback/