Automotive Air Conditioning Information Forum (Archives)

77shovelhead on Fri July 16, 2010 11:42 PM

Year: 2003
Make: Chrysler
Model: PT Crusier
Engine Size: 2.4
Refrigerant Type: 134
Country of Origin: United States

One year before I got this car the PO had the AC worked on. Supposedly the compressor had been replaced along with the accumulator. $2500.00 worth.

Last month the clutch went out and no I'm replacing the compressor.

After removing the accumulator, I put rubber plugs in the ports to prevent any oil from spilling out while removing it. After it sat on the work bench for about 30 minutes one of the plugs flew across the shop and green stuff is splattered on the wall.


Is the green stuff in my system dye or sealer? How do I tell the difference?


I remember reading on this site about sealer not being a good thing and was wondering if that is what the green stuff is.



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Quality is never an accident it is always the result of intelligent effort.

TRB on Fri July 16, 2010 11:46 PM

Most likely dye. If the oil still pours out you know it is just oil & dye. Sealer would have hardened up and not caused the cap to blow. Just an expansion of the oil and left over refrigerant molecules.

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77shovelhead on Fri July 16, 2010 11:55 PM

Thanks TRB

Because the clutch was what went bad, would you flush the system?

I will be putting this back together tomorrow and was looking at the temp / pressure chart and wondering if this is checked at a certain engine RPM. If it so, is there a chart including RPM.

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Quality is never an accident it is always the result of intelligent effort.

TRB on Sat July 17, 2010 12:02 AM

All depends on what th oil looked like. In our shop everything gets flushed that has a compressor replacement.

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When considering your next auto A/C purchase, please consider the site that supports you: ACkits.com
Contact: ACKits.com

Cussboy on Sat July 17, 2010 12:56 AM

Quote
Originally posted by: 77shovelhead

Because the clutch was what went bad, would you flush the system?

AMA must warranty their work, they're a shop, you're not.

Personally, if I JUST had a bad AC clutch and was swapping oput the compressor because of that, I would not flush the system, and likely not replace the drier, as the system was not exposed to air. That's just my own opinion.

77shovelhead on Sat July 17, 2010 1:12 AM

The oil is clean except for the green tint so I will pass on the flush.

Common sense and logic tells me that flushing is the best way to go if there is any doubt about contamination. In this case there I was wondering is the dye would be a form of contaminate. If the green stuff was sealer I would have replaced everything.

I have no proof of what was done last year by the shop so I will have to see what happens. The shop did leave the plastic shields off the undercarriage that cover the pulleys and compressor clutch. This leads me to question their abilities as well as their quality of work. They did charge the previous owner, my inlaws, $2,500.00 for the work.

I attached the UV light and there is dye all over the compressor and engine. This leads me to believe that they had a leak or that the front seal went out when the clutch fried. Hard to tell which happened.

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Quality is never an accident it is always the result of intelligent effort.

HECAT on Sat July 17, 2010 9:29 AM

Quote
Originally posted by: 77shovelhead
The oil is clean except for the green tint so I will pass on the flush.

Common sense and logic tells me that flushing is the best way to go if there is any doubt about contamination. In this case there I was wondering is the dye would be a form of contaminate. If the green stuff was sealer I would have replaced everything.

I have no proof of what was done last year by the shop so I will have to see what happens. The shop did leave the plastic shields off the undercarriage that cover the pulleys and compressor clutch. This leads me to question their abilities as well as their quality of work. They did charge the previous owner, my inlaws, $2,500.00 for the work.

I attached the UV light and there is dye all over the compressor and engine. This leads me to believe that they had a leak or that the front seal went out when the clutch fried. Hard to tell which happened.


I do not disagree with your no flush "oil balancing" compressor install plan. I simply point this out as food for thought regarding mitigating and eliminating the unknowns as you move ahead with a repair. Sometimes this can save you from having to "see what happens" and return to your work to verify and/or correct that unknown at a later date. One dye shot is good, it will help find leaks and will do no measurable harm. Now if we shoot three dye charges (w/oil carrier) in there, we have now added a considerable amount of extra oil and excessive dye (which is not so good in higher concentrations). How do you know that a non hardening seal swelling type of "sealer" has not been added? Every system is contaminated (no doubt), and I understand metal shards are not an issue here, but being able to dilute the remaining used/contaminated oils with enough fresh (lubrication quality?), and knowing how much is in there and how much to add to make that precise quantity (lubrication quantity?); now there is the issue.

No proof of what was done... question their abilities... it's your risk assessment to make. HTH




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FLUSHING TECHNICAL PAPER vs2.pdf 

77shovelhead on Sat July 17, 2010 9:45 AM

You make some really good points and I am considering the flush again.

The only issue I have with flushing the system, is being sure I get the flushing chemicals removed.

I got to thinking last night and started a new thread on the oil issue.

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Quality is never an accident it is always the result of intelligent effort.

TRB on Sat July 17, 2010 1:48 PM

Quote
Originally posted by: Cussboy
Quote
Originally posted by: 77shovelhead


Because the clutch was what went bad, would you flush the system?



AMA must warranty their work, they're a shop, you're not.


True, but AMA and I feel that having a clean system is the best approach when you spent the money to replace a compressor. As someone stated recently. You would not rebuild a motor and use the oil from the previous motor.



-------------------------
When considering your next auto A/C purchase, please consider the site that supports you: ACkits.com
Contact: ACKits.com