Automotive Air Conditioning Information Forum

Just reading that you thought it had evacuated itself due to a leak.i


Well, initially, at the beginning, it had just been slowly leaking down... failing to cool adequately, when I took it in to Iffy-Lube. They hooked it up to their Infernal Machine, and discovered that the low side Schraeder ...

I'm sorry, but this comment makes me think you used a low-side charging kit from the auto parts store after your Jiffy Lube visit. If you had used proper gauges. Then you would have both your low and high-side readings.



Yeah - that's the basic scenario... But, like I said, I thought the AC ...

Incidently, what are the year, make, model, and engine size of your vehicle? I don't recall your mentioning those.

Does your vehicle have an under-hood decal showing the A/C specs? If so, post them here. If not, I'll see whether I have them.


1995 VW Golf GTI, 2.8L VR6

Sadly, the decal, if any ...

If you had a "complete" set of gauges on this vehicle. What was your high-side pressure when you were adding refrigerant? If proper gauges were used, you would have seen the high pressure, be it from an overcharge or too much oil. As for the repair, you need to do it properly if you expect proper ...

I've seen blown cases before involving different compressors from yours.

Depending on the size of the leak (minimal), you probably could've left well enough alone and avoided all the trouble as long as the outer cap held pressure without leaking. (See the recent topic in the Forum about that ...

Sadly, the magic in a can product is not going to warranty your system. The system should be charged only with refrigerant and a complete gauge set. But you know part of that already. Judgment call: do you want to risk a poor repair and have another compressor issue? I only suggest doing repairs ...

It happens, normally more with the scroll compressors. What refrigerant were you using?


It's Complicated (which probably explains the trouble I got into...)

There was a slow leak at the Schrader valve on the low side... so after replacing that valve I repressurized with a can of R134A + oil ...

It helps if you have a UV flashlight and turn the lights off in the shop (or just wait until dark), to look for leaks. They'll show up all right.

But if something in your A/C has really opened up and hosed down the whole engine compartment, the dye won't tell you much except that there is a big ...

... and spilled its guts all over the road - screaming its head off, until it ran out of refrigerant.

Photo of hole:
Has *Anybody* seen an A/C compressor do *that*?

Obviously it had overpressure "Issues"... But how the **** could it do *That*?