8-17-18 Don't forget about the SD merch you see above me^^^^^^^^^ 100% of my proceeds will be going to charity. When I have the list complete, I will be putting them up on my website (who we will be helping). Right now I have a pro life group called the Human Connection that offers free ultrasounds to women considering an abortion and of course a ton of other benefits for these hurting woman. I also have Light of Life Rescue Mission (homeless shelter in Pittsburgh) and a list of about 5 or 6 more. I think I will probably only go with 3 charities for now, to get the most help we can to these people.
What would be the symptoms if that TXV was stuck open would it cause a drag on the AC compressor and I have a slight hiss in the dashboard when it first turns on and then it goes away it works when I'm driving when I'm sitting still it feels like the car wants to stall when it turns on and off and when I'm driving you can feel it turn on and off like it puts a good amount of drag
@@ScannerDanner at the moment all I know is low side and at idle it's around 55/60 but if you give it just a little bit of RPM it goes right around 30 35 ish I don't have a gauge for the high side yet but the last time I had it hooked up it was wicked high it also puts a hell of a drag on the engine like I got a floor it to get it to go sometimes
@@martinbullla7654 your TXV is definitely not stuck open or causing your symptoms, with that psi on the low side. It is completely normal for an AC compressor to cause low engine performance on small engines. What are you driving?
@@ScannerDanner acura rsx which are known for compressor problems I did figure it out. it's the compressor the shaft coming out of the pump the bearing went bad it wobbles around a little bit when I turn it on I'm guessing that's the drag that I'm feeling
@@ScannerDanner Thank you Paul, I learnt more in half an hour here than in a 2 day licensing course in Australia. I still refer to your E-book regularly , you have made me a better tradesman and saved people a lot of time and money over the years,
Agreed! I have been going through forum after forum to just begin to understand why my Traverse won't turn the AC on. Haven't necessarily solved my problem, but I'm gaining so much knowledge I should be able to at least talk to them about it or save myself from a scam. Better than when I had a different car, "uh, when I go up hill too fast from a start, my car goes chugga chugga and drags?" (The transmission had been welded to the axle and was going out - had to replace BOTH. so glad I've upgraded from that POS)
@@user-ll5oj4eo1g watch these two videos (If your pressure's are good and the clutch will not engage) ua-cam.com/video/oUAdikdm-v8/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/KTbmgjA0N9s/v-deo.html
I like the way you are unafraid to make mistakes in your thinking the problem through and then correct yourself. Excellent video - unrehearsed and unedited - stream of thought very good to see.
Exactly.... It's a thought process, you check a situation... evaluate & speculate as to the cause, then reshape & regroup your ideas, using your experience to do so. Spend some time, analyze, consider the alternatives, make the right call. Far too many shops just use the principle: "If in doubt...remove & replace everything....so what... the customer is paying." .. Grrrrrrrr....
For who ever may be interested, nitrogen, a dry, inert gas, would serve much better for cleaning a system that must be absolutely dry in order to operate properly. Any moisture in the system will freeze and possibly plug the refrigerant line at the metering device, aka. The, or H- block. To do a jam up job that will give long lasting service a proper procedure must be done. After the system is cleaned and all connectors are closed up with both high and low side gauges attached to system, pull a quick vacuum with both gauged opened. Close gauges turn vac pump off. Connect vacuum line to nitrogen bottle, crack nitrogen, open high side gauge and bleed through system an open low side gauge and loosen low side line a little at gauge, and let blow a bit. At this time if you want to check all fitting, including schraders, pressure the system up to about 150 psi.,remove gauges with the pressure still in the system and check valve stems and any other connections to be sure no leaks, OR, reconnect gauges, both high and low, bleed pressure down to about 100 psi, close gauges securely and let it set while you have a beer and a smoke. 20 minutes or so. Check pressure on gauges. It should be exactly as you left it as nitrogen does not react to temperatures. Satisfied that you have no leaks, slowly release gas pressure through low side gauge and through r(e middle line on gauges. As the pressure nears zero but before it stops blowing completely, attach to vacuum pump and let the pressure reach zero. Tighten line and start vacuum pump. As the pressure begins to pull into a vacuum open up high side gauge. Pull vacuum for at least 1hr. Close gauges and stop pump. Leave it for a while. Time for a couple more beers, and a break. This step is very important the farther south you are, ask any shade tree journeyman. When you are well rested and cooled down, return to the gauges and see that the pressure has not risen at all. If not you can be sure the system is perfectly dry! If not dry the moisture in the system will boil off in a vacuum, and build pressure. If this happens simply start pump, open gauges and have another beer. Repeat this process until you are satisfied that it is dry. You are now ready to charge the system so connect to refrigerant oil and add 1/2 oz. per pound of full charge amount, unless you either drained the compressor or experienced a lot of oil in the repairs. This is one point where a call to a knowledgeable tech might help. Add exactly the ounces that is called for of refrigerant, but , always purge the open line up to the gauge manifold. Invert the container and open high side gauge. If you are using small cans, and it takes two or more, purge fill line each time. If you are confident that your charge is close then now it’s time to turn your container upright in order to clear the liquid, if any from high side gauge and disconnect from system and close off completely all high side lines. Finish the final balance through the low side with gas. Withe the engine running and ac turned to super cool the low side line should begin to sweat all the way to the compressor are very close. The actual cooling coming out at the dash is directly affected by the temperature in the car, however the capacity off an automobile ac is comparable to 3 to 5 tons of ac. Back in the day when air conditioning was an add on under the dash, it was not unheard of for it to spit out ice. You probably won’t see that but in the 30’s is possible. All of these steps I described are not always followed,but, if they are,you won’t have to worry about it for a long time.
Hello Sir I read your comment and instructions. I have question if you can answer. Does the txv only activate periodically to cool inside unit (Evaporator) or is it activated by compressor unit ? How can you increase flow of more Freon into the evaporator for more cooling. Is it possible to increase colder temperatures. What would be needed to increase the flow. Thank you for any assistance.
How well do drier receivers work? What volume of water moisture will they help with? My first thought is that moisture in the system will get taken up by drier and not so bad as people make it seem
Automotive guys act like nitrogen for leak detection is nuts.Professional HVAC guys use nitrogen routinely.Those sniffers suck.I can run the nitrogen pressure up to 300 psi and the dye is going to come out somewhere.Vacuum leaks tests never.
Having worked in the automotive field for the last 40 years I have to say that every shop should have one or two guys totally committed to A/C diagnosing , there are so many variables and sequences of problems ,from seals leaking ,bugs clogging condenser cooling fins (especially up in northern Canada ) to you name it . My hats off to you , your diagnosis of the system was spot on only from education and probably #1 a few years of experience !! Well done and great video . Joe from Northern Ontario , Canada
Thank you Joe! I've since learned (from you guys), the restricted TXV was also why all of that oil was trapped in the liquid line. I mistakenly thought someone put too much oil in it.
this video is 5 years old but i can't help but mention that the fact that you have a diagnosis but then find it to be incorrect and that you actually say so in the video. the process of elimination is valuable as well. i wish more were like you on youtube.
Thank you Glenn! We film live and work through the problem and showing mistakes is equally important as showing the fix for those who truly want to learn. Appreciate this comment so much. Have a blessed day!
I really appreciate these A/C-videos! The videos help me a lot in being more confident and not sending away some A/C-jobs to specialists but dealing with them myself! That not only helps me in leveling up my game but also makes customers happy when they are given faster and more direct service. I'm very grateful! Thank you!
Mate, bloody fantastic demo vid. Loved the way you kept your cool, thought things out. Went through step by step, with limited tools you had available to work with. Your process of elimination of potential problems leading up to the TXV. Checking work done by previous techs was a good move. You nailed it, excellent. Real life problem/repair. Not edited demo in a class room with pretend scenarios. I now know how to diagnose a faulty TXV. Cheers from down under. 👌🏻👍🏻👏👏👏 🖐 🇦🇺
I watched a lot of video about AC problems, but only this video that fixed my AC. Thanks man. I love how you find the problems and reasoned it why like this, like that made us learn how to think. I love how you admit mistakes and learn from it to keep forward to find the problem.
Some great knowledge. The degree you broke this information down was nothing short of spectacular. It’s always important knowing the downfalls of the working of a vehicle.. and be that competent to leave “no stone over turned” to figure out the issues. Great video.. 👍🏻
My Caldina car air on is cool just few minutes .At the moment it is not cool. Suction line is hot. Suction pressure is 40 psi High side pressure is 200psi When it is running. My Sir What will be caused in My car air-conditioning?
Great example of a troubleshooting scenario. Intuition and failure are key to understanding problems and even other operating conditions. The internet is packed with experts who get it right (in their edited videos) every time. This is how to be a real expert. I don’t work on cars but other machinery and live musical set ups. I’m wrong a lot. But then we know what it’s not. Your process and openness in sharing it is really well done. BTW I think my daughter’s expansion valve is bad in her RR sport. I think I’ll be a “parts changer” and see if I’m right!
Dude, you are awesome. You taught me more in one video than I could learn from any AC person after 5 decades of living. I cannot thank you enough. Subscribed. You are my boy.
You can also cut the engine back off after the ac compressor has ran and see how long it takes for both high and low side gauges to balance back out. If it takes too long or maybe it never balances back out there is definitely a restriction. An orifice system usually balances out in less than 1 minute. TXV may take longer because of its changing flow rate. We saw a restricted TXV causing over 400 PSI on the high side and like 50 psi on the low side once which made that a very obvious closed non working TXV. Another good one Scanner, looks like you've been hitting the weights.
I have disassembled and tested an automotive TXV from TGK and it never closes fully. Never. Completely rotate the spindle towards the seat so that superheat is maximum, freeze the disc with liquid canned air, the pin will never seat completely no matter what. It has been used with a Sanden SD6V12 variable displacement compressor and these compressors apparently need a TXV that will never seat completely or the compressor control valve will fight with the TXV in low load conditions. It's apparently the charge in the power head that makes it behave like that, because if i take the pin out and try to seat the valve myself, it closes completely, i.e. there's no bypass or nick in the seat. So i suppose equalization with a TXV depends upon the TXV design.
This is the kind of hands on instructions I would deem as "Professional"! I surfed U tube several times and could not satisfy my queries on A/C issues. I have a 2002 Ford f350 7.30 powerstroke with A/C issues. After much research, I find a similarity in the A/C control procedures as elementary as the any other model with issues to be confronted. This video is highly educational to any shade tree mechanic in any country. I come from the country of Texas and I don't play games! Well done ScannerDanner!
Short Cycling systems move oil (Banging off the Low or High limit). That is why your hose was full of oil. I'm HVAC Tech for a living and when I've had a TXV fail I very commonly have a liquid hose full of oil. I usually find a lot of oil at the TXV as well.
great tip! I did not know that was an effect. It sure mislead me into thinking the system was too full of oil. So the restriction causes a bottle neck for the lubricant too and that's why I had so much oil in my high side hose. Cool. Well, not so cool that I didn't add an additional ounce or two of oil when I was done :-(.
I was on a bus once, AC was on and heard the compressor short cycling, repeatedly (LP cycling due to very low charge perhaps, because it began cutting the clutch off immediately as soon as the driver pushed the gas pedal). It was a Carrier 05K kind of compressor. These compressors move some oil everytime they're started. Can't believe how it didn't run the sump dry and seize up. I have the manual of the involved compressor (not the 05K) and it clearly states that the compressor shouldn't be turned on more than 8 times a hour, this got turned on like 100 times in 20 minutes while i was there.
Just to add my 2c.... Seems to me, that technicians are all too-ready to add a UV additive via oil to find a suspected leak..... That should be the last resort. Most leaks, in my experience, are visible to the naked eye. The never-drying oil is a dead give-away.it attracts dust etc .... It aint rocket science. But...if not, and if there's is still gas in the system...use an electronic sniffer. I know they are not brilliant detecting the latest gases (& there are many more than R134a ) but if necessary....put in a higher charge to make it so. Sorry, but I am not a fan of the UV leak detection system: Yes, it definitely works in huge refrigerant plants....where time is of the essence. (And the massive cost of the products being protected...) But, in the automotive world.... a refrigerant plant in miniature? No. It causes more problems than it resolves.
Patagualian Mostly problem with the oil with R134a PAG and ESTER oil are water-soluble so every time the car goes through rain or a very heavy fog like in my area it washes away the oil in the stain of dust leaving a clean condenser. Used to work back in the old our R12 vehicles with mineral oil that was not water-soluble. As for die it’s a last resort second resort to find leaks days weeks or months later or years. Good quality high concentration dies only need 5 mL to a car system. 28.5 ml. = 1oz. So you were talking about only adding a little more than 1/6 of an ounce. As for finding leaks with a refrigerant leak detector not all leaks are constant some only leak while the car is moving down the road in lines or items are vibrating but when they’re at rest they stop leaking. Some leaks at front compressor shaft seal only leak when the engine is running and the compressor is spinning at the shaft seal so you have the air from the engine fan blowing air over the compressor clutch blowing away the refrigerant where you cannot use a leak detector at the time that it is running when you turn off the air-conditioning and the compressor ceases to move the seal stops leaking that’s another type of leak. And you have leaks that only start to leak when the pressure is on the rising and the line is getting hot you have other leaks that only leak when the low side line gets cold with the pressure falling and then when shut off and pressurize the leak stops again many more different types of lights that don’t happen well the car is just sitting in front of you stagnant with the hood up.
Clutch less compressor (Variable Displacement)minor rattling Sound from AC compressor near suction port of compressor during idling with AC off , after switching ON AC no sound at all cooling is good but as I switch off AC or cabin reaches desired temperature sound again starts(even when driving), is this bcoz of low compressor oil ?? (when refrigerant flows compressor has enough oil to lubricate and when AC off compressor doesn't have oil for lubrication as refrigerant flow stops(my theory)).. hyundai elite i20 any one help...pl
Hi Scanner Danner, thanks for the video. I have watched a few of your videos on scanners and enjoyed them. I owned an automotive air conditioning & radiator repair shop in Dover Delaware from 1973 to about 2003. Then I sold it to an employee and it is still open today. Some shops use charging stations to charge vehicles, I did not like them because the were too costly and added complications. I used a plain gauge set like you used. For years it was a R12 gauge set with 1/4" flair fittings. They had pressure temperature relationship numbers for several refrigerants on the inside rings and PSI/vacuum on the outer ring. I had a refrigerant identifier and used it before refrigerant recovery. We had a recovery machine for R12 and another recovery machine for R134a (Robinair). I always used gauge sets to check out and service cars. I always used new refrigerant to top off working systems and after repairs. That way I new it had good dry pure refrigerant put in it. The over charge of oil is common for beginning A/C service techs. Also I was very careful about not having air in my A/C gauges. I would want the gauges to either have a vacuum or refrigerant in them. So I bled them a lot. If you had air in them and hooked up to a vehicle and the suction side went into a vacuum it sucked the air out of the gauges. I wanted vehicles I charged to have 0% air. Some rebuilt compressors were not always marked as to how much oil they had in them. If we had any questions we would drain the oil from new compressor into a clean container to see how much it had in it. Then make adjustments to how much oil it had and seal it back off. The compressor could then be put on the vehicle. When I started A/C work many compressors had oil in the crank case or in the belly like a GM A6. Now most get lubricated buy returning refrigerant. Sort of like a 2-cycle engine gets oiled. When ever we changed a compressor, we always flushed. We flushed all the hoses and both heat exchangers. We would try to flush out in both directions. We would blow a bunch of solvent into a component and some how catch it with a heater hose going off to a catch can or catch it with a shop rag dripping into a drain pan. Then we would pop the item dry. Finger on and off outlet while blowing with air with a rubber tipped blow gun. I early on used Nitrogen to blow out components and to leak test. I had a setup with 175 PSI pressure release valve. For years we used Mineral Spirits to flush. Then we changed to more expensive flush solvents for R134a systems. Then we would put the compressor in service with the right amount of oil. We did not flush through compressors, dryers, accumulators, expansion valves and suction valves. Extra care would be taken to a hose assembly with a muffler in it. We had a large parts inventory and there were years when I had 5 techs. We installed air conditioners, serviced air conditioners, repaired A/Cs, and repaired radiators. We did a lot of large trucks. I even went away to truck refrigeration school in Syracuse New York (Carrier-Transicold).
Hi Patrick, nice writing. When top up the system i always see people hook up a gauge set and only bleed the yellow line while the blue line has air in it too. Isn't it better to bleed a bit of refrigerant from the system through the blue line too before filling the system?
Great video paul. There's not a lot of good videos on ac mechanical component failure diagnosis, this information is invaluable. Mighty convinient the recovery machine got fixed just in time and off camera haha.
Sir I wanted to recognize your leadership capabilities. I heard you say the words, “I was wrong.” It take a true leader to admit that. Thank you for your videos they are amazing.
Outstanding trouble shooting mate! Many armchair quarterbacks seem to have forgotten what trouble shooting means. As youve pointed out in the video there are several locations where the AC system could fail and isolating that area of failure is the challenge. Great video which also pointed out the other potential culprits that need to be checked out when servicing the system.
I greatly appreciate your enthusiasm in everything about diagnosing and fixing vehicles. I understand talking out loud the many thoughts going through your mind is the way you use to help yourself diagnose problems, but it makes collecting the information much more difficult. On every one of the many videos I have now watched, you make what appears to be a specific highlight about a situation or final diagnosis, only to then change your mind and or add or subtract from the comments you made seconds or minutes previous. Just as I'm telling myself to remember certain important points by what you say, you turn around and change your analysis. I talk out loud to myself all the time, but when I teach others, I try to take a few moments extra and ensure if what I'm about to say, is the message I want to convey. Thanks very much for sharing your knowledge and time.
My classes are not this way, only the live diagnostics. I don't figured out the problem before turning the camera on. You're just hearing me process things as I go and everything I say, if I make a mistake, I try to correct it. I understand this style isn't for everyone. Thanks for the feedback
Thanks Danner, really appreciate the last section where you release as much pressure as you can into the low side. Actually, I ran into this particular problem while doing some AC work, I finished my work and disconnected gauges and Wow a whole bunch of Freon still in the lines, I said what the heck, so now I understand better, great Video Paul, as always keep up the great work, much appreciated!!!
I like the guy out for a cruise on his rider and stops by for a visit. Keep it real Danner you have way more knowledge than most and still admit if you are wrong
I love the fact you take us on the journey of troubleshooting. I know I do a similar exercise using what I am seeing while adding what I have seen in the past to come to the final resolution. Brilliant! Never be too proud to say “I was wrong.”
You're a very sharp guy. The only thing that I would add is to jumper the low pressure cutout switch and let the system run even if it's in a vacuum. If the low side is in a vac and high side is normal= restriction. If High and Low are both low=undercharge. restrictions usually frost the extrerior of the line at the location of the restriction as well, this would be harder to discern at with an expansion valve attached to the evap, as an undercharge would freeze part of the evap(possibly suction line as well). In a system with an orifice in the high side line a restriction would freeze the line at the location of a restricted orifice. I have 15+ years of HVAC experience, and I'd say that I was impressed by your diagnosis.
This is the most informational, educational vid I’ve seen for automotive air conditioning. Thank you for sharing your thought process, including your mistakes. That alone makes this the best video. I understand automotive air conditioning much better now, not just GM, FORD, DODGE……….. the principles of it crosses every manufacturer. THANK YOU!!!
I love how you bend the textbook rules to teach and prove your methods. "Never use shop air on an A/C system" "Never use a test light on computer controlled systems"...Thank you for that lecture 🙏🏼...You almost used a Scanner on this one 😄
The Homie Hektor shop air blowing up is an old wives tale. I live in Miami, ac is 24/7 here. Been using shop air for years. Out here customers are not going to pay for you to use refrigerant or nitrogen to leak test. Too much competition. The shop next door will diag for half the price using shop air 🤷🏽♂️. I typically stay out of those exchanges tho. Incredible how we have become a country full of can nots. 😞😖😩
Lynx Star Automotive I had a 2017 Tahoe with 1234- YF that I needed to use oil dye due to a small leak coming from the rear evaporator. The shop air and leak down test on the machine both confirmed no leak when there was truly a leak.
Being able to trace the lines is critical in finding system restrictions, but as you showed, sometimes even the best diagnostics guys need to throw a part into the mix once in a while. It was an educated decision, though, and that's what counts! Awesome stuff, Paul. :D
Hey scannerdanner. I love your motto. "Don't be a parts changer" I used a few videos to study for my ac ase exam and I pass. Some of the point your talked about was in the exam. Thanks bud.
Sometimes I get hell for that (thinking out loud) but I like doing these live, so my thoughts are real time and not in hindsight. It helps people learn.
Yes it does help the thought process. I'm trying to learn more about diagnosis on cars and trucks period. I got the whole r&r mastered. So when I hear you thinking it helps me to understand. Thank you for sharing. The guys who talk smack are just haters. They are mad because they could not think!!! HA HA
@@ScannerDanner Well said. Learning should be in hindsight. Observe & gain. Otherwise, as humans, we cease to progress. We become trapped in the past. Need I say more? Nah.
Thanks paul the way you teach is phenomenal it's so simple even a lame man can understand easily you are a blessing to every diy person around the world
thanks for the video. i would call it an educated guess , seeing how the TXV is the smallest orifice in the high pressure side. and most of the time a restriction is gonna be found at the smallest orifice. always good practice to replace the dryer aswell. good call with the diag.
Sir, I'm am old coot that takes on some of the toughest motorcycle and early hot-rod trials an exercises and I must say I am Impressed at your skills at going about this, admirable. Thank You !
Excellent vid, thanks! SD, you called it right because it had to be that valve by the time you got done. You eliminated all other restrictions and the potential oil overfill, and the compressor was making plenty of pressure and suction. I thought the restriction might be desiccant from a failed receiver/drier. I've heard of it, never seen it, but your procedure would have revealed it. Had to be the valve. So you called it right about halfway through but made sure before you stopped and put a valve in it, like a real professional does.
A certified mechanic with 20-40 years of constant work is like a fine surgeon. You both use the same tools. Baling wire duck tape and goop. Both are trained and repeatedly reminded of the check list for each problem and probabilities and liabilities of brands car makers parts and then finessing it all into stripped nuts broken bolts frozen rusted stuff and just age . All I can say to big three is thanks for making such poor quality cars. You've kept us in business since 1938.
Totally good call on the TXV the good practice would be to change the dryer too and I am sure you know that I would blow out the evap with nitrogen after putting in the new txv leave the outlet unplugged would make sense why it took forever to get the low side to come back up
Dude you are a great mechanic and do a fantastic job of explaining the AC system. I didn't know shit about an automotive ac system until your video. I live in Kelowna British Columbia Canada and it gets as hot as 100 + degrees here in the summer. My wife's car AC doesn't even come on at all. I'm going to buy the proper tooling and fix it myself. She drives a 2007 Chevy Aveo. You are helping folks help themselves.
Let's be clear here, your "guess" is based on your solid understanding of the A/C system and likely causes of the problem. It's not like your just winging parts and hoping to fix the issue. This video had a lot of solid educational content as to how the system works when there is a restriction. I also really liked the info about overfilling the system with oil. Thanks Danner!
ScannerDanner is a real intimidating name that made me actually avoid the channel...smh... what a fool I have been this is one of the best tutorial channels on youtube.
Old thread but it helped me a lot. Just happy that you always own your assumptions while others may try to edit it out. This is what makes you a great diagnosis genius
Thank you! Many do not understand that I'm filming a live issue that I have no idea where it's going to take me and I've always felt the thought processing involved is just as important as the fix. Thank you!
With a clogged expansion valve/orifice tube, it will cause the compressor to over pressurize on the discharge side therefore causing clutch to slip. When clutch starts slipping, excess heat builds and destroys bearing.
It is normal to have a lot of oil in the liquid line with a restriction like that. Most of the oil should stay in the compressor under normal operation. It's better to have a little too much oil than not enough
Ive ran into that too. And yes oil is only in the system for the compressor and slightly lube the TXV . The refrigerant carries all that oil throughout the system.
I subscribed before the video got started good since Zeppelin's The Ocean was playing in the background. I figure they have to be alright from that alone, the A/C diagnostics cemented it.
@ScannerDanner - Another great video as usual. I hope you keep providing these videos to we, the "do-it-yourselfers". As always, thx for taking the time/effort needed to provide this video to us. It's much appreciated! Take care man.
First off I'd like to say great videos. Wish these were around when I got into the field. After dealing with all the bullshit and even having my own shop, I went back to school for industrial automation and got out of this mostly thankless career. Dont get me wrong you have great customers that appreciate a good honest experienced tech but for the most part we are taken for granted because it seems like everybody's brother uncles friend works on cars and what alot people dont understand is you get what you pay for. I worked on a lot of jeeps which should have the same thermal expansion valve. Everytime we had the same issue we tapped on the expansion valve with a hammer and it would open. They are notorious for sticking and tapping on it frees it up and pressures go back to normal right away. Replace the expansion valve anyways cuz it will stick again.
Guy knows his stuff, I like the way he explains it all. Makes me know that I'm getting the expansion blocks that come with the new one, for $30 for 2 of them, I'm dumb if I don't put new ones in with new O-RINGS KIT along with condenser cost $55, so need a new pump, best to just spend the extra $70 on it plus they won't HONOR the warranty on pump if you DON'T replace these parts, unless your a GARAGE with a receipt with work preformed and what was replaced with pump. Kit us cheap enough, then you know there new along with O-RINGS so no leaks. Then put Freon in with a recovery tool vacuum for 1/2 hour to 1 hour once done. Will have a friend that has the machine do that part. I'll replace all the parts as needed. Hopefully no blocks. Its a Honda, there known to let go. Should be recalls on them, I know a lot of them been replaced, can't buy from bone yard, don't know what's good or not, they sell them but they die. I'd rather buy new than spend $75 when I can buy new for $180 on pump only, kit is more.
@@ScannerDanner it's such bullshit about venting refrigerant. We can't vent R134a (which has zero chlorine in it) but it's fine to pour a shit ton of chlorine in my fucking pool & let that evaporate into the atmosphere? More fucking government over reach to punish hard working Americans & steal our money. Asshole legislators
Love the video! I am a plumber by trade, so troubleshooting systems isn’t new to me, and your talking through the problem and adjusting your analysis is beautiful to see. I have a 2006 Durango that is having AC problems, and I suspect that it is an expansion valve or other restriction as a mechanic was stumped last year as to why the pressures were right but the system wasn’t working. They were in a hurry and I doubt that they caught the signs of a blockage or cared about tracking it down. My manifold gauges arrive in two days, so I hope I can track down the problem and then let someone with the right equipment evacuate the system and refill it
I didn't know about recovering the freon in my gauges before I unhook them , every video of yours I watch , makes me realize half the things I fixed throughout my life , while growing up , must have been pure luck ..and I used it all up , now when I fix things if mine , I just go directly to the worst part to change , the most expensive part ....I usually loose at repairing them , but my diagnostic technic always proves correct ..I'll end up blowing the old motor in my imitation jeep , before I get the ac fixed ..
Well if the expansion valve is plugged up with debris, then the system is contaminated and replacing the valve will only delay it from happening again (IMO).
This "repair" would be exactly how I would have done my own car. What makes you think it will come back. Expansion valves go bad all the time. There was no debris in this system. It had been running fine for a year, since the compressor was changed. And the compressor was changed because of a bad clutch bearing, NOT an internal compressor failure. Some of you guys want to change everything (compressor, condensor, TVX, drier) for this simple condition. I think it is a disservice to the customer to approach everything from a "could be" stand point. My old boss used to do that and you know what? His customer base sucks! Wonder why? Of course, communication with the customer is key right? IF this would come back with another stuck TXV, then obviously there are other issues. Let the customer know about the possibilities. In this case, there was ZERO evidence to do anything but the TXV. Maybe, I could see if someone wanted to change the receiver drier but that is a judgment call too.
Peace then SD; it's just that some shops replace a grenaded compressors and don't do the repair the right way and with all the "guts" from the compressor still in the system, hence the repair does come back.
Absolutely Tom. I did mention in the video that the compressor was changed and if you missed the part of me saying it was not an internal failure but a clutch failure, i would have been saying the same thing as you. Peace to you too my friend.
Alright! This guy did an excellent presentation on this type of AC problem! I am thinking that I may have an oil overcharge condition on my Isuzu Rodeo. I had to have AC system evacuated to replace heater core (evap core was blocking access to heater core). After heater core repair-old core plastic pipes had broken/leaked-I recharged AC system with one 12 oz can of R134a having sealer and lubricating oil and topped off system with 2nd can of plain R134a (total of 22.5 oz). The AC performance was that of cooling/chilling for several minutes then gradually diminish to ambient air temp. I discovered I could "modulate" system by turning AC compressor off at dashboard switch - wait a few minutes then turn it back on with cooling again. I did this because I was on a road trip - when I got home I hooked up gauge and found hi-pressure side running at 250 psi. I am wondering if I had put in too much oil with the first can of refrigerant having oil/sealer included. I am certain I have correct amount of refrigerant system calls for-I used a scale to weigh second can when topping off. My question then: Does AC system have too much oil as well? Symptoms are it cools for a brief period then quits-will not cool again until I shut off for a few minutes then back on again. How much does it cost to have a car AC system recharged with machine that measures amount put in?
Sounds like you have moisture in the system. What happens is it freezes at the TXV and plugs it up. When the system is off it melts and is clear again. The fix is to use a vacuum pump on it until you can maintain 29" without it creeping lower which shows the moisture is gone. With the vacuum pump running heating up the lines and condenser will speed things up with the evacuation.
@@davidthecardcollector Is not the reason for R134a is that it does NOT damage the ozone? ....Mmm ...? (Whilst millions of Asians can use/lose R12 to their heart's content!)
I enjoy AND learn a ton from your content. You are doing great things and providing valuable instruction. If you are ever concerned about what people think... read this. “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt
Awesome tip Dan to pull out as much out of your hoses before disconnecting - at 150 psi that's a lot of refrigerant - I just learned what not to waste thank you so much.
rooster I never put in a new drier and I replace a bunch of compressor . I call it bullshit , I open up a condesnser ona BMW and left it like that for weeks . I just put a new condenser on and charge it with freon.
What else could be clogged? I just put new oriface in mine as well as new compressor, new pressure switch and it’s still not cycling compressor and gauges read too high on low side and really low on high side
@@fsu3784 What vehicle is it. As some have a Head Temp gauge. If that goes out. It goes into limp mode to protect the engine. Fords have them. I would add. If you opened the system. You need to shunt the Pressure switch. To make the compressor come on. And make sure you put the Orifice Tube in the right direction. I seen them stuck in backwards....
Master Chief 00117 it’s a 2008 Chevy trailblazer. Funny thing is I shot air through the evap and condenser so I know it’s not clogged. I can jump compressor at relay. Just out of ideas at this point
Thanks so much danner i have same issue at my mazda right now just ordered txv valve based on your video , i looked alot online and found only your video that talking about this issue thanks so so much for being a huge support and guidance
Another superb video, Paul. Imagine the poor souls who unknowingly go into the auto parts store and come out with the $30 bottle of AC Pro thinking they're gonna save themselves real money. They connect it up, see the really low pressure and start filling it until the low side pressure goes to that green arc! Imagine how high the high side pressure would get. Likely not using any safety glasses and when that compressor safety vent blows they get a face full of refrigerant and oil. Ouch. One question...after blowing out the condenser and the evaporator with shop air how do you know you still have enough oil in the system?
Exactly! As for oil charge. When I blew those lines out, nothing came out, so adding oil wasn't necessary. However, I should have added an ounce or two from the oil that came out of my high side line. I was not aware that a restriction would cause this excessive oil to occur in my high side gauge line! Others have commented on that.
Yeah, I did a 2003 Mustang for a friend a while back that had bad compressor, and a plugged orifice tube (and condenser too.) All the oil was pushed up against that orifice and there was nothing in the compressor, or the accumulator. It was all in that line going to the orifice and I think some in the plugged condenser.
johnaclark1 so what do you think is the maximum pressure the older style piston air-conditioning pumps can handle before blowing the seals out of it?. From an old mopar dealership training materials pre 1976 they said it can handle higher than 400 psi if I remembering right 120F~ " 600 psi high Side maximum on R12 " I'd have to relook it up for the low side but this makes me wonder if that's wrong and I've been planning on using a much more efficient refrigerant (R702 aka trans-critical co2 at 100 bar~ ) than that is 💯 compatible with the oil and compressor and is still legal use in the USA and easy to get it just runs on a higher psi than R134a
johnaclark1 did that but I knew my system had a leak, and surely enough, the condenser was bent really bad (previous owner busted his radiator so no surprised his AC gave out soon after) and had oil stains in a certain area. I added freon just to see if I would hear anything and yeah, that dreaded hisss noise. I stopped right after as to not keep releaseing toxic chemicals and replaced everything properly and now I got some cold air for this 100+ weather xD Did buy me some guages and a vacuum pump and they already paid themselves up prior to this job.
Richard Price I can say the compressor on my 2010 Focus easily ran up the pressure to nearly 400 PSI before the high pressure safety cutoff shut down the party, luckily enough. If the engine bogs momentarily each time the compressor kicks on, here's your sign- channeling Jeff Foxworthy, lol
Awesome video. Looked into cars manual. Possible low side pressure is not enough refrigerant, clogged expansion valve, frozen expansion valve temporarily by moisture or saturated receiver. You nailed those options. Solution check leaks you nailed one then expansion valve and finally receiver dryer. Great guess and according to manual. Show you have a good knowledge. Thanks for sharing
Some great workings out, you have some good A/C knowledge. new to auto a/c so watching various people do it differently. Mostly watch Tom Lech for all my info. One thing he states is a definite no no is shop air as it is moisture laden and pumping it into the hygroscopic oil will add moisture to the system, the dryer will also be knackered, I did my first car Volvo C30 using Haynes manual and it said that Volvo states just opening up the lines to the dryer for longer than 10 mins will saturate the desiccant with moisture just in the air, so I would of 💯 changed the dryer also. I always use OFN oxygen free dry nitrogen to blow out lines, pressure test & propel a/c solvent flush. every on here seams to say shop air apart from a select few that understand moisture. they use those analog gauges to, those gauges only prove vacuum so you will have no idea how much moisture is in the system! A digital micron gauge and app software to graph progress will show you that the 30 minute vacuum most give is no where near long enough to clear moisture. Not bagging on you or anyone else as it’s mostly what everyone does. Just trying to help out adding some bits. 👊👊
I learned today on how to recover the excess freon without rec.machine from gauge hoses. Thanks Paul You have more enough guts to agree your wrong suspicions @22:27.. great👍
Wow in 31:46 I learned more than I think I would in a ac tech class. U just walked me through a $100 ac diagnostic cost. And I found that my a valve was bad.thanks gor saving me idk $200+ in a repair.. kept up the good work
Good diagnosis. It's such a pain to try and explain to people that rarely just adding freon fixes everything. Its like with power windows when customers say that"It just popped off track", ignoring the reason it did that in the first place. And a thermal camera for finding restrictions is nice to have, just realized I need one....
If anyone feels lost and wouldn't mind getting their A/C in top shape, It's pretty easy to cover all the bases at once; I rented a flush tool from an auto store for free, plus bought a quart (needed the whole thing) of flush for $12. Flushed everything, both directions (until clear) except the ac compressor and condenser, followed with blowing 99% dry with a compressor. After changing the compressor oil, I put it all back together with a new TXV valve, condenser and seals, pulled a vacuum, made sure it held, then vacuumed for 45 minutes to an hour. Then after purging the fill line, I filled the low side only (important) with as much as it would take. Leaving both high side valves closed the whole time, start up the car with AC full blast, fill up the required amount needed (it can take some time to all enter). AC should be flowing cold as ice now. This pretty much covers all the bases, unless you have a bad compressor (unlikely) or cracked evaporator in the cabin (unlikely) I hope this helps anyone.. This covers all the bases and changing the condenser (with drier attached) plus TXV valve. Total cost was about $120-130 with tax and free tool rentals.
I not a expert when the high side gets high i.have ran water over the condenser just to acts ..Years ago i saw a dozer that had some weird pressures... i changed out the txv valve and charged it ...yea that fixed it . I also seen the two.much oil in the system ..... thanks for all you do . I appreciate the videos...
@@ScannerDanner , wait there is more than one of us. I am one of those guys. Yep I added oil after following my repair manual suggestion only to find out later the compressor comes oiled already. They got me that pesky manufacturer. Wonder if to many people were just install A/C compressor sans oil and with the volume of eccentric returns someone in the loss revenue department came up with this great idea. two years ago I completely replace the A/C in my 1997 Honda Civic and made a repair video of it. About 2 hours longs was going to upload it and at the end the car was hot like Mojave midday. An epic fail I would say. Leave it to the new guy. I was inspired by your other video working on that RV camper A/C. Palms on my face, and tail between my bipedal stance I have invoked redemption in an attempt to justify. So here I am collecting more information to complete this lingering project as I have become tired of daily drives that bring me close to a heat stroke.
Great job. I think you forgot to purge the yellow line after you punctured your can of refrigerant and you charged a small amount of air into the system. Great troubleshooting skills on the expansion valve. A plus on the proceeds to charity on your gear.
I just want to read through it. I know it will help. You have helped me so much already. even with your free channel. it's unbelievable. I been following James also.
Excellent repair 👍😊✌️- Excellent instruction - A /C diagnosis and repair can be tricky - so to speak . Just as with any modern vehicle - the engineering is much more sophisticated - NO DOUBT - YOU are a SUPER TECHNICIAN and SUPER INSTRUCTOR and what I really think is fantastic is you are not afraid to admit that you may be incorrect on a diagnosis. This - to me - is also what makes you a super diagnostic technician . YOU are humble but REALLY - YOU ARE THAT GOOD - MANY THANKS for all the knowledge you share and teach via your UA-cam videos. 😊😊✌️✌️✌️
I had a BAD restriction on a '88 Trooper once - actually several restrictions. Right in the middle of the condenser in a few different spots, it was ice cold. Same with the line out of the receiver/dryer. Was a cheap 134a conversion attempt that failed spectacularly. He'd have been better off sticking with R12 in this case. In another case, my buddy's dad had one of his friends tig a hole in one of the aluminum lines on his '14 Ram 2500 (FCA wanted $900 for the line! Looked it up, and that price was about right! RockAuto had it for $600 - couldn't believe it). Was routed badly right from the factory, and wore a hole right through the aluminum. Anyway, he removed and replaced the line himself, and attempted to recharge ... into atmospheric pressure! Mistake #1. Mistake #2 was he used several cans which already had oil in them! When he kicked the system on, he said he got a really loud shuddering shake, and the system quit. I found the rubber damper on the clutch assembly was blown completely out! Hydrolocked the compressor! When I removed the line assembly from the compressor, at least 7 oz. of oil poured out. WOW! Lucky for him, I was able to find a OE new compressor on eBay for about $230 (normally 3x that). What a job installing that one though! I could barely access one of the bolts. Par for the course today, unfortunately. They put a non-removable crossmember right under the compressor! Was a nightmare, but got it done. Took alot longer than planned though.
8-17-18 Don't forget about the SD merch you see above me^^^^^^^^^ 100% of my proceeds will be going to charity. When I have the list complete, I will be putting them up on my website (who we will be helping). Right now I have a pro life group called the Human Connection that offers free ultrasounds to women considering an abortion and of course a ton of other benefits for these hurting woman. I also have Light of Life Rescue Mission (homeless shelter in Pittsburgh) and a list of about 5 or 6 more. I think I will probably only go with 3 charities for now, to get the most help we can to these people.
What would be the symptoms if that TXV was stuck open would it cause a drag on the AC compressor and I have a slight hiss in the dashboard when it first turns on and then it goes away it works when I'm driving when I'm sitting still it feels like the car wants to stall when it turns on and off and when I'm driving you can feel it turn on and off like it puts a good amount of drag
@@martinbullla7654 A slight hiss is not necessarily a problem. What are your AC pressures. No reason to speculate without them
@@ScannerDanner at the moment all I know is low side and at idle it's around 55/60 but if you give it just a little bit of RPM it goes right around 30 35 ish I don't have a gauge for the high side yet but the last time I had it hooked up it was wicked high it also puts a hell of a drag on the engine like I got a floor it to get it to go sometimes
@@martinbullla7654 your TXV is definitely not stuck open or causing your symptoms, with that psi on the low side. It is completely normal for an AC compressor to cause low engine performance on small engines. What are you driving?
@@ScannerDanner acura rsx which are known for compressor problems I did figure it out. it's the compressor the shaft coming out of the pump the bearing went bad it wobbles around a little bit when I turn it on I'm guessing that's the drag that I'm feeling
This isn’t an AC video my friend, this is an AC CLASS. Thanks a lot.
You're welcome! Thank you, tell your friends :-)
@@ScannerDanner Thank you Paul, I learnt more in half an hour here than in a 2 day licensing course in Australia. I still refer to your E-book regularly , you have made me a better tradesman and saved people a lot of time and money over the years,
Agreed! I have been going through forum after forum to just begin to understand why my Traverse won't turn the AC on. Haven't necessarily solved my problem, but I'm gaining so much knowledge I should be able to at least talk to them about it or save myself from a scam. Better than when I had a different car, "uh, when I go up hill too fast from a start, my car goes chugga chugga and drags?" (The transmission had been welded to the axle and was going out - had to replace BOTH. so glad I've upgraded from that POS)
@@user-ll5oj4eo1g watch these two videos
(If your pressure's are good and the clutch will not engage)
ua-cam.com/video/oUAdikdm-v8/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/KTbmgjA0N9s/v-deo.html
You are so right.
I like the way you are unafraid to make mistakes in your thinking the problem through and then correct yourself. Excellent video - unrehearsed and unedited - stream of thought very good to see.
Exactly....
It's a thought process, you check a situation... evaluate & speculate as to the cause, then reshape & regroup your ideas, using your experience to do so.
Spend some time, analyze, consider the alternatives, make the right call.
Far too many shops just use the principle:
"If in doubt...remove & replace everything....so what... the customer is paying." ..
Grrrrrrrr....
thanks man, never said that in a comment. I know this is from a year ago
Masterclass
Agreed. Shows humility, which makes me more comfortable trusting your advice.
For who ever may be interested, nitrogen, a dry, inert gas, would serve much better for cleaning a system that must be absolutely dry in order to operate properly. Any moisture in the system will freeze and possibly plug the refrigerant line at the metering device, aka. The, or H- block. To do a jam up job that will give long lasting service a proper procedure must be done. After the system is cleaned and all connectors are closed up with both high and low side gauges attached to system, pull a quick vacuum with both gauged opened. Close gauges turn vac pump off. Connect vacuum line to nitrogen bottle, crack nitrogen, open high side gauge and bleed through system an open low side gauge and loosen low side line a little at gauge, and let blow a bit. At this time if you want to check all fitting, including schraders, pressure the system up to about 150 psi.,remove gauges with the pressure still in the system and check valve stems and any other connections to be sure no leaks, OR, reconnect gauges, both high and low, bleed pressure down to about 100 psi, close gauges securely and let it set while you have a beer and a smoke. 20 minutes or so. Check pressure on gauges. It should be exactly as you left it as nitrogen does not react to temperatures. Satisfied that you have no leaks, slowly release gas pressure through low side gauge and through r(e middle line on gauges. As the pressure nears zero but before it stops blowing completely, attach to vacuum pump and let the pressure reach zero. Tighten line and start vacuum pump. As the pressure begins to pull into a vacuum open up high side gauge. Pull vacuum for at least 1hr. Close gauges and stop pump. Leave it for a while. Time for a couple more beers, and a break. This step is very important the farther south you are, ask any shade tree journeyman. When you are well rested and cooled down, return to the gauges and see that the pressure has not risen at all. If not you can be sure the system is perfectly dry! If not dry the moisture in the system will boil off in a vacuum, and build pressure. If this happens simply start pump, open gauges and have another beer. Repeat this process until you are satisfied that it is dry. You are now ready to charge the system so connect to refrigerant oil and add 1/2 oz. per pound of full charge amount, unless you either drained the compressor or experienced a lot of oil in the repairs. This is one point where a call to a knowledgeable tech might help. Add exactly the ounces that is called for of refrigerant, but , always purge the open line up to the gauge manifold. Invert the container and open high side gauge. If you are using small cans, and it takes two or more, purge fill line each time. If you are confident that your charge is close then now it’s time to turn your container upright in order to clear the liquid, if any from high side gauge and disconnect from system and close off completely all high side lines. Finish the final balance through the low side with gas. Withe the engine running and ac turned to super cool the low side line should begin to sweat all the way to the compressor are very close. The actual cooling coming out at the dash is directly affected by the temperature in the car, however the capacity off an automobile ac is comparable to 3 to 5 tons of ac. Back in the day when air conditioning was an add on under the dash, it was not unheard of for it to spit out ice. You probably won’t see that but in the 30’s is possible. All of these steps I described are not always followed,but, if they are,you won’t have to worry about it for a long time.
Hello Sir I read your comment and instructions. I have question if you can answer. Does the txv only activate periodically to cool inside unit (Evaporator) or is it activated by compressor unit ? How can you increase flow of more Freon into the evaporator for more cooling. Is it possible to increase colder temperatures. What would be needed to increase the flow. Thank you for any assistance.
Thank you Gary for your added insight!
How well do drier receivers work? What volume of water moisture will they help with? My first thought is that moisture in the system will get taken up by drier and not so bad as people make it seem
Automotive guys act like nitrogen for leak detection is nuts.Professional HVAC guys use nitrogen routinely.Those sniffers suck.I can run the nitrogen pressure up to 300 psi and the dye is going to come out somewhere.Vacuum leaks tests never.
You can get a nitrogen pressure regulator ,gauge and hoses for about $80 and just a mini bottle of nitrogen and it's easy.
Having worked in the automotive field for the last 40 years I have to say that every shop should have one or two guys totally committed to A/C diagnosing , there are so many variables and sequences of problems ,from seals leaking ,bugs clogging condenser cooling fins (especially up in northern Canada ) to you name it . My hats off to you , your diagnosis of the system was spot on only from education and probably #1 a few years of experience !! Well done and great video . Joe from Northern Ontario , Canada
Thank you Joe! I've since learned (from you guys), the restricted TXV was also why all of that oil was trapped in the liquid line. I mistakenly thought someone put too much oil in it.
this video is 5 years old but i can't help but mention that the fact that you have a diagnosis but then find it to be incorrect and that you actually say so in the video. the process of elimination is valuable as well. i wish more were like you on youtube.
Thank you Glenn! We film live and work through the problem and showing mistakes is equally important as showing the fix for those who truly want to learn. Appreciate this comment so much. Have a blessed day!
I really appreciate these A/C-videos! The videos help me a lot in being more confident and not sending away some A/C-jobs to specialists but dealing with them myself! That not only helps me in leveling up my game but also makes customers happy when they are given faster and more direct service. I'm very grateful! Thank you!
Mate, bloody fantastic demo vid. Loved the way you kept your cool, thought things out. Went through step by step, with limited tools you had available to work with. Your process of elimination of potential problems leading up to the TXV. Checking work done by previous techs was a good move. You nailed it, excellent. Real life problem/repair. Not edited demo in a class room with pretend scenarios. I now know how to diagnose a faulty TXV. Cheers from down under. 👌🏻👍🏻👏👏👏 🖐 🇦🇺
Awesome, thank you!
Yes like a pit bull 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I watched a lot of video about AC problems, but only this video that fixed my AC. Thanks man. I love how you find the problems and reasoned it why like this, like that made us learn how to think. I love how you admit mistakes and learn from it to keep forward to find the problem.
Some great knowledge. The degree you broke this information down was nothing short of spectacular. It’s always important knowing the downfalls of the working of a vehicle.. and be that competent to leave “no stone over turned” to figure out the issues.
Great video.. 👍🏻
My Caldina car air on is cool just few minutes .At the moment it is not cool.
Suction line is hot.
Suction pressure is 40 psi
High side pressure is 200psi
When it is running.
My Sir
What will be caused in My car air-conditioning?
Great example of a troubleshooting scenario. Intuition and failure are key to understanding problems and even other operating conditions. The internet is packed with experts who get it right (in their edited videos) every time. This is how to be a real expert. I don’t work on cars but other machinery and live musical set ups. I’m wrong a lot. But then we know what it’s not.
Your process and openness in sharing it is really well done. BTW I think my daughter’s expansion valve is bad in her RR sport. I think I’ll be a “parts changer” and see if I’m right!
Wow! Best AC video on UA-cam that I have seen ever. Love the way you diagnosed the problem by process of elimination. Excellent job! Love it.
Dude, you are awesome. You taught me more in one video than I could learn from any AC person after 5 decades of living.
I cannot thank you enough. Subscribed.
You are my boy.
Wow, thanks!
You can also cut the engine back off after the ac compressor has ran and see how long it takes for both high and low side gauges to balance back out. If it takes too long or maybe it never balances back out there is definitely a restriction. An orifice system usually balances out in less than 1 minute. TXV may take longer because of its changing flow rate.
We saw a restricted TXV causing over 400 PSI on the high side and like 50 psi on the low side once which made that a very obvious closed non working TXV.
Another good one Scanner, looks like you've been hitting the weights.
I have disassembled and tested an automotive TXV from TGK and it never closes fully. Never. Completely rotate the spindle towards the seat so that superheat is maximum, freeze the disc with liquid canned air, the pin will never seat completely no matter what. It has been used with a Sanden SD6V12 variable displacement compressor and these compressors apparently need a TXV that will never seat completely or the compressor control valve will fight with the TXV in low load conditions. It's apparently the charge in the power head that makes it behave like that, because if i take the pin out and try to seat the valve myself, it closes completely, i.e. there's no bypass or nick in the seat. So i suppose equalization with a TXV depends upon the TXV design.
This is the kind of hands on instructions I would deem as "Professional"! I surfed U tube several times and could not satisfy my queries on A/C issues. I have a 2002 Ford f350 7.30 powerstroke with A/C issues. After much research, I find a similarity in the A/C control procedures as elementary as the any other model with issues to be confronted. This video is highly educational to any shade tree mechanic in any country. I come from the country of Texas and I don't play games! Well done ScannerDanner!
That was a really awesome compliment. Thank you Larry
Short Cycling systems move oil (Banging off the Low or High limit). That is why your hose was full of oil. I'm HVAC Tech for a living and when I've had a TXV fail I very commonly have a liquid hose full of oil. I usually find a lot of oil at the TXV as well.
great tip! I did not know that was an effect. It sure mislead me into thinking the system was too full of oil. So the restriction causes a bottle neck for the lubricant too and that's why I had so much oil in my high side hose. Cool. Well, not so cool that I didn't add an additional ounce or two of oil when I was done :-(.
I was on a bus once, AC was on and heard the compressor short cycling, repeatedly (LP cycling due to very low charge perhaps, because it began cutting the clutch off immediately as soon as the driver pushed the gas pedal). It was a Carrier 05K kind of compressor. These compressors move some oil everytime they're started. Can't believe how it didn't run the sump dry and seize up. I have the manual of the involved compressor (not the 05K) and it clearly states that the compressor shouldn't be turned on more than 8 times a hour, this got turned on like 100 times in 20 minutes while i was there.
Just to add my 2c....
Seems to me, that technicians are all too-ready to add a UV additive via oil to find a suspected leak..... That should be the last resort.
Most leaks, in my experience, are visible to the naked eye. The never-drying oil is a dead give-away.it attracts dust etc .... It aint rocket science.
But...if not, and if there's is still gas in the system...use an electronic sniffer.
I know they are not brilliant detecting the latest gases (& there are many more than R134a ) but if necessary....put in a higher charge to make it so.
Sorry, but I am not a fan of the UV leak detection system:
Yes, it definitely works in huge refrigerant plants....where time is of the essence.
(And the massive cost of the products being protected...)
But, in the automotive world.... a refrigerant plant in miniature? No.
It causes more problems than it resolves.
Patagualian Mostly problem with the oil with R134a PAG and ESTER oil are water-soluble so every time the car goes through rain or a very heavy fog like in my area it washes away the oil in the stain of dust leaving a clean condenser. Used to work back in the old our R12 vehicles with mineral oil that was not water-soluble. As for die it’s a last resort second resort to find leaks days weeks or months later or years. Good quality high concentration dies only need 5 mL to a car system. 28.5 ml. = 1oz. So you were talking about only adding a little more than 1/6 of an ounce. As for finding leaks with a refrigerant leak detector not all leaks are constant some only leak while the car is moving down the road in lines or items are vibrating but when they’re at rest they stop leaking. Some leaks at front compressor shaft seal only leak when the engine is running and the compressor is spinning at the shaft seal so you have the air from the engine fan blowing air over the compressor clutch blowing away the refrigerant where you cannot use a leak detector at the time that it is running when you turn off the air-conditioning and the compressor ceases to move the seal stops leaking that’s another type of leak. And you have leaks that only start to leak when the pressure is on the rising and the line is getting hot you have other leaks that only leak when the low side line gets cold with the pressure falling and then when shut off and pressurize the leak stops again many more different types of lights that don’t happen well the car is just sitting in front of you stagnant with the hood up.
Clutch less compressor (Variable Displacement)minor rattling Sound from AC compressor near suction port of compressor during idling with AC off , after switching ON AC no sound at all cooling is good but as I switch off AC or cabin reaches desired temperature sound again starts(even when driving), is this bcoz of low compressor oil ?? (when refrigerant flows compressor has enough oil to lubricate and when AC off compressor doesn't have oil for lubrication as refrigerant flow stops(my theory)).. hyundai elite i20 any one help...pl
Hi Scanner Danner, thanks for the video. I have watched a few of your videos on scanners and enjoyed them.
I owned an automotive air conditioning & radiator repair shop in Dover Delaware from 1973 to about 2003. Then I sold it to an employee and it is still open today.
Some shops use charging stations to charge vehicles, I did not like them because the were too costly and added complications. I used a plain gauge set like you used. For years it was a R12 gauge set with 1/4" flair fittings. They had pressure temperature relationship numbers for several refrigerants on the inside rings and PSI/vacuum on the outer ring.
I had a refrigerant identifier and used it before refrigerant recovery.
We had a recovery machine for R12 and another recovery machine for R134a (Robinair).
I always used gauge sets to check out and service cars.
I always used new refrigerant to top off working systems and after repairs. That way I new it had good dry pure refrigerant put in it.
The over charge of oil is common for beginning A/C service techs.
Also I was very careful about not having air in my A/C gauges. I would want the gauges to either have a vacuum or refrigerant in them. So I bled them a lot. If you had air in them and hooked up to a vehicle and the suction side went into a vacuum it sucked the air out of the gauges. I wanted vehicles I charged to have 0% air.
Some rebuilt compressors were not always marked as to how much oil they had in them. If we had any questions we would drain the oil from new compressor into a clean container to see how much it had in it. Then make adjustments to how much oil it had and seal it back off. The compressor could then be put on the vehicle. When I started A/C work many compressors had oil in the crank case or in the belly like a GM A6. Now most get lubricated buy returning refrigerant. Sort of like a 2-cycle engine gets oiled.
When ever we changed a compressor, we always flushed. We flushed all the hoses and both heat exchangers. We would try to flush out in both directions. We would blow a bunch of solvent into a component and some how catch it with a heater hose going off to a catch can or catch it with a shop rag dripping into a drain pan. Then we would pop the item dry. Finger on and off outlet while blowing with air with a rubber tipped blow gun. I early on used Nitrogen to blow out components and to leak test. I had a setup with 175 PSI pressure release valve. For years we used Mineral Spirits to flush. Then we changed to more expensive flush solvents for R134a systems.
Then we would put the compressor in service with the right amount of oil.
We did not flush through compressors, dryers, accumulators, expansion valves and suction valves. Extra care would be taken to a hose assembly with a muffler in it.
We had a large parts inventory and there were years when I had 5 techs. We installed air conditioners, serviced air conditioners, repaired A/Cs, and repaired radiators. We did a lot of large trucks. I even went away to truck refrigeration school in Syracuse New York (Carrier-Transicold).
Hi Patrick, nice writing. When top up the system i always see people hook up a gauge set and only bleed the yellow line while the blue line has air in it too. Isn't it better to bleed a bit of refrigerant from the system through the blue line too before filling the system?
Great video paul. There's not a lot of good videos on ac mechanical component failure diagnosis, this information is invaluable. Mighty convinient the recovery machine got fixed just in time and off camera haha.
jsohn18436572 lol yea that is true
You can't hide from me forever Dave Jones!!
Justin Hernandez are you stalking me haha
Stalking is such a harsh word, following is more betters
Justin Hernandez ok I didn't mean to offend you
Sir I wanted to recognize your leadership capabilities. I heard you say the words, “I was wrong.” It take a true leader to admit that. Thank you for your videos they are amazing.
Outstanding trouble shooting mate! Many armchair quarterbacks seem to have forgotten what trouble shooting means. As youve pointed out in the video there are several locations where the AC system could fail and isolating that area of failure is the challenge. Great video which also pointed out the other potential culprits that need to be checked out when servicing the system.
I greatly appreciate your enthusiasm in everything about diagnosing and fixing vehicles. I understand talking out loud the many thoughts going through your mind is the way you use to help yourself diagnose problems, but it makes collecting the information much more difficult. On every one of the many videos I have now watched, you make what appears to be a specific highlight about a situation or final diagnosis, only to then change your mind and or add or subtract from the comments you made seconds or minutes previous. Just as I'm telling myself to remember certain important points by what you say, you turn around and change your analysis.
I talk out loud to myself all the time, but when I teach others, I try to take a few moments extra and ensure if what I'm about to say, is the message I want to convey. Thanks very much for sharing your knowledge and time.
My classes are not this way, only the live diagnostics.
I don't figured out the problem before turning the camera on. You're just hearing me process things as I go and everything I say, if I make a mistake, I try to correct it. I understand this style isn't for everyone. Thanks for the feedback
Thanks Danner, really appreciate the last section where you release as much pressure as you can into the low side. Actually, I ran into this particular problem while doing some AC work, I finished my work and disconnected gauges and Wow a whole bunch of Freon still in the lines, I said what the heck, so now I understand better, great Video Paul, as always keep up the great work, much appreciated!!!
I like the guy out for a cruise on his rider and stops by for a visit. Keep it real Danner you have way more knowledge than most and still admit if you are wrong
I love the fact you take us on the journey of troubleshooting. I know I do a similar exercise using what I am seeing while adding what I have seen in the past to come to the final resolution. Brilliant!
Never be too proud to say “I was wrong.”
Now here is a real teacher that can admit when he is wrong and correct the problem. I'll watch Paul any day. I always learn from him. Thx!
You're a very sharp guy. The only thing that I would add is to jumper the low pressure cutout switch and let the system run even if it's in a vacuum. If the low side is in a vac and high side is normal= restriction. If High and Low are both low=undercharge. restrictions usually frost the extrerior of the line at the location of the restriction as well, this would be harder to discern at with an expansion valve attached to the evap, as an undercharge would freeze part of the evap(possibly suction line as well). In a system with an orifice in the high side line a restriction would freeze the line at the location of a restricted orifice. I have 15+ years of HVAC experience, and I'd say that I was impressed by your diagnosis.
This is the most informational, educational vid I’ve seen for automotive air conditioning. Thank you for sharing your thought process, including your mistakes. That alone makes this the best video. I understand automotive air conditioning much better now, not just GM, FORD, DODGE……….. the principles of it crosses every manufacturer. THANK YOU!!!
I appreciate that! Thank you so much
I love how you bend the textbook rules to teach and prove your methods. "Never use shop air on an A/C system" "Never use a test light on computer controlled systems"...Thank you for that lecture 🙏🏼...You almost used a Scanner on this one 😄
The Homie Hektor shop air blowing up is an old wives tale. I live in Miami, ac is 24/7 here. Been using shop air for years. Out here customers are not going to pay for you to use refrigerant or nitrogen to leak test. Too much competition. The shop next door will diag for half the price using shop air 🤷🏽♂️.
I typically stay out of those exchanges tho. Incredible how we have become a country full of can nots. 😞😖😩
Lynx Star Automotive I had a 2017 Tahoe with 1234- YF that I needed to use oil dye due to a small leak coming from the rear evaporator. The shop air and leak down test on the machine both confirmed no leak when there was truly a leak.
Lynx Star Automotive hn
I like the way he talks threw the thought process in trouble shooting the A/C system it takes experience to know what you are looking for
Being able to trace the lines is critical in finding system restrictions, but as you showed, sometimes even the best diagnostics guys need to throw a part into the mix once in a while. It was an educated decision, though, and that's what counts! Awesome stuff, Paul. :D
Expansion valve costs 80 bucks and usually swaps in seconds on *most* cars now a days. It's a gamble I'm willing to take
Hey scannerdanner. I love your motto. "Don't be a parts changer" I used a few videos to study for my ac ase exam and I pass. Some of the point your talked about was in the exam. Thanks bud.
That is awesome!
Great post! Real time diagnostics , thinking through possible problems is what us techs due until we find the true problem.
Sometimes I get hell for that (thinking out loud) but I like doing these live, so my thoughts are real time and not in hindsight. It helps people learn.
Yes it does help the thought process. I'm trying to learn more about diagnosis on cars and trucks period. I got the whole r&r mastered. So when I hear you thinking it helps me to understand. Thank you for sharing. The guys who talk smack are just haters. They are mad because they could not think!!! HA HA
@@ScannerDanner Well said.
Learning should be in hindsight. Observe & gain.
Otherwise, as humans, we cease to progress.
We become trapped in the past.
Need I say more?
Nah.
Thanks paul the way you teach is phenomenal it's so simple even a lame man can understand easily you are a blessing to every diy person around the world
thanks man!
thanks for the video. i would call it an educated guess , seeing how the TXV is the smallest orifice in the high pressure side. and most of the time a restriction is gonna be found at the smallest orifice. always good practice to replace the dryer aswell. good call with the diag.
Thanks man. Also my high side port was after the condenser, so no concern of a restriction there.
ScannerDanner can the valve be replaced at home or do you need a machine for the ac system
Wrench life 604 xdxxd
If the TXV loses the power head charge it closes the valve, so debris in the system isn't the only reason for a plugged TXV.
It's better to use nitrogen to blow the system out ! Compressed air contains moisture
That tip at the end. I’ve literally been looking everywhere on how to relieve that pressure! Thank you Danner!
Very good video. I really like how you reasoned your way through this one! Keep up the good work!
Thanks Monte Hyler!
Sir, I'm am old coot that takes on some of the toughest motorcycle and early hot-rod trials an exercises and I must say I am Impressed at your skills at going about this, admirable. Thank You !
Thank you!
@@ScannerDanner يس
شغل زين مضبوط
واجد زين
Pete did the "recovery"...... rigggghhhttt.... recovered it into the atmosphere....
Excellent vid, thanks!
SD, you called it right because it had to be that valve by the time you got done. You eliminated all other restrictions and the potential oil overfill, and the compressor was making plenty of pressure and suction. I thought the restriction might be desiccant from a failed receiver/drier. I've heard of it, never seen it, but your procedure would have revealed it. Had to be the valve.
So you called it right about halfway through but made sure before you stopped and put a valve in it, like a real professional does.
Good informative video! Admit the possibility that you might be wrong, learn from it, and move on! Thank you.
Future Auto Tech in a A/C and heating class, here watching this 6 year old gem!!! Thanks Paul for everything!!!
Thank you!
Just saw this in 2019, Paul excellent troubleshooting skills & finally solving the sticky E valve issue. Much love from Ghana 😊
A certified mechanic with 20-40 years of constant work is like a fine surgeon. You both use the same tools. Baling wire duck tape and goop. Both are trained and repeatedly reminded of the check list for each problem and probabilities and liabilities of brands car makers parts and then finessing it all into stripped nuts broken bolts frozen rusted stuff and just age . All I can say to big three is thanks for making such poor quality cars. You've kept us in business since 1938.
Totally good call on the TXV the good practice would be to change the dryer too and I am sure you know that I would blow out the evap with nitrogen after putting in the new txv leave the outlet unplugged would make sense why it took forever to get the low side to come back up
OFN for purging everytime. Oxygen in your ac is a big no nó.
Great guy, we all make mistakes. The difference is how you accept it. Great diagnosis and explanation. Love it.
Thanks, I appreciate that!
21:46 the condenser is parallel flow, so I think the bottom could have been full of oil and you would never know by blowing air through it.
Blow the condenser out in reverse.
Purely simple, straightforward and actually shows what can be done in the field. Am so thankful for your great work.
Thank you!
Great tip to bleed off the pressure in the high hose. Thanks.
Dude you are a great mechanic and do a fantastic job of explaining the AC system. I didn't know shit about an automotive ac system until your video. I live in Kelowna British Columbia Canada and it gets as hot as 100 + degrees here in the summer. My wife's car AC doesn't even come on at all. I'm going to buy the proper tooling and fix it myself. She drives a 2007 Chevy Aveo. You are helping folks help themselves.
Good for Pete! I was the one that commented on his weight loss 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽🥊🥊🥊
Nice! He liked that.
Let's be clear here, your "guess" is based on your solid understanding of the A/C system and likely causes of the problem. It's not like your just winging parts and hoping to fix the issue. This video had a lot of solid educational content as to how the system works when there is a restriction. I also really liked the info about overfilling the system with oil. Thanks Danner!
Thank you Jordan
ScannerDanner is a real intimidating name that made me actually avoid the channel...smh... what a fool I have been this is one of the best tutorial channels on youtube.
Thanks so much! I'm glad to have you here and look forward to your comments
How is scannerdanner intimidating?? now if it were SKINWALKERDANNER I would agree!
Old thread but it helped me a lot. Just happy that you always own your assumptions while others may try to edit it out. This is what makes you a great diagnosis genius
Thank you! Many do not understand that I'm filming a live issue that I have no idea where it's going to take me and I've always felt the thought processing involved is just as important as the fix. Thank you!
With a clogged expansion valve/orifice tube, it will cause the compressor to over pressurize on the discharge side therefore causing clutch to slip. When clutch starts slipping, excess heat builds and destroys bearing.
Though you say you were mistaken, you did the right thing by testing/ diagnosing possibility of symptoms. That is being a good mechanic!!
Thank you Roy!
It is normal to have a lot of oil in the liquid line with a restriction like that. Most of the oil should stay in the compressor under normal operation. It's better to have a little too much oil than not enough
Ive ran into that too. And yes oil is only in the system for the compressor and slightly lube the TXV . The refrigerant carries all that oil throughout the system.
Everything you said is on point. You just weren’t impatient enough for the instant gratification crowd!
I subscribed before the video got started good since Zeppelin's The Ocean was playing in the background. I figure they have to be alright from that alone, the A/C diagnostics cemented it.
You are doing just what my mechanic does
- start changing parts until it is fixed- no loss to you- the customer pays it all.
He clearly just diagnosed, a restriction correctly.
Wow, amazing how much he looks and sounds like my favorite character Jax Teller from "Sons of Anarchy"
Awesome show, great acting. Too nice of bikes for a club. My MC had all kinds of choppers & such. Way more crazy fun than a bunch of newer bikes.
@ScannerDanner - Another great video as usual. I hope you keep providing these videos to we, the "do-it-yourselfers". As always, thx for taking the time/effort needed to provide this video to us. It's much appreciated! Take care man.
Didn't see you purge the air out of your refrigerant line when you started to add charge?
In another comment, he mentions that he did it, but did not film it.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
First off I'd like to say great videos. Wish these were around when I got into the field. After dealing with all the bullshit and even having my own shop, I went back to school for industrial automation and got out of this mostly thankless career. Dont get me wrong you have great customers that appreciate a good honest experienced tech but for the most part we are taken for granted because it seems like everybody's brother uncles friend works on cars and what alot people dont understand is you get what you pay for.
I worked on a lot of jeeps which should have the same thermal expansion valve. Everytime we had the same issue we tapped on the expansion valve with a hammer and it would open. They are notorious for sticking and tapping on it frees it up and pressures go back to normal right away. Replace the expansion valve anyways cuz it will stick again.
I recommend always bleeding the air out of the lines after hooking them up. Ac systems don't like contaminates.
Guy knows his stuff, I like the way he explains it all. Makes me know that I'm getting the expansion blocks that come with the new one, for $30 for 2 of them, I'm dumb if I don't put new ones in with new O-RINGS KIT along with condenser cost $55, so need a new pump, best to just spend the extra $70 on it plus they won't HONOR the warranty on pump if you DON'T replace these parts, unless your a GARAGE with a receipt with work preformed and what was replaced with pump. Kit us cheap enough, then you know there new along with O-RINGS so no leaks. Then put Freon in with a recovery tool vacuum for 1/2 hour to 1 hour once done. Will have a friend that has the machine do that part. I'll replace all the parts as needed. Hopefully no blocks. Its a Honda, there known to let go. Should be recalls on them, I know a lot of them been replaced, can't buy from bone yard, don't know what's good or not, they sell them but they die. I'd rather buy new than spend $75 when I can buy new for $180 on pump only, kit is more.
I bet there was a proper recovery done on this 😉
😂😂😂😂😂
That’s alright the EPA does allow “trace amounts” to be vented to atmosphere
Of course!
@@ScannerDanner I thought it's only "Freon" (R12) that's illegal to vent in the atmosphere. Either way, it's still a crock IMO.
It's all illegal to vent to the atmosphere intentionally. As far as I've been told anyway.
Check the label on the "air" horn cans at the SportsBall Game. It's R134A
@@ScannerDanner it's such bullshit about venting refrigerant. We can't vent R134a (which has zero chlorine in it) but it's fine to pour a shit ton of chlorine in my fucking pool & let that evaporate into the atmosphere? More fucking government over reach to punish hard working Americans & steal our money. Asshole legislators
Love the video! I am a plumber by trade, so troubleshooting systems isn’t new to me, and your talking through the problem and adjusting your analysis is beautiful to see. I have a 2006 Durango that is having AC problems, and I suspect that it is an expansion valve or other restriction as a mechanic was stumped last year as to why the pressures were right but the system wasn’t working. They were in a hurry and I doubt that they caught the signs of a blockage or cared about tracking it down. My manifold gauges arrive in two days, so I hope I can track down the problem and then let someone with the right equipment evacuate the system and refill it
thank you Chris!
"Recovery machine" hahaha! Judging by those goatees, that refrigerant got leaked onto Pittsburgh!
I didn't know about recovering the freon in my gauges before I unhook them , every video of yours I watch , makes me realize half the things I fixed throughout my life , while growing up , must have been pure luck ..and I used it all up , now when I fix things if mine , I just go directly to the worst part to change , the most expensive part ....I usually loose at repairing them , but my diagnostic technic always proves correct ..I'll end up blowing the old motor in my imitation jeep , before I get the ac fixed ..
Paul, being an old GM A/C guy spot on video, love how you traced it down....
Well if the expansion valve is plugged up with debris, then the system is contaminated and replacing the valve will only delay it from happening again (IMO).
The expansion valve had no debris in it.
I still suspect this "repair" will come back.
This "repair" would be exactly how I would have done my own car. What makes you think it will come back. Expansion valves go bad all the time. There was no debris in this system. It had been running fine for a year, since the compressor was changed. And the compressor was changed because of a bad clutch bearing, NOT an internal compressor failure.
Some of you guys want to change everything (compressor, condensor, TVX, drier) for this simple condition. I think it is a disservice to the customer to approach everything from a "could be" stand point. My old boss used to do that and you know what? His customer base sucks! Wonder why?
Of course, communication with the customer is key right? IF this would come back with another stuck TXV, then obviously there are other issues. Let the customer know about the possibilities.
In this case, there was ZERO evidence to do anything but the TXV. Maybe, I could see if someone wanted to change the receiver drier but that is a judgment call too.
Peace then SD; it's just that some shops replace a grenaded compressors and don't do the repair the right way and with all the "guts" from the compressor still in the system, hence the repair does come back.
Absolutely Tom. I did mention in the video that the compressor was changed and if you missed the part of me saying it was not an internal failure but a clutch failure, i would have been saying the same thing as you. Peace to you too my friend.
Alright! This guy did an excellent presentation on this type of AC problem! I am thinking that I may have an oil overcharge condition on my Isuzu Rodeo. I had to have AC system evacuated to replace heater core (evap core was blocking access to heater core). After heater core repair-old core plastic pipes had broken/leaked-I recharged AC system with one 12 oz can of R134a having sealer and lubricating oil and topped off system with 2nd can of plain R134a (total of 22.5 oz). The AC performance was that of cooling/chilling for several minutes then gradually diminish to ambient air temp. I discovered I could "modulate" system by turning AC compressor off at dashboard switch - wait a few minutes then turn it back on with cooling again. I did this because I was on a road trip - when I got home I hooked up gauge and found hi-pressure side running at 250 psi. I am wondering if I had put in too much oil with the first can of refrigerant having oil/sealer included. I am certain I have correct amount of refrigerant system calls for-I used a scale to weigh second can when topping off. My question then: Does AC system have too much oil as well? Symptoms are it cools for a brief period then quits-will not cool again until I shut off for a few minutes then back on again. How much does it cost to have a car AC system recharged with machine that measures amount put in?
Sounds like you have moisture in the system. What happens is it freezes at the TXV and plugs it up. When the system is off it melts and is clear again. The fix is to use a vacuum pump on it until you can maintain 29" without it creeping lower which shows the moisture is gone. With the vacuum pump running heating up the lines and condenser will speed things up with the evacuation.
I can only imagine how Pete "recovered" that system haha.
He has a ozone hole named after him.
Al Gore is crying! LMAO
to the air it goes, lol ,lol
@@davidthecardcollector
Is not the reason for R134a is that it does NOT damage the ozone? ....Mmm ...?
(Whilst millions of Asians can use/lose R12 to their heart's content!)
I enjoy AND learn a ton from your content. You are doing great things and providing valuable instruction. If you are ever concerned about what people think... read this.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt
Awesome tip Dan to pull out as much out of your hoses before disconnecting - at 150 psi that's a lot of refrigerant - I just learned what not to waste thank you so much.
i have a flir thermal imiging camera ,ideal for restrictions difference in temperatures
Thank you for your last tip on removing the refrigerant from the hoses and back into the AC system.
still needs a receiver-drier.
I won't argue that.
rooster I never put in a new drier and I replace a bunch of compressor . I call it bullshit , I open up a condesnser ona BMW and left it like that for weeks . I just put a new condenser on and charge it with freon.
this guy is right on just dealing with this on Kenworth truck. low side very low , high side very high plus high on high when switched off.
I can tell by the flow rate out of the can.. Any restriction they empty slow. the second I see that. the TXV or Orifice tube is clogged up...
What else could be clogged? I just put new oriface in mine as well as new compressor, new pressure switch and it’s still not cycling compressor and gauges read too high on low side and really low on high side
@@fsu3784 What vehicle is it. As some have a Head Temp gauge. If that goes out. It goes into limp mode to protect the engine. Fords have them.
I would add. If you opened the system. You need to shunt the Pressure switch. To make the compressor come on. And make sure you put the Orifice Tube in the right direction. I seen them stuck in backwards....
Master Chief 00117 it’s a 2008 Chevy trailblazer. Funny thing is I shot air through the evap and condenser so I know it’s not clogged. I can jump compressor at relay. Just out of ideas at this point
Master Chief 00117 and I was wondering about the oriface tube but I’m positive I put it in same way I took old one out
@@fsu3784 Then apply power to the Compressor Clutch. That way you know the clutch is okay...
Thanks so much danner i have same issue at my mazda right now just ordered txv valve based on your video , i looked alot online and found only your video that talking about this issue thanks so so much for being a huge support and guidance
Another superb video, Paul. Imagine the poor souls who unknowingly go into the auto parts store and come out with the $30 bottle of AC Pro thinking they're gonna save themselves real money. They connect it up, see the really low pressure and start filling it until the low side pressure goes to that green arc! Imagine how high the high side pressure would get. Likely not using any safety glasses and when that compressor safety vent blows they get a face full of refrigerant and oil. Ouch.
One question...after blowing out the condenser and the evaporator with shop air how do you know you still have enough oil in the system?
Exactly! As for oil charge. When I blew those lines out, nothing came out, so adding oil wasn't necessary. However, I should have added an ounce or two from the oil that came out of my high side line. I was not aware that a restriction would cause this excessive oil to occur in my high side gauge line! Others have commented on that.
Yeah, I did a 2003 Mustang for a friend a while back that had bad compressor, and a plugged orifice tube (and condenser too.) All the oil was pushed up against that orifice and there was nothing in the compressor, or the accumulator. It was all in that line going to the orifice and I think some in the plugged condenser.
johnaclark1 so what do you think is the maximum pressure the older style piston air-conditioning pumps can handle before blowing the seals out of it?.
From an old mopar dealership training materials pre 1976 they said it can handle higher than 400 psi if I remembering right 120F~ " 600 psi high Side maximum on R12 " I'd have to relook it up for the low side but this makes me wonder if that's wrong and I've been planning on using a much more efficient refrigerant (R702 aka trans-critical co2 at 100 bar~ ) than that is 💯 compatible with the oil and compressor and is still legal use in the USA and easy to get it just runs on a higher psi than R134a
johnaclark1 did that but I knew my system had a leak, and surely enough, the condenser was bent really bad (previous owner busted his radiator so no surprised his AC gave out soon after) and had oil stains in a certain area. I added freon just to see if I would hear anything and yeah, that dreaded hisss noise. I stopped right after as to not keep releaseing toxic chemicals and replaced everything properly and now I got some cold air for this 100+ weather xD Did buy me some guages and a vacuum pump and they already paid themselves up prior to this job.
Richard Price
I can say the compressor on my 2010 Focus easily ran up the pressure to nearly 400 PSI before the high pressure safety cutoff shut down the party, luckily enough. If the engine bogs momentarily each time the compressor kicks on, here's your sign- channeling Jeff Foxworthy, lol
Awesome video. Looked into cars manual. Possible low side pressure is not enough refrigerant, clogged expansion valve, frozen expansion valve temporarily by moisture or saturated receiver. You nailed those options. Solution check leaks you nailed one then expansion valve and finally receiver dryer. Great guess and according to manual. Show you have a good knowledge. Thanks for sharing
Some great workings out, you have some good A/C knowledge. new to auto a/c so watching various people do it differently. Mostly watch Tom Lech for all my info. One thing he states is a definite no no is shop air as it is moisture laden and pumping it into the hygroscopic oil will add moisture to the system, the dryer will also be knackered, I did my first car Volvo C30 using Haynes manual and it said that Volvo states just opening up the lines to the dryer for longer than 10 mins will saturate the desiccant with moisture just in the air, so I would of 💯 changed the dryer also. I always use OFN oxygen free dry nitrogen to blow out lines, pressure test & propel a/c solvent flush. every on here seams to say shop air apart from a select few that understand moisture. they use those analog gauges to, those gauges only prove vacuum so you will have no idea how much moisture is in the system! A digital micron gauge and app software to graph progress will show you that the 30 minute vacuum most give is no where near long enough to clear moisture. Not bagging on you or anyone else as it’s mostly what everyone does. Just trying to help out adding some bits. 👊👊
You'll like some of my newer ones. Using nitrogen and a micron gauge
Every time I use shop air on an AC system, I use a small inline air dryer just before the air nozzle. Just for peace of mind. Great video Paul.
good idea or the inline dryer paint guys use :)
I learned today on how to recover the excess freon without rec.machine from gauge hoses. Thanks Paul
You have more enough guts to agree your wrong suspicions @22:27..
great👍
Wow in 31:46 I learned more than I think I would in a ac tech class. U just walked me through a $100 ac diagnostic cost. And I found that my a valve was bad.thanks gor saving me idk $200+ in a repair.. kept up the good work
Good diagnosis. It's such a pain to try and explain to people that rarely just adding freon fixes everything. Its like with power windows when customers say that"It just popped off track", ignoring the reason it did that in the first place. And a thermal camera for finding restrictions is nice to have, just realized I need one....
If anyone feels lost and wouldn't mind getting their A/C in top shape, It's pretty easy to cover all the bases at once;
I rented a flush tool from an auto store for free, plus bought a quart (needed the whole thing) of flush for $12. Flushed everything, both directions (until clear) except the ac compressor and condenser, followed with blowing 99% dry with a compressor. After changing the compressor oil, I put it all back together with a new TXV valve, condenser and seals, pulled a vacuum, made sure it held, then vacuumed for 45 minutes to an hour.
Then after purging the fill line, I filled the low side only (important) with as much as it would take. Leaving both high side valves closed the whole time, start up the car with AC full blast, fill up the required amount needed (it can take some time to all enter). AC should be flowing cold as ice now. This pretty much covers all the bases, unless you have a bad compressor (unlikely) or cracked evaporator in the cabin (unlikely)
I hope this helps anyone.. This covers all the bases and changing the condenser (with drier attached) plus TXV valve. Total cost was about $120-130 with tax and free tool rentals.
I not a expert when the high side gets high i.have ran water over the condenser just to acts ..Years ago i saw a dozer that had some weird pressures... i changed out the txv valve and charged it ...yea that fixed it . I also seen the two.much oil in the system ..... thanks for all you do . I appreciate the videos...
There is a lot to learn in each of your videos. You are a good person. You share your experience with us.
Thanks for demonstrating how to search, verify and blow out the lines if you suspect to much oil. That was excellent.
Are you the guy that added 8.5oz of oil to your system? If you are, I was hoping you'd watch this one
@@ScannerDanner , wait there is more than one of us. I am one of those guys. Yep I added oil after following my repair manual suggestion only to find out later the compressor comes oiled already. They got me that pesky manufacturer. Wonder if to many people were just install A/C compressor sans oil and with the volume of eccentric returns someone in the loss revenue department came up with this great idea. two years ago I completely replace the A/C in my 1997 Honda Civic and made a repair video of it. About 2 hours longs was going to upload it and at the end the car was hot like Mojave midday. An epic fail I would say. Leave it to the new guy. I was inspired by your other video working on that RV camper A/C. Palms on my face, and tail between my bipedal stance I have invoked redemption in an attempt to justify. So here I am collecting more information to complete this lingering project as I have become tired of daily drives that bring me close to a heat stroke.
Great job. I think you forgot to purge the yellow line after you punctured your can of refrigerant and you charged a small amount of air into the system. Great troubleshooting skills on the expansion valve. A plus on the proceeds to charity on your gear.
That was cringe worthy...
I just want to read through it. I know it will help. You have helped me so much already. even with your free channel. it's unbelievable. I been following James also.
Awesome instructor! I appreciate your sharing of automotive service, repair and troubleshooting
Thanks for this video. One of the best I have seen with real time troubleshooting! Explain every question I had
Excellent repair 👍😊✌️- Excellent instruction - A /C diagnosis and repair can be tricky - so to speak . Just as with any modern vehicle - the engineering is much more sophisticated - NO DOUBT - YOU are a SUPER TECHNICIAN and SUPER INSTRUCTOR and what I really think is fantastic is you are not afraid to admit that you may be incorrect on a diagnosis. This - to me - is also what makes you a super diagnostic technician . YOU are humble but REALLY - YOU ARE THAT GOOD - MANY THANKS for all the knowledge you share and teach via your UA-cam videos. 😊😊✌️✌️✌️
Thanks my friend, made me smile
After days of looking, finally the right video. Exactly what's going on with my Jeep. Time to get to work. THANKS
Glad it helped!
I had a BAD restriction on a '88 Trooper once - actually several restrictions. Right in the middle of the condenser in a few different spots, it was ice cold. Same with the line out of the receiver/dryer. Was a cheap 134a conversion attempt that failed spectacularly. He'd have been better off sticking with R12 in this case.
In another case, my buddy's dad had one of his friends tig a hole in one of the aluminum lines on his '14 Ram 2500 (FCA wanted $900 for the line! Looked it up, and that price was about right! RockAuto had it for $600 - couldn't believe it). Was routed badly right from the factory, and wore a hole right through the aluminum. Anyway, he removed and replaced the line himself, and attempted to recharge ... into atmospheric pressure! Mistake #1. Mistake #2 was he used several cans which already had oil in them! When he kicked the system on, he said he got a really loud shuddering shake, and the system quit. I found the rubber damper on the clutch assembly was blown completely out! Hydrolocked the compressor! When I removed the line assembly from the compressor, at least 7 oz. of oil poured out. WOW!
Lucky for him, I was able to find a OE new compressor on eBay for about $230 (normally 3x that). What a job installing that one though! I could barely access one of the bolts. Par for the course today, unfortunately. They put a non-removable crossmember right under the compressor! Was a nightmare, but got it done. Took alot longer than planned though.
Fantastic, I'm working on a Tacoma and this video help me zero in on the problem. LOTS and great tip and tricks. THANKS for posting, your the man!!!
Very cool. Like the way you explain your reasoning and logic behind it. Thanks for posting.