Air Conditioning (A/C) Trouble

Excuse me, but DUH!! If the A/C worked in ANY mode, then its not a problem with the refrigerant system. Its a problem with the CONTROL system- possibly the mode selector switch (assuming this vehicle doesn't have an automatic climate control system).

The guy told me that he pulled out just over 16oz. of

Which absolutely did NOT warrant an evacuation and complete recharge. These stupid quick-lube places should be run out of buisness- the amount of damage they do to otherwise healthy vehicles is appalling. If they don't know the proper procedures to place guages and thermometers on the system to determine the state of charge, and then know how to simly ADD refrigerant instead of wasting your money by doing an evac and recharge, then they shouldn't be touching an A/C system!

You don't know if the service guy did put a thermometor on the system. He might have done so, or he might have put a quick-readout guage on the system and seen it was low.

In theory they should be able to pull all the refrigerant out of the system with a machine, then put the same refrigerant all back in plus what additional was needed to get the system to the proper refrigerant level, in probably the same time as adding refrigerant. I don't know if the usual practice at these places is to just dump the refrigerant to the bottle that goes to the refinery, though.

However, to be perfectly frank, if they are reusing the customers's refrigerant in his own vehicle, then that is a much better system than using thermometers and such. With the thermometers your only getting a close approximation of the system capacity, not the exact amount. Even at a good A/C place it is unlikely your going to get the master A/C mechanic to be doing a simple topping off of a low system, instead your going to be given the entry level boob who may or may not be any good. I'd rather have him working off very simple diagnostic instructions (look at that guage, turn it off when the guage says 24 ounces have gone in) than complex ones.

Also, to be frank, checking the A/C system state of charge should be SOP at any A/C repair place. Not because it has anything to do with the problem, but because it is very quick and easy to do, and if the tech discovers a leaking system, then he should sweep the system for leaks. This is a good-for-the-environment sort of thing that helps all of us.

Ted

snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

Oddly enough, I think I have the same (or a similar) problem. I had a mechanic friend "recharge" my system. However, when he evac'ed the system, he took out as much R134 as he put back in and then added the dye just in case there was a leak. I haven't tried the defrost trick yet, but while sitting at idle before driving off, it cools just fine. However when I drive off, at low speed or high, the compressor kicks off and stays off. It's driving me crazy.

Vince