96 accord a/c problem

Rocky wrote:

Could be a number of things. So it really needs to be checked by someone in person. You say someone charged it. How did they determine it needed it? Did they use the proper refrigerant? Did it work for a while right after they did that, or made no difference? You say the clutch is engaged.. So.. That means it's not off on the low pressure switch. You need to check the pressures again. It could be a ducting/vacuum problem with the ducts. It could have a clogged orifice, or a bad expansion valve. "This can happen if a dryer bag blows apart and shreds fer instance." Really need more info to go much farther. Like I say, if you don't know A/C systems, you probably oughta get it checked by someone who does. Trying to repair an A/C system with little knowledge can be expensive. I just talked to a guy the other day that went that route. He had a R-12 system that was just low.. Needed a charge. Well, he decided to use the freeze 12 replacement, instead of R-12. This is itself is ok, if done right, but he added the

freeze 12 on top of the R-12, without first dumping the R-12, and doing a good vacuum. R-12 and freeze 12 DO NOT MIX. Freeze 12 is appx 80% 134a... Mix that with R-12 and Houston, we have a problem. Well, he did that, and it didn't work. He decided to take it to a place to vacuum, and start over with all freeze 12, as he had a hunch they didn't want to mix. Well, the dummies at place #2 thought it was just low, or whatever, and evidentally charged it with even more refrigerant. I'm not sure why they didn't dump it as he requested... Maybe they thought he was in error, or just ignored him?? Not sure, being I wasn't there. They blew the whole thing. Seals started leaking left and right, and the whole thing was pretty much trashed. Now he's fixing to pay 1500 bucks for a new 134a system by competant mechanics. Moral... be careful. You could cost yourself more money than just letting someone who knows what they are doing look at it in the first place. BTW, I'm no car A/C expert, as I don't work on cars. But I do do residential A/C and Heating, so I do know what I'm doing pretty much. I can work on car systems, but I hate em... Too much greasy work vs working on a house or commercial system where everything is out in the open and easy to deal with. You never know.. Your problem could be real serious, or it could be as simple as a blown vac hose.. IE: the ac is working, but it's ducting hot air, etc, etc.. If you work on this, you at least need a good service manual. MK

snipped-for-privacy@wt.net wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com:

My 94 Integra uses R134a,it would seem like a 96 Honda would too.

I wonder if his compressor is not compressing anymore? No compressed freon;no expansion and cooling. Maybe the compressor seals are gone.

Well, not actually the seals or the charge would be gone. But the valves are a common problem in compressors, and they will give that sort of symptom. I don't have the tools or expertise to say any more than that, but... if the vacuum side of the compressor plumbing is cold when the A/C has been running a couple minutes - cold enough to be uncomfortable if you grip it for ten seconds - the problem is in the air mixing. If not, it's time to take it to a professional.

Mike

It could be the valves, but more than likely not. He will need a set of gauges to check for that. Bad valves will show as a lack of pumping

power. IE: The low side doesn't pull down low enough, and the high side not high enough. Usually a car compressor that would have that problem probably ran low on oil for a good while. I see bad valves on home units more often than I do car units. Usually the car units, it's leaky seals, restriction in the metering, yada, yada.. I can't say what refrigerant he has, but it could be 134a.. It'll say somewhere, and also the type of service valve will give a clue. MK

In a '96 I'm certain it is 134a. CFCs were banned from production and consumption effective January 1, 1994 for signatories of the Montreal Protocol.

Mike