is AC refrigerant the same as a re-gas?

[kennycapes]

my AC has been blowing cool air (not cold enough to cool the car down) for the last year or so and when the weather warms up it doesnt get the car cold.

I went to a garage and they checked the pressure and it was at the right levels.

Is this "pressure" the same as the refrigerant that cools the air down?

Even though i have the right pressure do you need to replace the coolant? do you think changing it would help?

I've done nothing with the air con and now the car is 8 years old.


Thanks all.

[Greenbot35]

If the gas level is correct then the compressor may not be compressing correctly. A descent specialist will check refrigerant level and compressor output pressure.

Most commonly the condenser is damaged and the gas leaks until the level is low and trips the pressure switch off. If its had no attention and used incorrectly the compressor maybe worn.

[Chris32345]

Check the Aircon condenser fins for damage it's comon for them to get hit byt stones and debris and then they start loosing the fins reducing there effectiness

[mfmman]

Refrigerant gas does not 'go off'

If the running pressures of the system are correct, then the gas charge is correct

Compressor may be worn out or some part of the controls may have failed preventing it cutting in.

There are a million different things that could affect performance though, whio diagnosed that the 'pressure was correct'

[clowesy]

Is the system manually controlled or an automatic climate control system?

[PorkInsider]

Greenbot35 said:

A descent specialist will check refrigerant level and compressor output pressure.

Indeed. Things have gone downhill.

[anonymous-user]

PorkInsider said:

Greenbot35 said:

A descent specialist will check refrigerant level and compressor output pressure.

Indeed. Things have gone downhill.

Absolutely, when I drove down a steep embankment a specialist abseiled down and checked my refrigerant levels and output pressure.

They were good but the car was a write off.

[clowesy]

As others have stated, system pressures are not indicative of the refrigerant charge level. The only way to accurately measure charge level is to weigh the amount of refrigerant you remove from the system. If it is undercharged then the system performance will be affected. Refrigerant loss does occur naturally over time through seals and through permeable rubber hoses, so it could be that its just time for a recharge. It could also be something like a damaged condenser or corroded pipe etc. that is leaking, however you'd likely find the system to be empty pretty quickly and not providing any cooling at all.

Take it to a specialist and have them evacuate the system, measure the charge quantity and perform a leak test. If the charge is low and the system is leak free then they'll be able to recharge the system with new refrigerant and that should hopefully solve the issue. If they find the system isn't tight they will have to locate the source of the leak and repair/replace the part.

If they were to find that the refrigeration circuit is fine and the charge level is correct then there may be another issue. Perhaps the water valve to the cabin heater is stuck open for example, or there is a faulty sensor causing the compressor to disengage prematurely.

[NMNeil]

clowesy said:

As others have stated, system pressures are not indicative of the refrigerant charge level. The only way to accurately measure charge level is to weigh the amount of refrigerant you remove from the system. If it is undercharged then the system performance will be affected. Refrigerant loss does occur naturally over time through seals and through permeable rubber hoses, so it could be that its just time for a recharge. It could also be something like a damaged condenser or corroded pipe etc. that is leaking, however you'd likely find the system to be empty pretty quickly and not providing any cooling at all.

Take it to a specialist and have them evacuate the system, measure the charge quantity and perform a leak test. If the charge is low and the system is leak free then they'll be able to recharge the system with new refrigerant and that should hopefully solve the issue. If they find the system isn't tight they will have to locate the source of the leak and repair/replace the part.

If they were to find that the refrigeration circuit is fine and the charge level is correct then there may be another issue. Perhaps the water valve to the cabin heater is stuck open for example, or there is a faulty sensor causing the compressor to disengage prematurely.

If you do have it evacuated and recharged ask them to put a spot of UV dye in the system. Makes even seemingly untraceable leaks easy to find.

[kennycapes]

clowesy said:

As others have stated, system pressures are not indicative of the refrigerant charge level. The only way to accurately measure charge level is to weigh the amount of refrigerant you remove from the system. If it is undercharged then the system performance will be affected. Refrigerant loss does occur naturally over time through seals and through permeable rubber hoses, so it could be that its just time for a recharge. It could also be something like a damaged condenser or corroded pipe etc. that is leaking, however you'd likely find the system to be empty pretty quickly and not providing any cooling at all.

Take it to a specialist and have them evacuate the system, measure the charge quantity and perform a leak test. If the charge is low and the system is leak free then they'll be able to recharge the system with new refrigerant and that should hopefully solve the issue. If they find the system isn't tight they will have to locate the source of the leak and repair/replace the part.

If they were to find that the refrigeration circuit is fine and the charge level is correct then there may be another issue. Perhaps the water valve to the cabin heater is stuck open for example, or there is a faulty sensor causing the compressor to disengage prematurely.

Thanks everyone, i took it to a garage and they tested the pressure will was ok, they removed the refrigerant tested for leaks and then regassed the system. Nice and cool now.

Thanks for the help