Hello, I own Audi A4 1999 and have already 415k km on it (Europe). The problem is AC stopped working 3 years ago and I haven't checked on that since then. Well summers are hotter every year so decided to finally fix it. I've put 2 cans of refrigerant into the system hoping for it to magically start working. Well not probably a good idea cause I did not check for leaks before. The thing I checked was the compressor's clutch which works when connected to battery. The question is how to correctly troubleshoot this thing and also could there be a possibility my compressor is failed even though the clutch thing works? One more thing, my AC radiator is not turning on and I wonder isn't this whole system connected somehow possibly the way that if one component fails the rest doesn't even switch on?
Hello, I own Audi A4 1999 and have already 415k km on it (Europe). The problem is AC stopped working 3 years ago and I haven't checked on that since then. Well summers are hotter every year so decided to finally fix it. I've put 2 cans of refrigerant into the system hoping for it to magically start working. Well not probably a good idea cause I did not check for leaks before. The thing I checked was the compressor's clutch which works when connected to battery. The question is how to correctly troubleshoot this thing and also could there be a possibility my compressor is failed even though the clutch thing works? One more thing, my AC radiator is not turning on and I wonder isn't this whole system connected somehow possibly the way that if one component fails the rest doesn't even switch on?
Take it to a professional mechanic who specializes in HVAC. Hopefully you didn't use a refrigerant with stop-leak inside of it, or it may completely screw up your system. You're working with pressures that can reach up to 275 PSI not a hot day. Any wrong move could seriously injure yourself.
You need a vacuum pump and manifold guages to properly diagnose what's going on with your system, those "fill to the green" bottles only monitor the low side, and are basically useless. You need to get a precise measurement on how much refrigerant is in the system. "Winging it" will not work and could cause damage to your system.
Right, that's probably the way to go just let the professional check it. Actually I've put 2 cans into the ac system. First one consisted of oil + gas + some substance advertised as "sealer" and second can was just refrigerant. Both of R134a type. Shall I mention that at a shop so they suck it out from the system and get rid of it to prevent any harm or leave it and just let them adjust the correct amount of refrigerant?
Right, that's probably the way to go just let the professional check it. Actually I've put 2 cans into the ac system. First one consisted of oil + gas + some substance advertised as "sealer" and second can was just refrigerant. Both of R134a type. Shall I mention that at a shop so they suck it out from the system and get rid of it to prevent any harm or leave it and just let them adjust the correct amount of refrigerant?
You've already contaminated the system, unfortunately. The sealer most likely hardens in the presence of water vapor. You can't release R-134a into into the environment, either. If the mechanic starts recovering the R-134a and the recovering device malfunctions because of that sealer, you're on the hook for thousands of $$.
Guess I need to live without ac then, thanks anyways
Guess I need to live without ac then, thanks anyways
Let the shop know up front, you could ask if their equipment is able to remove refrigerant contaminated with sealer. They'll let you know if they're able to handle it.
Aside from being illegal to vent R134a, the sealer will harden on exposure to atmospheric moisture. Therefore if the AC system is vented either accidentally or deliberately/illegally there's a good chance the stuff will harden at random wherever it happens to be. This happened to a friend who mistakenly used one of those "fill to the green" so-called "recharge cans" containing sealer - his entire air conditioning system had to be replaced because the stuff just clogged up everything.
When I was attempting to refill my Ranger's refrigerant, I called a shop that specializes in HVAC, and I mentioned I attempted to recharge it. They immediately said we won't do anything if it's been recharged with sealer.
I expect most don't have the equipment for dealing with contaminants and won't want to touch it, but there may be a few out there that can. But yeah, in the vast majority of cases you're shooting yourself in the foot by putting sealer in an AC system.