Hello, Scott,
I have been trying to find an answer to my AC problem for a long time, and you have the key! So glad!
In your "How to use AC Gauges in Your Car" video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80jSH8VQZms starting about 02:05-), you said:
> "When you have negative pressure on the low side, that means the compressor is sucking like crazy, but it is not getting enough refrigerant. So it goes into negative pressure. In this case (the car that he was working on at the time), the evaporator core and the expansion valve were clogged up, causing the negative pressure."
Mine goes negative on low side once I engage the compressor!
My question is how do I diagnose if it is only the expansion valve, or evaporator, or both? Evaporator is $100, so I want to determine before I but one. I understand that it is a lot of work to get to them... Please advise.
if you have to remove the evaporator to replace the expansion valve then do both.
If you can remove the expansion valve from under the hood then try that first
Hi, thanks for your comment.
First of all, how can I diagnose the problem properly? I do not want to throw away money if it was not evaporator.
By the way, I forgot to mention that when I charged the freon, the low pressure does not go up. Is that another sign of clogged valve or evaporator?
The expansion valve is the problem. I'm just saying if you have to remove the evaporator to get to it, then replace the evaporator too because getting it out is labor intensive and you won't want to do that again anytime soon
I took the glove compartment out, and it does not look terribly hard to replace evaporator core and expansion valve. I have hope and am so excited!
1) How long does an evaporator last in general?
2) Is an aftemarket evaporator OK? My car is Honda and OEM costs $300. Which AM vendor do you recommend?
3) Is there anything else that you would replace while I am at it?- except for expansion valve and evaporator core? Any sensor? I am buying parts online.
Post the year, model, trim level, and engine size of your Honda so we can see what's out there for it
Honda Accord LX 2000, 4cl. Thank you.
Evaporator by four seasons at oReillys is $96. Is it a good brand? I can buy one cheaper online.