My (AC) Air Conditioning Dilemma

[Gruber]

There is a small amount of air in the charge hose, which has moisture in it. Especially this time of year. Obvsiouly it's not much but it could add up over time.

The air inside the hoses should be flushed by releasing a small amount of refrigerant to fill the hose just before connecting to ports. This can be done (I believe? maybe not?) even with the cheap low side only kits, like the one below. Of course it's best to use a complete gauge manifold with two gauges for low and high sides, and preferably ball valves at the ends of all hoses. Currently, the cheap versions of 2-gauge manifolds available online are still more expensive than the older ones not ready for 1234yf, which are really cheap. (the professional brands though are always much more $)

I refill my home AC with a full gauge set of course, and I never introduce even 1 cc of air into the system. The proper procedure also involves pushing the high pressure side hose content back into the low side when done refilling.

(I don't own or specifically recommend the items below, just showing as examples)

https://www.amazon.com/R1234YF-Refr...=1234yf+gauge+manifold&qid=1594848155&sr=8-17

https://www.amazon.com/Lichamp-Auto...s=1234yf+gauge+manifold&qid=1594848404&sr=8-1

Sponsored

 

[obarmuscle]

Update...

So, after not driving it for 2 days I hop in it (90 degree weather) to take it up to the mechanic to give him a quick rundown of the issue and it started blowing cold air!! WTF?!

2 days in a row now with cold air... Can anyone tell me how or why it would blow hot for 3 days in a row and now it's cold again?

 

[CastorX]

Update...

So, after not driving it for 2 days I hop in it (90 degree weather) to take it up to the mechanic to give him a quick rundown of the issue and it started blowing cold air!! WTF?!

2 days in a row now with cold air... Can anyone tell me how or why it would blow hot for 3 days in a row and now it's cold again?

As far as I know there is a pressure sensor in the conpressor. If the pressure is too low the compressor doen’t start to prevent it from damage. Even this can be the cause. The pressure in the system must be checked. If it’s ok, and you are lucky then the problem is solved, if not then the pressure sensor in the compressor might be faulty. Again, this is just a theory, but I think it’s possible.

 

[shoegazer]

Yep. Going from no to go in a couple of days sounds like an electrical issue more than a mechanical one.

Maybe inspect the electrical connections/wires from the compressor back toward the cabin? Maybe something is loose, cracked, corroded, pinched, damaged, or getting shorted.

Just curious... what was the damage that caused it to be totaled out previously?

 

[obarmuscle]

As far as I know there is a pressure sensor in the conpressor. If the pressure is too low the compressor doen’t start to prevent it from damage. Even this can be the cause. The pressure in the system must be checked. If it’s ok, and you are lucky then the problem is solved, if not then the pressure sensor in the compressor might be faulty. Again, this is just a theory, but I think it’s possible.

Thanks for the input on that. I'll have to check the pressure and keep my fingers crossed.

 

[obarmuscle]

Yep. Going from no to go in a couple of days sounds like an electrical issue more than a mechanical one.

Maybe inspect the electrical connections/wires from the compressor back toward the cabin? Maybe something is loose, cracked, corroded, pinched, damaged, or getting shorted.

Just curious... what was the damage that caused it to be totaled out previously?

Maybe something like the AC relay? I did see a youtube video about the relay on the 2013-2017 so that could be worth checking.

This was the damage before when it was totaled. "Fender bender"

 

[DRUSA]

Update...

So, after not driving it for 2 days I hop in it (90 degree weather) to take it up to the mechanic to give him a quick rundown of the issue and it started blowing cold air!! WTF?!

2 days in a row now with cold air... Can anyone tell me how or why it would blow hot for 3 days in a row and now it's cold again?

I just fixed a 2019 HRV with a similar issue. Turned out to be the high side pressure switch was faulty. The vehicle was in a frontal collision, twice, with only 1500miles on the clock. The pressure switch was damaged internally, tapping on the switch would cause it to work again. The HVAC system monitors the high side pressure to (1) allow a/c compressor operation or not by seeing pressure in the system so that it does not compress "nothing" causing damage and (2) to shutoff if the relay should stick on to prevent the system from exploding.

If you have a charged system that blows cold now based on your description, check this. For 10th gens we have had many problems with the front seals on the compressors and the evaporators deteriorating and leaking.

 

[l3randonf]

They aren't fixing our AC for free?

 

[Nickatnite81]

I took mine to the dealer and they said it wasn't condenser but the compressor that was bad. Told me he could fix it for 1300 dollars. I asked if there was a cheaper alternative and he said nope. I found some freon and a hose on the internet for 80 bucks and its been blowing like a champ ever since

 

[zspeed]

I took mine to the dealer and they said it wasn't condenser but the compressor that was bad. Told me he could fix it for 1300 dollars. I asked if there was a cheaper alternative and he said nope. I found some freon and a hose on the internet for 80 bucks and its been blowing like a champ ever since

Mind if you share what you got.

 

[jtrader]

Mind if you share what you got.

I just recharged mine also. Super cold again. We'll see how long it lasts.

Here's all you need. Should be under 50 bucks total. Hose from amazon or ebay and the refrigerant can be purchased at NAPA for 30-35 bucks. I needed the whole 8oz can which took my low side pressure up to ~25-30psi.

 

[obarmuscle]

I just fixed a 2019 HRV with a similar issue. Turned out to be the high side pressure switch was faulty. The vehicle was in a frontal collision, twice, with only 1500miles on the clock. The pressure switch was damaged internally, tapping on the switch would cause it to work again. The HVAC system monitors the high side pressure to (1) allow a/c compressor operation or not by seeing pressure in the system so that it does not compress "nothing" causing damage and (2) to shutoff if the relay should stick on to prevent the system from exploding.

If you have a charged system that blows cold now based on your description, check this. For 10th gens we have had many problems with the front seals on the compressors and the evaporators deteriorating and leaking.

Thanks for the help! I'm gonna check this out next time it doesn't get cold and see if I can rule it out. Crossing my fingers it is the culprit!

 

[saiko21]

if you overcharge your A/C your car will not get cold soon enough. Also, there's a risk of damaging the compressor if the system is overfilled with refrigerant. I would recommend you to use both high and low pressure sides or go to professional who can evacuate and refill the system.

 

[jtrader]

if you overcharge your A/C your car will not get cold soon enough. Also, there's a risk of damaging the compressor if the system is overfilled with refrigerant. I would recommend you to use both high and low pressure sides or go to professional who can evacuate and refill the system.

Good recommendation - it is best to do it right. But for us cheap DIY'ers, if you know you're simply low on refrigerant (i.e. drivers side warmer than passenger side), adding 8oz to the low side is very low risk and very high reward. The honda dealer wanted me to give them $1100 for a new condenser and $1500 for a new compressor anyway... so, does it truly matter if I break it? Odds are I get through the summer with a $30 fix. I'll track how long each subsequent bottle lasts. Obviously there is a threshold where it doesn't make sense to keep adding due to worse and worse leaking. At that point, I'll consider a more permanent solution, but it's my hope that that day is years from now. Fingers crossed.

 

[saiko21]

Good recommendation - it is best to do it right. But for us cheap DIY'ers, if you know you're simply low on refrigerant (i.e. drivers side warmer than passenger side), adding 8oz to the low side is very low risk and very high reward. The honda dealer wanted me to give them $1100 for a new condenser and $1500 for a new compressor anyway... so, does it truly matter if I break it? Odds are I get through the summer with a $30 fix. I'll track how long each subsequent bottle lasts. Obviously there is a threshold where it doesn't make sense to keep adding due to worse and worse leaking. At that point, I'll consider a more permanent solution, but it's my hope that that day is years from now. Fingers crossed.

if the refrigerant is leaking then push honda to fix it under warranty as you didn't damage them at all. your compressor will be damaged if the refrigerant is leaking as it lubricates compressor. If you just keep on adding refrigerant without fixing root cause it's not going to fix anything as you end up spending $30 per bottle which adds up to the money for that band aid fix you are doing

Sponsored