Hello. This is my first thread.

I decided to charge up my AC system.
Was not getting any cool air. Got the kit with Gauge (20oz a/c pro from Wallys) - filled the system up using whole can and it got to about the 35psi mark on the gauge. (half way in the green -no where near the red line). With the ambient temp at 85 i should have been able to get it to 50psi and have been ok - Right?

Next day. Drove about 100 miles on a 90° day and started out ok. Kept us cool, but on the way home performance was still poor. not cooling, humid air, etc.
(flash back - Might have been 2 years since i got cool air (i live in colorado -i don't use the AC a lot) - so i figured the charge was badly needed)

Anyway to make a long story short - I decided to add more to get that gauge to the required mark - put in another medium sized can. Ran it a bit at idle - and then i noticed a sound and could see vapor blowing into the cab. WTF

Shut it off went to bed. : (
Next Day wifey drove it and ran the ac and it made a loud pop and the compressor made a terrible sound. Under the hood i can see behind the compressor vapor forcing itself out, maybe a relief valve?
Im positive the compressor is toast and i need to get the r143 evacuated -it's not leaking far as i know - only forces out when the compressor is activated.

Can someone maybe shed some light on this for me.
• could that gauge have given me a bad read
• is this more then the compressor that i need to replace? i mean why did i
see vapor in the cab?

Thanks for reading!

 

You probably overfilled it from using one of those cheap refill kits that only goes on the low side. To properly fill an ac system it needs to be evacuated, have a vacuum pulled on it, then filled with the correct amount of refrigerant using a manifold gauge set that reads the pressures on both the high and low side.

There is a pressure relief on the compressor, but it wouldn't blow anything into the cabin.

 

Agree with that guy. You need gauges to read both sides. Also, factory service manual says 25-35 on the low side for 90 degrees out so you were in the ballpark before. Those ac pro things are general suggestions not manufacturer specific.

As far as the cabin problem, I can't think of anything that could be except a bad evaporator. Let some others chime in, but that's my 2 cents. Don't know what year it is, but if its 98-2000 replacing an evaporator is a huge pain. Don't know how bad 01-03 are.

 

ditto
vapour in cap is a leaking evaporator. most high pressure reliefs valves blow off at 500 psi range.
gauge filling is inaccurate. the proper method is by weight with a refilling station.
what is the charge amount of the underhood label? 2 20oz bottles is probably twice the system capacity. what does the gauge read now for static pressure and what is the ambient temp

 

I miss the good ole days where they have a glass eye on the high pressure side to know if you have enough freon. Usually right on top of the drier filter.

Once you see all the bubbles disappear on the high side, it tells you that the freon is enough and no more is needed providing the rest of the system components are working properly.

 

I don't think that holds true with R134a which is why they stopped putting sight glasses on after R12.