A month ago, I put RED TEK refrigerant in my AC to charge it. Now, I noticed that my AC compressor was a bit noisy when engaged. I decided to put some RED TEK AC lubricant after approximately 8 minutes. Then, I noticed smoke coming from my compressor. Looks like the compressor is jamming. After I turn the AC off, the smoke stops. Anyone know what is wrong? I have a 2003 Grand Caravan.

Thanks

 

smell bad? like rubber?
a. you got a seized clutch causing the belt to slip on the pulley.
b. Front bearing out and oil coming out either with some refrigerant.
c. clutch slipping causing the smoke due to either wear or seizing compressor
d. one or all of the above lol

looks like you having some ac problems in this weather which aint too good.

btw adding is not always good. fix why you got a leak. and that pretty much fix all. make sure to vaccum system to properly as well.

 

It does smell like rubber. Do I just need to change the compresser? Or should I change the expansion valve, receiver/dryer, or any other parts?

P.S. I was getting a fair amount of cold air before I added the RED TEK refrigerant.

 

U mean those Bottled R134a from part store?
I wonder if you over filled the system and lock up ur compressor. Or perhaps the compressor is alrdy on it's way out.

 

Yes, it was overfilled. I now brought it to 40 PSI and there is no cold air. The smoke is gone, but when I accelerate my van, it makes a winding noise after a while.

 

Well, you have to understand, A/C system is not like Tire Pressure. it is a half liquid half air system. You can NOT judge it by pressure. Only by Weight, and there is a sticker under the hood that tells you how much Freon it takes.

On Liquid/Gas system, wether u put in 1 lb or 2 lb of freon, the pressure remains the same, But the Amount of liquid change. Compressor can NOT compress liquid, too much liquid freon can damage the compressor.

If you have to Use those Autopart store Freon bottle, it is best advice to fill an empty A/C system, not one that's alrdy full. If ur car takes 28 oz, u need 2 bottle of 12 oz, and a bottle of 6oz.

My advice for you right now is Vent the entire A/C system, and put right amount in, and hope for the best. Or bring it to a shop with full A/C service equipment.

 

Steak--I have tried to learn as much as possible about a/c systems as possible and you just added to the list: pressure remains same regardless of amout of refrigerant added.

Tech.s and owners look at gauges to determine amount of refrigerant to add, (in case there is a little leak and owner can't afford to fix problem at time)right?
They look at pressure chart or their mental recall of psi numbers.

How then can a person determine how much to add to car if any, if gauges psi isn't a determining factor? Can't vent temp. and gauges be used to determine the need to add?

thanks--look forward to gaining knowledge. Steak, I Hope i understand what you took the time to communicate

 

gauge pressure will NOT tell you how much the system charged on its own. even the most experienced guy will not be able to estimate a charge with a gauge. the gauge is a reference to a part of the whole story of what the system is doing. we need temperatures also to determine superheat and subcooling. with a pressure and temperater chart PT chart then u can determine charge to the system. Usually these smaller system we call it critical charge so even trying to adjust is not a 100% thing. TO BE sure that you have correct charge is to weight in the correct charge as per manufactors recomendations which is on the sticker on the front. only this way you get the correct charge to the system with so little oz's.

 

The Old fashion way without a Fancy machine is to empty out the system, Vacuum the System is recommended, But not everyone have such tools. but filling without vacuuming doesn't hurt much.
Put the Bottle on a sensitive Digital Scale, and the scale will tell you how much freon went into the car. just weight the before and After weight of the bottle.

Those on the shelf product from Autopart store are really confusing ppl, I hate it. A profession would Never tell u to use Stop Leak, Fix-A-Flat, or Mehanics in a Can product. But they r on the shelf, and someone made millions offit.

 

Hi,

I changed the compressor and the receiver dryer but when I turn on the A/C, the A/C clutch does not engage (I do not hear a click). Is it because the system is empty? Just want to clarify before I take it to the garage to recharge the A/C.