Just to be sure...

[swathdiver]

Truck was sitting for about a month without use, AC is now warm, system runs, no codes, Tech-2 shows high side pressure bouncing between 107 and 156, about 80 degrees outside.

Vent air is about 85 degrees, compressor is cycling on and off at idle. Did not leave the driveway. Actuators are fine, there's no cold air to be had.

Am I thinking right to discharge the system, put the vacuum pump on it for a few hours and then recharge the whole system through the manifolds, 3 pounds according to the sticker?

@91RS @Scottydoggs

 

[Scottydoggs]

with your tech 2 you should be able to see if the blend door actuator is working.

i dont enough about actual ac specs to be helpful on that part. but generally if the clutch is turning on and off it has refrigerant in it, if theres enough i just would not know.

 

[91RS]

What do you mean by bouncing? How quickly is it cycling?

 

[swathdiver]

with your tech 2 you should be able to see if the blend door actuator is working.

i dont enough about actual ac specs to be helpful on that part. but generally if the clutch is turning on and off it has refrigerant in it, if theres enough i just would not know.

Thanks Scott, yes, I can manually move the mode door with the Tech-2 and it is functioning normally.

 

[swathdiver]

What do you mean by bouncing? How quickly is it cycling?

Well, when I was sitting in the driver's seat looking at the Tech-2, it would oscillate pretty quickly between those values, every few seconds. A few minutes later I hopped out and had a look under the hood while she was running, the clutch was cycling on and off every few (4 to 5?) seconds. So having said that, I reckon both are in synch.

 

[Bill 1960]

It won’t need recharging unless it’s leaking, no? And if it IS leaking, charging is just a bandaid that won’t last.

I’d put my HVAC gauges on it to verify pressures hi and low side. Is the suction line from the evaps to the compressor cold?

 

[Doubeleive]

Let it run a little while then reach in and feel the lines, one should be cool and the other not so much, if that checks out then verify the door is working under the glove box by eye.
if both lines are warm then you have some other problem.

 

[swathdiver]

It won’t need recharging unless it’s leaking, no? And if it IS leaking, charging is just a bandaid that won’t last.

I’d put my HVAC gauges on it to verify pressures hi and low side. Is the suction line from the evaps to the compressor cold?

Didn't think to check the lines for coldness. Yes, I reckon that there is a small leak somewhere but being as I just got out of the hospital, not ready to do any big work on the truck. Just doing what I did was taxing enough today.

 

[Scottydoggs]

if the clutch is turning off and back on every 5 seconds you are low on refrigerant.

you'll need some real gauges hooked up to see whats going on. if its low, you also have a leak.

 

[91RS]

Well, when I was sitting in the driver's seat looking at the Tech-2, it would oscillate pretty quickly between those values, every few seconds. A few minutes later I hopped out and had a look under the hood while she was running, the clutch was cycling on and off every few (4 to 5?) seconds. So having said that, I reckon both are in synch.

If it is cycling that fast, it is most likely low on refrigerant. So add some dye and recharge it and find the leak.

 

[wjburken]

I gotta chuckle at this. I’m looking at -4*F temps and James is worrying about the AC being cool enough.

 

[petethepug]

Having air cooled cars til I was 18 meant no a/c to defrost. Had to carry a towel on rainy days for a manual defrost [emoji3]. I never take the HVAC for granted cold or hot.

Pop off the caps on the service valves and dab some hvac fluorescent bubble liquid on the schrader valves. It’s about time for them to act up and slowly leak. The tricky thing with the schrader valves is that they don’t leak when they’re under vacuum most of the time and won’t leak with the fittings on the service valves.

Hope that’s what it is because it’s an ez fix.

 

[Rocket Man]

Didn't think to check the lines for coldness. Yes, I reckon that there is a small leak somewhere but being as I just got out of the hospital, not ready to do any big work on the truck. Just doing what I did was taxing enough today.

What were you in the hospital for, James? I must have missed something.

 

[Tonyrodz]

What were you in the hospital for, James? I must have missed something.

He had covid.

 

[Rocket Man]

He had covid.

I just read about that in his other thread. Stay strong James!

 

[swathdiver]

Schrader valves, I forgot about them Michael, thanks! We replaced those a few months ago on the Montana as they were leaking too.

 

[swathdiver]

Thanks to all for your advice. I had to push really hard to walk outside and get started on this this evening. My girls got out the manifold and vacuum pump and I showed them where and how to hook up all the fittings. My oldest picked up 4 12 ounce cans of straight 134 at O'Reilly's and then the fun began. After evacuating the system and running the vacuum pump to check for a leak, there is one somewhere, we began putting freon in the system, only, we couldn't get the darn cans to deliver the goods.

After much frustration and a trip to O'Reilly's I determined that the o-ring in the adapter that attaches the cans to the manifold was too thick. I was going to cut it in half but decided to just run it without. Well, we got most of 3 cans into the system and the temp at the vents is now 40 degrees. Tomorrow we'll get another can and top it off and then have to get a freon sniffer to track down the leak at my leisure.

 

[Bigkevschopshop]

Thanks to all for your advice. I had to push really hard to walk outside and get started on this this evening. My girls got out the manifold and vacuum pump and I showed them where and how to hook up all the fittings. My oldest picked up 4 12 ounce cans of straight 134 at O'Reilly's and then the fun began. After evacuating the system and running the vacuum pump to check for a leak, there is one somewhere, we began putting freon in the system, only, we couldn't get the darn cans to deliver the goods.

After much frustration and a trip to O'Reilly's I determined that the o-ring in the adapter that attaches the cans to the manifold was too thick. I was going to cut it in half but decided to just run it without. Well, we got most of 3 cans into the system and the temp at the vents is now 40 degrees. Tomorrow we'll get another can and top it off and then have to get a freon sniffer to track down the leak at my leisure.

Easy way for the future, two and a half times the ambient temp on the high side. 80 degrees should be around 200 area. Low side should be around high 30s to low 40s. You are deff on the right track. I would actually check the schrader valves first and foremost. That is the normal leak spot most people overlook. Then the actual compressor connections etc is another hot spot, if you go down all the lines etc and find no leaks etc, you have a bad evap or a pinhole leak on one..

Man, try to take it easy, do small things man, it will take a while to get some stamina back for sure. Glad your still among the living brother.

 

[swathdiver]

Never got that last can into the system, went back to the hospital for another spell and got home the other night. Still blowing cold with just 2 lbs in there but want to finish the job right when I can. Thanks Kevin for the kind words.

 

[swathdiver]

Update:

The schrader valve on the accumulator has green stuff inside the cap, when we put the sniffer near it, it goes off a little bit but only when the cap is off. Same for the other side. When we touch the sniffer to the line or big hose, it goes off, like it is detecting refrigerant through the line. It went off passing the exhaust pipe too. Did not go off testing the front and rear vents inside the cabin, or at the compressor or condenser.

We very slightly tightened the schrader valve and will see if she is still leaking, if so, we'll replace both fittings with new ones. Comments or suggestions?