08 accord 2.4l a/c does not make sense

[tbart70]

Hello, new to the forum and need help.

Long story short, new compressor, new expansion valve and condenser. came back with a leak, I replaced liquid line due to leak.
Evacuated and recharged. Low side pulls into vacuum , high side 15 psi. I put in a new valve, same issue, put in second new compressor same issue.

charged with 15.9 oz 134a. Boss came and looked at it and put in another pound, pressures are good now and blows cold. doesn't make sense. Used two different machines to charge it to 15.9 oz.

thanks for any insight.

-Tom

[Cornbinder89]

Since no one else has taken a swing at this, I will. Not my area of experience, but I'll try. 15.9 oz is a very small amount for a system, but that seams to be what it called for.
Your symptoms suggest as does the result when the boss added another pound, that it was more likely that 1.59 oz was added initially. I wasn't there and can't say what happened.
It is highly unlikely that it could stand to have double the required refrigerant in the system and not overpressureized. an extra oz and a half would not cause too much of a problem, may be cut the cooling a bit and raise the high side pressure a bit.
I really can't come up with another explanation for a system to perform they way you are saying with double the refrigerant. Your initial pressure reading beg the question why the low refrigerant safeties didn't shut the compressor off? I have no idea what the Accord has for safety shut down on the A/C system, but it should have shut off with those reading if it is properly protected from low refrigerant.

[Tom Greenleaf]

Somehow despite 2 machines it clearly didn't accept refrigerant. That could be the hose end or the port has an issue?? I have an old chart listed an '04 Accord took only 19 oz doesn't count now wrong year. It does suggest low volume started a while ago it was made to work with that.

Two machines I trust they tried to work but something may be wrong with the Acme port even if new.

Some give me fits I need to push on the hose or nothing happens, sometimes but not real common.

Machines should have said what was dispense may have leaked right there and then some other hose end decided to work?

I do own an '07 Jeep Liberty that takes I think 18 oz total. It works I haven't had to touch it.

It was another tech from where this site came from "GM Tech" said the final seal is the caps!

That's a maybe if they are not the correct caps they shouldn't work at all?

It's working now so my guess is the low port (shouldn't need a high side port lots of vehicles don't have one.

So I suggest go to Honda and get correct caps hope it doesn't just current change by luck it must be real close. You can touch and feel lines and have a good clue temp of them is info tells the pressure inside watch out for heat of high side or frost on low infrared, touchless thermos are not that costly are good info now,

[tbart70]

Thanks for taking a Crack at it.

Evacuated and recharged twice with both machines.

Low pressure cut off shut compressor down as soon as low side went into vacuum, then low side went up to 30 ish psi and compressor came back on. Pulled below 0 and switched off again. All within seconds over and over again. Added another pound and system got cold. Pressures good.

Crazy !

Used machine on two other cars after that one. No issue.

[tbart70]

Both machines show how much is going in and I checked the tank weight after recharge.

[tbart70]

If the car comes back not working I will look at the low side port.

[Cornbinder89]

I can't come up with more than I already have, Pressures were indicative of not nearly enough refrigerant, as was the cycling of the safety switch. Adding 1 more pound shows that it was not getting the refrigerant on the initial attempt. I can only guess as to why.

[Tom Greenleaf]

Essentially the added 1 lb was close to spec? How 2 machines read what was sent may remain an IDK? I just by chance was working on a Honda Civic OE, converted and dang low port wouldn't cooperate? Tries two sets of gauges spit refrigerant also a low capacity system finally just small cans with their own taps (nicer brass stuff) worked?

Some of those Acme things just don't cooperate or takes more strength than perhaps you tried to hook up with was a while ago now must have been a well-used one plain worked? The car left with proper outputs at vents, no funky noises and the "touch and feel" of lines was right. I may never know as the same stuff works on everything else??

I will say the less you hook stuff up leaving Shrader and ball valves (GM high sides on some) the better.

If or when you find something with caps missing and corroded it scares me to hook up costly equipment if a chance I wreck a connector of my own!

[muscle spasm]

Refrigeration machines are great for shops. Only thing I don't like is they do too much for the tech. Not much thinking going on. That said, are the displays working as normal? Meaning you actually see 15 oz and not 1.5? Burnt out lcd spot on display? Shot in the dark.

I would charge a suspect system like this with old school gauges. I can see a can of say R-134A going in or not. Would take all the electrical machine stuff out of the game.

15.9oz should provide some cooling in a small system like that one. What was the center vent temp? What was the ambient, low and high side pressures again?

Does the system equalize with the compressor off in a minute or two? Same pressures on each gauge?