mediaman67

Hi All,

I have a 93 lumina sedan - 3.1 engine.

Original R12 ac - converted it to 134a at one point. Condensor had a leak, so I fixed that with a new one...

Recharged the system with 3 cans of 134a - low side was right at 40psi... blew hardly even cool...

then, I got a set of manifold gauges with a good elelectric pump 3CFM, 2 stage, etc - connected it up, and pulled vacuum... held 25 psi of vacuum for 30 mins...

re-charged the system with the best 134a synthethic I could find... to 45psi and now it's colder, but not as cold as it should be still... it was colder before....

My question is - should I have replaced the dryer when I had the condenser replaced, even with the vacuuming of all moisture? it was colder before with 134a and the older condneser, but it just wouldn't stay for long, since there was that leak.... now it's a good 10 degrees warmer...

any ideas? - also, the ac inside doesn't seem to blow as hard as I remember it when the fan is on high, and the ac is on MAX

Thanks to all

rkuelbs

If you bought a set of manifold gauges, you should be able to get us the following information:

Both High and Low side dynamic pressure readings at idle and 1200 RPM.
Dynamic pressure activity - are the gauges fluttering or staying smooth?
Outside ambient air temperature and relative humidity.
Interior vent temperature.

Yes, the dryer should have been replaced in my opinion. It really depends though, if the system has leaked down enough to cause a vacuum on the low side, then moisture will be drawn in. However, due to the age of the vehicle, a drier replacement would be a good idea. Also, while the system is evacuated, it's always a good idea to pull the orifice tube and check for debris on the screen.

Get me the above information, and we'll see where we can go. If it were my car, due to the age and the prior R-134 conversion, I would have performed a system flush at the time of the condensor replacement, as well as replaced the orifice, drier, and proper oil charge.