A/C Gauge Reading?
 

I noticed that my a/c wasn't cooling very well so while I was at work (Advance Auto Parts) I borrowed a gauge and ran out to check it. The compressor keeps cycling and the gauge when it was on would go up to where it should be but when it cycled off the pressure would drop like there was none at all. Any help would be appreciated.

Any one?

Yes Sir,

It's low on freon. Put a lb of gas in 'er and It'll snap right out of it.

Allan

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I agree with "Allan In NE"…most likely just needs a fill.

If that doesn't fix the problem, I suggest consulting with a certified technician.

Louis
GM Customer Service

While filling it with freon may work short term...the question is "Where did it go?"
Working at a parts store makes it easy to do a temporary fix than doing the actual repair.

In addition to my '04 Silverado which still has ice-cold A/C, I own a 2002 Nissan Sentra GXE that has never had any work done or refrigerant added since it was built. Lately, my A/C was fairly cool, but not as cold as it should be. Being the 11th summer I have driven it, I figured I should recharge it but did not want to fork over big bucks for a shop to do it.

I bought a can of R-134a refrigerant (not R-12 FREON, which is now illegal) at Wal-Mart for about $25, and it has a gauge built onto the can's hose so that you can check your pressure level on the LOW side valve of your vehicle's air conditioning system. You hook it up, get your car up to operating temperature on a hot day and then run the A/C on the "MAX" setting.

Check the pressure reading when the compressor clutch engages -- and look at the color coding on the gauge. Add refrigerant until it goes above the green (add) and into top of the "normal" range (blue, I think) but don't let it go into the yellow or red zone on the dial. Your reading will drop when the compressor cuts off again, so be mindful of that. This is my first time doing this, and I went strictly by the directions on the back of the can.

I hope I did mine properly, as it took the whole can (18 ounces) and now blows ice-cold air. If you add too much, it is possible to blow the compressor out -- and that costs mucho dinero to replace. Be mindful, also, that there is both a LOW and a HIGH side valve on your vehicle. The stuff you buy in the store will only have the thread for the low side ('L' on the plastic vave cap) and won't fit the high or 'H' side. I think that requires a more sophisticated setup to charge it, and only a shop will have such a thing.

A/C issues and electrical problems are probably two of the worst things to face with a motor vehicle. A/C is very important this time of year and even in the winter, as your defroster works on the same compressor (dehumidifier function).

P.S. YouTube has videos about air conditioning problems.