A/C question

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jljbtm

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My air conditioner was blowing cool air not cold so I decided to add a can into the system and it didn't get colder it got warmer. What did I do wrong any help is appreciated

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crash68

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The system most likely overcharged now. With too much refrigerant I the system, all the system pressures go up causing two things. First: the system could be cycling on a high pressure control or an internal compressor pressure relief. Second the low side pressure/temperature goes up. There can also be issues with refrigerant flooding back to the compressor.
The correct way to "fix" the problem is to recover out the excess refrigerant. The correct way to charge a vehicle AC system is to have the charge weighed in.
Depending on the outside ambient temperature, the low side should be 35-40 psi and the suction line(large line) should be about beer can cold.
 

nateinva

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Agree it's overcharged now causing the compressor to cut off.

Most competent shops charge a nominal fee to diagnose what the real problem is. Would suggest letting a shop vacuum it down and charge to spec then start diagnosing from there.
 
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jljbtm

jljbtm

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Can't just let some back out?

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Rado

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Can't just let some back out?

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It is against the law to let it blow off in the air! By law it has to be removed with a special machine ! Then the system should be checked with gauges, By guessing you can damage the system ,
 
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7777xm

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It doesn't cost much to have it properly diagnosed. AC is not terribly complicated but it does require the right equipment.

Do some things wrong though, and repairs can get costly.

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RCFiddyOne

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Can't just let some back out?

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Take it from me, I did the same thing with one of my vehicles that wasn't cooling as well as I thought it should and since I didn't have a gauge, I overcharged it. I didn't know that some compressors have a pressure release valve for idiots like me. It is a sight to see freon being vented from a compressor when running.

Guessing got you into this and it won't get you out. Time to call in the experts.
 

Tach_tech

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Crash68 pretty much said everything that needed to be said.

A/C repair is not DIY friendly, there's so much more that goes into it than just hooking up a can. Not to mention most of those cans contain stop leak which can clog up the system. Most shops won't even touch your car if they find out you put stop leak in the system, as it will also mess up their machines.

At the very minimum you need a set of manifold gauges and a vacuum pump. You should never just add refrigerant. The only way to know for sure if it's properly charged is to recover the entire system. A/C is charged by weight, not pressure.

So as others said, take it to a shop and hope you didn't cause any damage.
 
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