Flush mixed in with oil after replacing everything Honda 2006 Pilot

[kell490]

Hello,
I replaced condenser, front evaporator, Compressor, both front and rear TXV valves. I flushed the rear evaporator and lines from the where the TXV valve attaches under the center console with A/C Pro Flush & Clean got from O'Reilly. I have a flush bottle used with a compressor. The flush came out inside the engine compartment I had the lines removed from the firewall. I put right amount of oil the Honda Service manual calls for when entire system is dry in the compressor.

I attached my vacuumed pump pulled -30 psi for 1 hour 3/4 from the low side only which probably was a mistake I should have hooked the high side also and pulled from both sides. Lessons learned

I charged from a 30lb tank 134A using an scale put in 25 oz or 1.6lbs of refrigerant. It blew cold but wasn't hot yet I'm in Phoenix been about a month getting only 60F air at best. I hooked the gauges while I was cracking the lines to push the air out at the manifold some liquid came out on the high side I could smell solvent. I compared it to the PAG oil bottle I still had some left from it had almost no smell so sure enough it's the flush solvent.

Today I vacuumed for almost 4 hours recharged to 1.6lbs of 134A and it's blowing 40F now gauges are reading 40 on the low and 200 on the high. Compressor hasn't failed yet I'm worried this won't last I was hoping the deep vacuum would boil out in theory now that it mixed with the PAG oil probably won't boil out now. Anyone here have this issue before I'm assuming only way to really get it out is to remove both TXV valves again and the compressor drain it on a bench try to blow the system out with air. Solvent that puddles in the bottom of a tube not going to do anything if air has a way around it. I guess get more flush and flush out the solvent oil mix. Just run it as is see what happens.

I really didn't even need to flush but the old oil was dirty brown color just wanted to get the old oil out.

[tbirdtbird]

To me that auto parts store flush is crap it leaves an oily residue that I don’t like.
We use naphtha from hdwe stores. Way easier to vac out, leaves no residue.
We use shop air to blow out. Since we also have a paint booth we have a pro drier system….else you have water vapor in your ‘air’.
Auto parts and auto paint paint stores have small disposable driers the size of a tennis ball….disposable .
With all the flushing you’re doing I am thinking you should start over. Need to vacuum way longer….overnight. It is an important step, don’t skimp.
The better the vac the better it works.
Assuming you are using an electric vac pump, the other ones are crap.
You always vac from both sides.
I think you need to start over.
From your other post I think you basically know what you are doing.
Can we assume the old comp grenaded which is what triggered all this work

[Cusser]

I've used that aerosol A/C Pro Flush & Clean three times (3 different vehicles) to backflush lines from condenser to compressor (and also the serpentine condenser on one of those). In all cases I used compressed air to evaporate any remaining solvent; I'm in Arizona so that didn't take long.

All three repairs were successful.

[kell490]

The old compressor had a shaft seal leak and clutch went bad. I normally just replace everything because my experience find that old oil on an vehicle with unknown maintenance just better to replace it all.

I think maybe ill just pull the compressor drain it and refill with the the same amount in oil then vacuum overnight. The vacuum pump is old school pump like this one.https://iili.io/Jmnmk1R.jpg

Lessons learned always vacuum from low and high side. This thing has long bent aluminum lines go under the car up to the console for the rear AC.

[Cusser]

Remember, many human noses are very sensitive, and a solvent smell doesn't necessarily mean that there is a significant amount of solvent remaining.....

[JohnHere]

I think maybe ill just pull the compressor drain it and refill with the the same amount in oil then vacuum overnight.

I suggest draining, refilling, and rotating the mainshaft, all more than once, to ensure that you get out all the flushing solvent. Oil mixed with solvent won't lubricate the compressor very well.

[tbirdtbird]

BTW be sure to change the oil in that pump you stole from the Smithsonian ….and be sure to use oil specified for vac pumps

[JohnHere]

Good one, tbirdtbird ^^

[kell490]

I think maybe ill just pull the compressor drain it and refill with the the same amount in oil then vacuum overnight.

I suggest draining, refilling, and rotating the mainshaft, all more than once, to ensure that you get out all the flushing solvent. Oil mixed with solvent won't lubricate the compressor very well.

I'm going to try that this weekend driving it today I was getting 45F air it was 105F outside it took long time to get down that low wasn't until I got going for awhile. Stop lights it seems to go up in temp I'm not hearing any noise from the compressor it sounds okay. Maybe the flush is interfering with moving as much heat as it should be I'm not sure if it's just staying on the high pressure side. I didn't get any smell of flush on the low side connection.

Good working Honda AC system usually will hit 40F even in hot weather. I don't know if flush can mix with refrigerant it might be like mixing mineral oil with R-134A.

Remember, many human noses are very sensitive, and a solvent smell doesn't necessarily mean that there is a significant amount of solvent remaining.....

I can smell the citrus smell which I smelled from the flush when I undo the high side I checked my bottle of PAG didn't have any smell really to it.

Do you suggest blowing out the condenser with compressed air try and get as much out of there.

I was also thinking about reconnecting the compressor before putting oil in it and evacuate for 2 hours remove it again see if there is anything still in there then put the oil back in.


Lessons learned I won't use store bought flush again maybe Naphtha or acetone blow it out let it dry over night then blow it out again. Pull a vacuum on both sides I have always worried about flush not evacuating

[JohnHere]

I'm going to try that this weekend driving it today I was getting 45F air it was 105F outside it took long time to get down that low wasn't until I got going for awhile. Stop lights it seems to go up in temp I'm not hearing any noise from the compressor it sounds okay. Maybe the flush is interfering with moving as much heat as it should be I'm not sure if it's just staying on the high pressure side. I didn't get any smell of flush on the low side connection.
Good working Honda AC system usually will hit 40F even in hot weather. I don't know if flush can mix with refrigerant it might be like mixing mineral oil with R-134A.

A ~45°F center vent temperature with an ambient of 105°F is fairly normal, as is the vent temperature rising at stop lights.

Double check that your fans are running at maximum speed, especially when stopped, that all of the factory fan shrouds are in place, and that any gaps between the condenser and radiator are sealed. Home centers have square foam insulation with one side sticky, used for window air conditioners, that is also useful for sealing such gaps. What you're trying to do is get as much airflow through the condenser as possible.

The flush that you used, which is considered a non-condensable, will displace the refrigerant and reduce cooling, depending on how much is left in the system. Instead of re-flushing the entire system to get rid of every last trace of the flushing solvent, I suggest recovering the refrigerant, removing the compressor, and flushing it out several times as previously described (using PAG oil only). Then reassemble everything (also replace the Receiver/Dryer), evacuate the system overnight (which will evaporate as much of the remaining flush as possible), and recharge it to specs.

Do you suggest blowing out the condenser with compressed air try and get as much out of there.
I was also thinking about reconnecting the compressor before putting oil in it and evacuate for 2 hours remove it again see if there is anything still in there then put the oil back in.

We're dealing with unchartered territory here. But I would guess that blowing out the condenser probably won't remove much of anything, nor will reinstalling the compressor "dry," evacuating, and then reinstalling the compressor "wet," evacuating, and recharging. Sounds like an awful lot of work...and perhaps unnecessary for what you're trying to achieve

Lessons learned I won't use store bought flush again maybe Naphtha or acetone blow it out let it dry over night then blow it out again. Pull a vacuum on both sides I have always worried about flush not evacuating.

Tim at ACKits.com, this Forum's sponsor, can also provide you with the proper flushing solvent that won't leave any residue in the system and that will evaporate completely.

Definitely open both the low-side and high-side handwheels on your Manifold Gauge Set whenever evacuating a system.