Automotive Air Conditioning Information Forum

Before starting this job, I looked at the orfice tube. It looked good. I just pulled the new tube out and it is packed with crud.

My theory is original compressor crapped out, but was low enough on refrigerant that it didn't spread the gunk around. After installing the new compressor and a full charge, the black junk was spread throughout the system.

Sound possible?

Dgreen wrote:Before starting this job, I looked at the orfice tube. It looked good. I just pulled the new tube out and it is packed with crud.

My theory is original compressor crapped out, but was low enough on refrigerant that it didn't spread the gunk around. After installing the new compressor and a full charge, the black junk was spread throughout the system.

Sound possible?

I have a 99 Suburban that the the compressor come apart inside once, I flushed it out good, but was still getting trash in both the rear TXV screen and the front orifice. After running the compressor for a few days, I would pull the txv and the orifice and it would have trash in both screens, it took me around 3 tries at this, and it finally cleaned it up where no trash was collecting on either screen. I think they make an inline filter to help with this, I wish I would have installed one, pulling the txv and cleaning that screen was not fun at all. Might also be a good idea to also change the compressor oil after getting it cleaned up. I'm not the auto a/c guru, but I just kind of follow the lines of my residential a/c practices when doing auto a/c.

Installed a second new compressor. Getting ready to change the condenser, accumulator, Orfice tube, and flush the lines.

The condenser is the primary filter in that system. It is a disposable item, and because of the multiple flow paths not worth flushing.

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Dgreen wrote:Installed a second new compressor. Getting ready to change the condenser, accumulator, Orfice tube, and flush the lines.

Supplier warranting these compressors?

Debris needs to be addressed for successful repair.

They did warranty it. I was honest with them.

I just can't figure out why the original orfice tube looked clean.

Dgreen wrote:They did warranty it. I was honest with them.

I just can't figure out why the original orifice tube looked clean.

When my compressor failed I never knew the cause, because I got the car from someone else. The orifice was also clean, but I still flushed the system, and very little of anything come out, I agree like someone mentioned above, probably a lot of trash ended up in the condenser. Condensers are not that expensive, and on my suburban very easy to change, but even at that, I still ended up with some left over trash in the system. Seems to be good now, made it through 3 summers and still working great.

I think it’s fixed. Much better numbers now.
It was 81 degrees outside and low humidity. 35%
1500 rpms
Low side 37
High side 245
Vent temp 48

Just a thought: It's possible that the system had sealer in it at some point. Sealer can cause all sorts of long-term havoc with a mobile A/C system.

Dgreen wrote:I think it’s fixed. Much better numbers now.
It was 81 degrees outside and low humidity. 35%
1500 rpms
Low side 37
High side 245
Vent temp 48

Awesome! glad you got it going, enjoy the a/c now.