Automotive Air Conditioning Information Forum

In a previous post I was asking for help deciding if it would be a good idea to replace the condenser of a Honda Civic 2011.

So I changed the condenser and added 50ml or 1.7oz of PAG46 oil in the larger hose of the condenser just as the service manual says, I felt that it was too much oil, but I decided to do what the manual says.

I pulled vacuum for about 40 minutes, and let it stayed all night, in the morning it was fine, I let it sit through the day, but at night the system loosed a little bit o vacuum, so I turn on the pump another 40 minutes, and let it sit all night, and in the morning it was the same level.

So this morning I started to charge my system with r134, but I had 3 problems:

- It was taking forever, even with the method of putting the can in warm water.
- The high side pressure never passed above 140psi, and the low side took forever to come down after every time I open the gauge to charge more gas, it goes up to 120psi when I open the valve, and slowly reached 30psi after a couple of minutes.
- Condenser was almost cold to the touch, and vent temp was not cold.

It feels like something inside the system isn't allowing the refrigerant to go inside and to build up pressure, I don't know a lot about the theory and physics behind AC, I'm just a DIYer.

So, maybe I added too much oil?, or maybe insufficient vacuum? because I've been having problems with my pump, it feels like it has a small leak. If it is the oil, how do you remove oil draining the compressor?

But the bigger problem is that is my wife car, so I'm gonna be in big trouble if I'm not able to fix it hahaha.

Update: I just realized that the manual says civic 2006-2008, so I guess that even though the 2011 is the same 8th gen, it should use a different amount of oil, but I'm not sure.

I see that no one responded, so I'll chime in.

Legitness211 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 23, 2024 1:52 pm So I changed the condenser and added 50ml or 1.7oz of PAG46 oil in the larger hose of the condenser just as the service manual says, I felt that it was too much oil, but I decided to do what the manual says.

I think the oil amount that you added to the condenser assembly is just about right, if not a tad short.

Legitness211 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 23, 2024 1:52 pm I pulled vacuum for about 40 minutes, and let it stayed all night, in the morning it was fine, I let it sit through the day, but at night the system loosed a little bit o vacuum, so I turn on the pump another 40 minutes, and let it sit all night, and in the morning it was the same level.

It could have been a Manifold Gauge Set fitting that was jostled a bit and lost a little vacuum. But now, it's okay. I don't think I'd be concerned about that, but DO check the system for leaks after it's fully charged and under pressure, especially the high side.

Legitness211 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 23, 2024 1:52 pm So this morning I started to charge my system with r134, but I had 3 problems:
- It was taking forever, even with the method of putting the can in warm water.
- The high side pressure never passed above 140psi, and the low side took forever to come down after every time I open the gauge to charge more gas, it goes up to 120psi when I open the valve, and slowly reached 30psi after a couple of minutes.
- Condenser was almost cold to the touch, and vent temp was not cold.

Are you sure you had the MGS hooked up correctly and securely?

The high-side pressure seems low, but that probably is because you didn't have a full charge in it yet.

Those are normal pressures and behavior for the low side during charging. But did you weigh-in the refrigerant? It's important to do so because your system holds so little refrigerant, and it's crucial to charge it to precisely the correct amount.

What was the ambient temperature while you were working on it?

The condenser should be warm to hot depending on the ambient temperature (which you didn't mention), the heat load on the system, and how long the compressor had been running.

Legitness211 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 23, 2024 1:52 pm It feels like something inside the system isn't allowing the refrigerant to go inside and to build up pressure, I don't know a lot about the theory and physics behind AC, I'm just a DIYer.
So, maybe I added too much oil?, or maybe insufficient vacuum? because I've been having problems with my pump, it feels like it has a small leak. If it is the oil, how do you remove oil draining the compressor?

Did the compressor engage shortly after you began charging the system? If not, that could be a reason why the low side isn't pulling-in the refrigerant. It could point to a clutch problem. Or double-checking the obvious, maybe the system isn't turned on.
I don't think it's an oil issue, as previously mentioned.
You discussed having problems with your vacuum pump. Have you changed the oil in it lately? Does it pull-down the system to about 29.9 inches of mercury (InHg) or better at sea level?

Legitness211 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 23, 2024 1:52 pm Update: I just realized that the manual says civic 2006-2008, so I guess that even though the 2011 is the same 8th gen, it should use a different amount of oil, but I'm not sure.

The specs that I have for your car are 16 ounces net weight of R-134a, and 4.0 fluid ounces of PAG-46. If you have an under-hood decal with specs that differ, the decal takes precedence.