Automotive Air Conditioning Information Forum

People,

1987 Pontiac Sunbird GT non turbo, cant add refrigerant. psi on high side is 170, low side 28. Outside temp 85, car runnnig with ac on vent temp is only 72. Wanted to addd a can of gas but suction line wll not suck in. Maybe its the connection valve on the line on the guages. Can I now test to see it it is a bad pin on the valve? Can I depress it with a eraser from a pencil? The can is now punctured, so I can not simply unscrew the end connected to the can.

Thanks.

pippo wrote:Wanted to addd a can of gas but suction line wll not suck in. Maybe its the connection valve on the line on the guages. Can I now test to see it it is a bad pin on the valve? Can I depress it with a eraser from a pencil? The can is now punctured, so I can not simply unscrew the end connected to the can.

1. I'd shut off the low side valve at the service gauge, then unscrew - a little - the hose at the service gauge set that comes from the refrigerant can, like when purging the line, and see if refrigerant comes out of the can, that the can becomes colder. Remember, after tightening the can valve to puncture it, then you must unscrew that valve to open the pathway. Then retighten that fitting on the service gauge set.

2. If that's all OK, then you did remember to open the low side valve on the service gauge set, to allow refrigerant to pass through to the hose to the low side fitting? If the vehicle's shraeder valve is bad and won't open, you would be getting no low pressure reading.

R-12 or has this been converted to R134a?

I hope you're not adding any refrigerant with sealers, that can ruin an AC system permanently !!!

Why can't you first shut off the flow at the valve on the can? But I don't think that's the issue.

So sorry for the delay n my reply. Your idea worked- I slowly removed the end of the tubing and got no gas leaking out to indicate the tubing was maybe plugged. So I completely removed the guages tube/line, and was shocked to find out these new cans have the new useable valve! First introduced in California.

I had to but an adapter at AZ. Worked!!

Thanks! Im sure will be back here with future problems. (Yes,the car was converted to R123a. No sealant in the can. )

pippo wrote:So sorry for the delay n my reply. Your idea worked- I slowly removed the end of the tubing and got no gas leaking out to indicate the tubing was maybe plugged. So I completely removed the gauges tube/line, and was shocked to find out these new cans have the new useable valve! First introduced in California. I had to but an adapter at AZ. Worked!!

Thanks!

I myself just became aware of the new R134a cans with sealing valves only last week; although there are still some cans of R134a with the old-style tops at Walmarts local to me, most had the newer self-sealing valves. I actually think it's a good idea, and the adapter is only a few $$$.

I just repaired my Frontier AC, and this requires 25 oz. refrigerant. With bleeding air out of the hose initially and when attaching each new can, and inability to "completely" empty a can, this required a little over two 12-oz. cans of R134a. In the old days, maybe that remaining 2/3 of a can would be wasted.

Right. Who knows how much was wasted by DIY'rs. Only thing- I heard one has to take gentle care of those adapters as they have a plastic thread on top where they screw onto the guage fittings. Dont cross thread them.