hey yall, tried researching this and found a few things on here about the RL model but not much on a TL, so figured id ask..

got a 04 TL 6MT 159k on it and the day i bought it the AC was freezing! bew hard etc, then it started to get muggy/humid feeling? at stop lights and go cold again a bit once beginning to drive again, now it is cold/feels good for about 3-4miles then itll go muggy/humid.. any thoughts? before i change out the AC compressor, was curious if anyone knows what i could try first? i removed some freon and added some new to the proper levels, well within range, fans work, ac blows hard no abnormal noises etc, just feels great then goes muggy!! hell my wifes 02 civic lx with 319k original ac blows great!... beginning to think there might be air in there? maybe not properly fueled with freon? (some freon bottles ya have to have them upside down to get the juice in there)

any help appreciated!!!

 

When the air no longer blows cold is the compressor clutch still engaged? If it isn't still engaged then there is a possibility the A/C relay is the problem (easy test is to just swap it with another relay that is already in the fuse box underneath the hood) or the field coil in the compressor, along with the possibility of refrigerant level issue & other electrical issues. On my 05 TL it was my field coil that was failing after about 10 minutes of driving, it would get hot and then show an open circuit when ohm tested. I ended up replacing the field coil & clutch assembly with OEM parts vs the entire compressor.

 

 

Well if you can after driving for a bit and the A/C is no longer cold pull over in a parking lot and pop the hood while it is running and take a look at the compressor. The pulley should be spinning regardless, but if the clutch isn't engaging you should see it just sitting still next the pulley spinning.

 

 

Use a small camera like a GoPro or a Swan and fasten it to something where it will have a view of the compressor. Go for your drive and try to reproduce the symptoms, then review your camera footage. See if a compressor clutch disengagement coincides with a time you remember a loss of cold air while you were driving.

 

 

Don't recharge it anymore, unless you do it the right way.


This method will also get rid of moisture in the system.

If compressor works, proper recharge is the first step.


You can get one of those kits that come with vacuum pump, or you should be able to rent one in autozone etc.

 

 

 

Watch that video again.

There should be a sticker under the hood with amount of refrigerant that is required. Too much is not good for the system.

Use a digital scale like any of Just make sure that max weight it can measure is higher that weight of can + refrigerant when full. You can go to home depot or BBB or something similar. Even target should have scales.

Best would be to go to some shop and let them drain the system. My shop would "suck" everything out for free (as it's free refrigerant for us). Go to some shop and ask them.
Tell the guy that you want to do some work on AC and you just want to get it discharged.

Letting it out into the air is not the good idea as it's bad for environment, and might take too much oil out of the system.

Pump is to create vacuum inside the system. We want that because we don't want any other gasses (or air) in the system, and also to boil out the moisture
(water boils and "converts" to vapor under the vacuum, and then it is removed from the system).

Like I wrote at the top, watch the video again.

 

 

Watch the video from 8:40.

Both valves open when using vacuum pump, only low side open when charging.