My A/C blows barely cool but not cold air. I took it to an A/C shop and they evacuated and recharged the R134 refrigerant. It was at .22 lbs and I guess it holds 4 or 5 lbs. But the A/C is still not cold. It used to be colder. Could it be my compressor? I'm not sure what else to do. Thanks for any help or suggestions you have.

P.S. I use the recirc button and I have closed off my rear and side vents. Still just barely cool.

 

First things first, why was it at .22 pounds? That means there is a leak in the system somewhere.. Was that fixed? Otherwise it could be two things... One, check the clutch on your compressor to see if it engages.. You should be able to look at your compressor, and see if the front of the pulley is rotating. I'm not sure if the TL has a variable speed clutch, like my other car, but if it does you can check to see if the clutch is fully engaged or just partially engaged, by looking at how fast the front of the pulley is rotating in comparison to the pulleys around it...

Otherwise, it could be a stuck temperature door. I've had that happen before in my other car... The hot air door would not fully close, making it so the air was only barely cool...

 

System capacity is 1.1-1.2 lbs.

 

Im no AC expert but I am going thru something similar. took it to get the AC checked out and I was told my "low" side wasnt low enough? i guess it was in the 50 psi range, when it shoulda been in the 30's.

anyhow, I was told the compressor was getting weak, so I just ordered a new compressor, drier, and expansion valve. HOPE I was told right and it cures my problem.

Ill let u know how it goes.

 

Not the compresssor, at least in my opinion. Didn't they try and add refrigerant to lower the reading, and do you know the high side reading?
Just remember, if they change the compressor, evac and fill with correct refrigerant weight and it works properly, doesn't indicate it was the compressor, but was low on charge.

 

yea sorry, I forgot to mention they DID evac and refill. The high side reading was somewhere in the mid 200psi range, i do believe..sorry I cant get any more specific, seeing as how I dont remember what they said.

they did tell me the correct amount of freon was in there to begin with. but like i said they did an evac and refill anyways. BTW mines an 04' with 90k.

Thanks for your input though, and just for my wallets sake (bc I ordered everything already), I hope your wrong! lol

It would suck if I spent all that money on shit I didnt need..It coulda went toward a CAI and pulley

 

Never heard of a weak compressor, valves will leak/stick, seals will leak, but not a weak compressor. There are other items that can cause the low side to be high.

 

Quick google search yielded me this......

Usually the compressor will show the inability to generate enough suction and pressure at or near idle speeds.
If engine speed needs to be substantially increased to bring pressures in range, that's a sign that the compressor is getting weak. Often the complaint is... only cools when the engine is reved - or - only cools when driving down the road.

Sometimes it's very simple. If we hook the gauges up and see 80 psi on the low side, and 80 psi on the high side, and the compressor hub is spinning, it's likely that compressor is done. It's not producing suction, and it's not producing pressure. We could add or remove refrigerant and still nothing would happen. The compressor must be able to pull a vacuum, and create pressure. Compressors that use a variable stroke are often misdiagnosed as being defective, when only the internal pressure control device is at fault.

Mine, however doesnt seem to matter if Im at idle or 3k RPM. I did explain that to the tech also. I used a infared thermometer and i was getting 60F at the vents.

I want the A/C to be like opening a freezer and sticking my head in it! lol

 

Well it seems my thread has been somewhat hijacked. I don't have pressure problems. My R134 was low and they refilled it because it was at .22 lbs. However, the refill didn't fix the problem. So I have to go back to the shop to have it looked at again. I was just trying to get an answer as to what it could be. My guess is a leak.

 

As it is a closed system, if level is low, there is a leak.

You can Google all you want, but:
“When engine rpm is increased to bring pressures in range that’s a sign of a weak compressor” needs some work, it may mean a weak A/C unit, but that is a far cry from a weak compressor.
There are many factors when servicing an a/c system, many of which one can’t debate unless the system has been evacuated, filled with the proper weight, and gauges viewed, however, warmer air at idle can be from low gas, blocked air flow, fan/fan motor not working, and at higher engine speeds, as the refrigerant is circulating quicker and more air flow over the condenser, the air becomes colder, so a weak compressor is out of the picture. There is testing that can be done using the ambient temp, humidity, outlet temp while keeping the engine at 1500RPM. It’s in the FSM. I’ve also seen a defunct heater control valve cause a problem along with doors that aren’t operating properly because of non working activators, not necessarily on a TL, but in general.

Good luck and let us know how you make out.

 

sorry to take so long to update you all, but the problem was that the seal around the cap was not intact. They replaced the seal and all was good, apparently the coolent was blowing out of the cap.

 

dont close the rear or side vents off- air still gets blown thru the tubes and trapped air = moisture can collect--bateria--mold--lots of fun stuff for your lungs to absorb

change your cabin air filter--book says ever year!

 

Which seal and which cap ??? thank you

 

... Still waiting for the answer. Thanks.

 

The valve core seal is what he is talking about. Similar to a tire valve stem core if it's not the same valve core. One would change both hi and low sides of the valve cores since the the AC is empty at 0 PSI.