Automotive Air Conditioning Information Forum

I tried charging it again today, and I can hear the refrigerant when the tap hit the can opening, then it stopped as I opened the tap fully.

This sounds to me like you have the newer style "self sealing" R134a cans, mandated by USA government. So if you have an R134 can tap that was purchased ...

....just without the lab coat that says it.....

Right !!! But I do have lab coats, worked in the Analytical Chemistry department of Dial Soap/Purex/Persil/Renuzit/Combat for over 4 decades (managed/mangled the department for a dozen). So we had lab coats issued to us, but I always got too hot ...

Cusser, did you have nails for breakfast today???? LOL, signed Dave

Funny ! But no !!!

Some folks think it's simple to add such stuff blindly because it's sold in stores and claims to seal leaks. I especially "like" posts selling vehicles to state "AC just needs a recharge" - almost always ...

I assume people know the refill guage goes ... Green, Blue, Yellow, Red.

Bad assumption. Folks on this site/forum know not to use such "miracle in a can" products, and know to use real service gauges (not "guage") to measure both low side and high side pressures at about 1800 rpm.

Vandeo wrote: Thu Jul 18, 2024 11:48 pm The engaging system on compressor is working fine (when the compressor works, an then shuts of (clutch returns in previous position))

THIS is why tbirdtbird suggested to check the AC clutch air gap !!!

I had to remove a shim from the AC clutch on my Frontier to fix it back in 2019.

I think it's the temp sensor on the the evap core which senses temps close to freezing then disengage the clutch.

Disclaimer: I'm not an AC professional.

That said, could you TEMPORARILY jump/bypass that de-icer switch that goes into the AC evaporator, to see if that "opens" too often and ...

With the plastic cap on, I don't get an indication of a leak on the default setting, but when I take the caps off, I do. All of this is with the engine cold, I charged the system a couple of days ago.

Perfect !!!! The cap is the real seal, the schraeders are not the primary seal !!!




And if ...

woody367 wrote: Sun Jul 14, 2024 12:55 pm I checked my air gap and .035 was just a little snug. I guess I should try taking a shim out?

YES

woody367 wrote: Sun Jul 14, 2024 12:55 pm If that is the issue why would the clutch engage and produce cold air but after like 15-20 minutes the clutch disengage?

Because it heats up ! That's what my 1998 Frontier did.

When I went for a drive, with an outside temperature of 99 and with the fresh air vent closed, I got the inside of the car down to about 78 which felt pretty good. The vent temperature at 40 degrees.

Vent temperature is 40F ???? I think that it's time to stop messing with the system if it doesn ...

When it gets warm I novice the clutch disengaged...

When the AC clutch is disengaged, CAREFULLY tap on the AC clutch drive plate (the center section) with a wooden broom handle or similar. See if that engages it, which might show a too-large clutch gap. I removed an AC clutch shim back in 2019 ...