Re: Checking refrigerant level - '02 Accord
Michael Pardee wrote:
> "Mike Cooper" <mcooper73@antispam.yahoo.com> wrote in message > news:ntjEe.1164$mU3.145@trnddc02... > >>motsco_ _ wrote: >> >>>Mike Cooper wrote: >>> >>> >>>>Does anybody know if the Accords from '98 - '02 have a "sight glass" >>>>anywhere in the A/C lines to visually check the R-134a level without >>>>gauges? My previous Accord, a '92, had one on the receiver-drier but >>>>that was an R-12 system. I found what looks to be the receiver-drier on >>>>my '02 (small cylinder in front of the radiator, has A/C lines going in >>>>and out as well as an electrical connection, probably to shut off the >>>>compressor if the R-134a pressure is too high or low, but no sight glass >>>>found anywhere). >>>> >>>>Also, are the "stop-leak" compounds offered in some varieties of R-134a >>>>really effective at all? In this case I suspect a pinhole leak >>>>somewhere since the performance of the A/C has deteriorated gradually >>>>over the last 3 months or so (43K miles at present, no visible damage to >>>>any of the lines). If so I'm tempted to do a DIY charging job with the >>>>gauge set rather than pay $75 or more just for the diagnostic. >>>> >>>>Any advice appreciated - >>>> >>>>Mike >>>> >>> >>>----------------------- >>> >>>Have you changed your cabin filter(s yet? If they're plugged, you'll only >>>move about 1/2 as much air thru the system as you should, whether on >>>RECIRC or regular. >>> >>>'Curly' >>> >> >>Yup, that actually _is_ something I did on my own since I didn't want to >>pay the dealer $109 for the labor disassembling virtually everything on >>the front-passenger side under the glove compartment. >> >>Airflow has never been a problem. However, ever since the car was new the >>air coming out of the vents (with A/C and RECIRC both off and with the >>temperature dial all the way to Cold) always was slightly warmer than the >>outside air. I assumed it was unavoidable that any incoming air would >>pick up some heat from the heater core - my '92 was the same way. In any >>case, the difference in A/C performance when I'm at freeway speeds versus >>sitting idle at stoplights is much more obvious lately. That difference >>was only slight in previous years. > > > Mostly, that sounds like the compressor is going bad. The valve plates leak > and otherwise don't perform well, and that effect is minimized when the the > engine is turning faster. An '02 sounds awfully new for that, though - > usually it takes about 10 years to reach that point. > > Another possibility is that the condensor fan has quit. The airflow on the > road takes over to make the fan unimportant while cruising. The fan is > something you can check yourself, while the bad compressor is a conclusion > even the experts reach when everything else checks out okay. > > If the refrigerant is low, the cooling is the same at idle as at speed, but > the compressor cycles more often at speed than at idle. > > Mike > > More details: if the compressor is in fact going bad, is it possible that visible "vapor" coming out of the inside vents is a symptom of that failure? It rarely happens, but at 26K miles I reported this to the dealer during a routine maintenance visit (it was documented but they couldn't find a problem at the time). So there is a chance I could get this fixed under warranty since I reported it early on, even though the warranty has since expired. Compressor fan is OK. |
Re: Checking refrigerant level - '02 Accord
Michael Pardee wrote:
> "Mike Cooper" <mcooper73@antispam.yahoo.com> wrote in message > news:ntjEe.1164$mU3.145@trnddc02... > >>motsco_ _ wrote: >> >>>Mike Cooper wrote: >>> >>> >>>>Does anybody know if the Accords from '98 - '02 have a "sight glass" >>>>anywhere in the A/C lines to visually check the R-134a level without >>>>gauges? My previous Accord, a '92, had one on the receiver-drier but >>>>that was an R-12 system. I found what looks to be the receiver-drier on >>>>my '02 (small cylinder in front of the radiator, has A/C lines going in >>>>and out as well as an electrical connection, probably to shut off the >>>>compressor if the R-134a pressure is too high or low, but no sight glass >>>>found anywhere). >>>> >>>>Also, are the "stop-leak" compounds offered in some varieties of R-134a >>>>really effective at all? In this case I suspect a pinhole leak >>>>somewhere since the performance of the A/C has deteriorated gradually >>>>over the last 3 months or so (43K miles at present, no visible damage to >>>>any of the lines). If so I'm tempted to do a DIY charging job with the >>>>gauge set rather than pay $75 or more just for the diagnostic. >>>> >>>>Any advice appreciated - >>>> >>>>Mike >>>> >>> >>>----------------------- >>> >>>Have you changed your cabin filter(s yet? If they're plugged, you'll only >>>move about 1/2 as much air thru the system as you should, whether on >>>RECIRC or regular. >>> >>>'Curly' >>> >> >>Yup, that actually _is_ something I did on my own since I didn't want to >>pay the dealer $109 for the labor disassembling virtually everything on >>the front-passenger side under the glove compartment. >> >>Airflow has never been a problem. However, ever since the car was new the >>air coming out of the vents (with A/C and RECIRC both off and with the >>temperature dial all the way to Cold) always was slightly warmer than the >>outside air. I assumed it was unavoidable that any incoming air would >>pick up some heat from the heater core - my '92 was the same way. In any >>case, the difference in A/C performance when I'm at freeway speeds versus >>sitting idle at stoplights is much more obvious lately. That difference >>was only slight in previous years. > > > Mostly, that sounds like the compressor is going bad. The valve plates leak > and otherwise don't perform well, and that effect is minimized when the the > engine is turning faster. An '02 sounds awfully new for that, though - > usually it takes about 10 years to reach that point. > > Another possibility is that the condensor fan has quit. The airflow on the > road takes over to make the fan unimportant while cruising. The fan is > something you can check yourself, while the bad compressor is a conclusion > even the experts reach when everything else checks out okay. > > If the refrigerant is low, the cooling is the same at idle as at speed, but > the compressor cycles more often at speed than at idle. > > Mike > > More details: if the compressor is in fact going bad, is it possible that visible "vapor" coming out of the inside vents is a symptom of that failure? It rarely happens, but at 26K miles I reported this to the dealer during a routine maintenance visit (it was documented but they couldn't find a problem at the time). So there is a chance I could get this fixed under warranty since I reported it early on, even though the warranty has since expired. Compressor fan is OK. |
Re: Checking refrigerant level - '02 Accord
Mike Cooper wrote:
> Michael Pardee wrote: > >> "Mike Cooper" <mcooper73@antispam.yahoo.com> wrote in message >> news:ntjEe.1164$mU3.145@trnddc02... >> >>> motsco_ _ wrote: >>> >>>> Mike Cooper wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>>> Does anybody know if the Accords from '98 - '02 have a "sight >>>>> glass" anywhere in the A/C lines to visually check the R-134a level >>>>> without gauges? My previous Accord, a '92, had one on the >>>>> receiver-drier but that was an R-12 system. I found what looks to >>>>> be the receiver-drier on my '02 (small cylinder in front of the >>>>> radiator, has A/C lines going in and out as well as an electrical >>>>> connection, probably to shut off the compressor if the R-134a >>>>> pressure is too high or low, but no sight glass found anywhere). >>>>> >>>>> Also, are the "stop-leak" compounds offered in some varieties of >>>>> R-134a really effective at all? In this case I suspect a pinhole >>>>> leak somewhere since the performance of the A/C has deteriorated >>>>> gradually over the last 3 months or so (43K miles at present, no >>>>> visible damage to any of the lines). If so I'm tempted to do a DIY >>>>> charging job with the gauge set rather than pay $75 or more just >>>>> for the diagnostic. >>>>> >>>>> Any advice appreciated - >>>>> >>>>> Mike >>>>> >>>> >>>> ----------------------- >>>> >>>> Have you changed your cabin filter(s yet? If they're plugged, you'll >>>> only move about 1/2 as much air thru the system as you should, >>>> whether on RECIRC or regular. >>>> >>>> 'Curly' >>>> >>> >>> Yup, that actually _is_ something I did on my own since I didn't want >>> to pay the dealer $109 for the labor disassembling virtually >>> everything on the front-passenger side under the glove compartment. >>> >>> Airflow has never been a problem. However, ever since the car was >>> new the air coming out of the vents (with A/C and RECIRC both off and >>> with the temperature dial all the way to Cold) always was slightly >>> warmer than the outside air. I assumed it was unavoidable that any >>> incoming air would pick up some heat from the heater core - my '92 >>> was the same way. In any case, the difference in A/C performance >>> when I'm at freeway speeds versus sitting idle at stoplights is much >>> more obvious lately. That difference was only slight in previous years. >> >> >> >> Mostly, that sounds like the compressor is going bad. The valve plates >> leak and otherwise don't perform well, and that effect is minimized >> when the the engine is turning faster. An '02 sounds awfully new for >> that, though - usually it takes about 10 years to reach that point. >> >> Another possibility is that the condensor fan has quit. The airflow on >> the road takes over to make the fan unimportant while cruising. The >> fan is something you can check yourself, while the bad compressor is a >> conclusion even the experts reach when everything else checks out okay. >> >> If the refrigerant is low, the cooling is the same at idle as at >> speed, but the compressor cycles more often at speed than at idle. >> >> Mike >> > > More details: if the compressor is in fact going bad, is it possible > that visible "vapor" coming out of the inside vents is a symptom of that > failure? It rarely happens, but at 26K miles I reported this to the > dealer during a routine maintenance visit (it was documented but they > couldn't find a problem at the time). So there is a chance I could get > this fixed under warranty since I reported it early on, even though the > warranty has since expired. Compressor fan is OK. Lemme correct that last sentence - condensor fan is OK. Tells you how much I know about A/C.... |
Re: Checking refrigerant level - '02 Accord
Mike Cooper wrote:
> Michael Pardee wrote: > >> "Mike Cooper" <mcooper73@antispam.yahoo.com> wrote in message >> news:ntjEe.1164$mU3.145@trnddc02... >> >>> motsco_ _ wrote: >>> >>>> Mike Cooper wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>>> Does anybody know if the Accords from '98 - '02 have a "sight >>>>> glass" anywhere in the A/C lines to visually check the R-134a level >>>>> without gauges? My previous Accord, a '92, had one on the >>>>> receiver-drier but that was an R-12 system. I found what looks to >>>>> be the receiver-drier on my '02 (small cylinder in front of the >>>>> radiator, has A/C lines going in and out as well as an electrical >>>>> connection, probably to shut off the compressor if the R-134a >>>>> pressure is too high or low, but no sight glass found anywhere). >>>>> >>>>> Also, are the "stop-leak" compounds offered in some varieties of >>>>> R-134a really effective at all? In this case I suspect a pinhole >>>>> leak somewhere since the performance of the A/C has deteriorated >>>>> gradually over the last 3 months or so (43K miles at present, no >>>>> visible damage to any of the lines). If so I'm tempted to do a DIY >>>>> charging job with the gauge set rather than pay $75 or more just >>>>> for the diagnostic. >>>>> >>>>> Any advice appreciated - >>>>> >>>>> Mike >>>>> >>>> >>>> ----------------------- >>>> >>>> Have you changed your cabin filter(s yet? If they're plugged, you'll >>>> only move about 1/2 as much air thru the system as you should, >>>> whether on RECIRC or regular. >>>> >>>> 'Curly' >>>> >>> >>> Yup, that actually _is_ something I did on my own since I didn't want >>> to pay the dealer $109 for the labor disassembling virtually >>> everything on the front-passenger side under the glove compartment. >>> >>> Airflow has never been a problem. However, ever since the car was >>> new the air coming out of the vents (with A/C and RECIRC both off and >>> with the temperature dial all the way to Cold) always was slightly >>> warmer than the outside air. I assumed it was unavoidable that any >>> incoming air would pick up some heat from the heater core - my '92 >>> was the same way. In any case, the difference in A/C performance >>> when I'm at freeway speeds versus sitting idle at stoplights is much >>> more obvious lately. That difference was only slight in previous years. >> >> >> >> Mostly, that sounds like the compressor is going bad. The valve plates >> leak and otherwise don't perform well, and that effect is minimized >> when the the engine is turning faster. An '02 sounds awfully new for >> that, though - usually it takes about 10 years to reach that point. >> >> Another possibility is that the condensor fan has quit. The airflow on >> the road takes over to make the fan unimportant while cruising. The >> fan is something you can check yourself, while the bad compressor is a >> conclusion even the experts reach when everything else checks out okay. >> >> If the refrigerant is low, the cooling is the same at idle as at >> speed, but the compressor cycles more often at speed than at idle. >> >> Mike >> > > More details: if the compressor is in fact going bad, is it possible > that visible "vapor" coming out of the inside vents is a symptom of that > failure? It rarely happens, but at 26K miles I reported this to the > dealer during a routine maintenance visit (it was documented but they > couldn't find a problem at the time). So there is a chance I could get > this fixed under warranty since I reported it early on, even though the > warranty has since expired. Compressor fan is OK. Lemme correct that last sentence - condensor fan is OK. Tells you how much I know about A/C.... |
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