A/C Overcharged?

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KansasKid
Posts: 428
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 2:19 am
Location: Kansas City, Kansas

The A/C in my Kizashi hasn't been blowing much cold air for a while, so I decided to go out and get one of those DIY A/C kits. I hooked it up to the low A/C port, had the car running, and the reading on the built in gauge said it was a little low, so I started pumping. I'm pretty sure that the A/C compressor wasn't on when I started pumping though. I got about half way through the bottle when the compressor started kicking on and off, and each time the compressor kicked on, the pressure would go up, and then go back down. Eventually, it settled in the red part of the gauge.

So now I'm pretty sure I've overcharged the A/C and the compressor will start clicking on and off if I let it run for too long. What I'm not sure about is if the compressor was acting up before, or after I overcharged the system.

I'm trying to figure out how I can save my A/C before I do much more damage. Anyone got any home remedies for dealing with the A/C?
My Cars (Their Names)
'93 Ford Escort (Jorge - Prior)
'06 Kia Optima EX (Sakuya - Prior)
'11 Suzuki Kizashi SE AWD (Azumi)
'09 Subaru Impreza 2.5i Base 5MT(Akari - Prior)
'11 Chevy Cruze Eco 6MT (Erika - Prior)
'12 Suzuki Kizashi Sport SLS AWD (Kitsune)
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LPSISRL
Posts: 991
Joined: Tue Jun 18, 2013 12:49 pm
Location: Chesapeake, Virginia

No sure what you mean by pumping? Every time I've used a kit the system sucks it in itself and you usually rotate the can 90 degrees from vertical for a few seconds and then return it back to vertical watching the gauge until it gets into the green range. The dial has a bezel that rotates so that you can fill it accurately based on the ambient temperature. Without a gauge, it's just a crap shoot on how much to put in. With that said, most A/C systems have low pressure cut off switches to save the compressor when the R134 is low. As you added and the pressure rose, the compressor kicked on. It will then stay on until the system is charged enough and it is cooling enough to begin cycling on and off. Cycling on and off is normal on a properly operating system. Obviously, the hotter it is, the longer it will stay cycled on. How big was the can of R134? If it was one of the small (16 oz) cans, I seriously doubt you overcharged it with only a pound of R134 added to a system who's compressor was not even coming on. Automobile A/C systems vary on how much R134 they have but I think 4 lbs is about average. If you are concerned, the best thing at this point is to take it to a shop because to really diagnose it, you need two gauges and you need to know what you're looking for as far as the high side and low side readings. They can tell if it's just low on R134 or if there's a compressor issue.
2011 Kizashi SLS CVT (silver)
2005 Honda Odyssey
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KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

If I recall correctly, when you refill from the bottle with the gauge, you are to have the A/C on full blast with the lowest temperature. This ensures the proper A/C engagement and cycling of the refrigerant as you add it. Was your A/C set to this? Make sure you also didn't have the AUTO function on. That allows the car to control the A/C's function automatically so it can turn on and off itself based on target cabin temperature.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
Jboyahhh
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Mar 12, 2015 2:58 pm

Any progress? I just had my GTS AC start to blow hot. Sadly, it's in the 100's here in Southern California.
KansasKid
Posts: 428
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 2:19 am
Location: Kansas City, Kansas

From what I can tell, if the A/C system is overcharged, the computer will automatically turn off the compressor once it detects the pressure in the system exceeds some threshold. I took the family on a 3 hour road trip after my botched A/C job, and after the first hour of the A/C kicking on/off and not really putting out any cold air, we stopped for lunch. I tried manually turning off the AC for a few minutes while we were driving, and then turning it back on, but that didn't help make the air cooler for more than a few seconds. Note the outside air temperature was between 85 and 90 degrees F.

While we were stopped, I used one of those blue, disposable shop towels to cover the low pressure port, and with my tire pressure gauge, I released some of the pressure out of the system. This is an action of somewhat questionable legality, but it seemed to do the trick. For the rest of the two hour trip (thanks in part to a cold-front that kept the ambient air temperature around 85 degrees F), the A/C did a good job of keeping the car cool.

By the time we reached our destination, however, the cold-front had passed and the temperature climbed to over 90 degrees F. Once that happened the A/C seemed like it would blow cold for about a minute, then it'd start blowing warm again, like the compressor was shutting off again. So I vented a little more out of the low pressure port, and the AC proceeded to blow good and cold for the rest of the weekend, including the whole 3 hour trip back to KC (which was above 90 degrees for most of the trip).

I still haven't had a chance to get back out and use the gauge on the A/C recharge bottle to check what the current pressure level is at, but I plan on trying to get to it sometime this week. The key takeaway I learned from all of this is to go slow when you recharge the system. When I was recharging the system, I would release the refrigerant for 10 seconds at a time, but I didn't give enough time between releases to make sure that the gauge was giving a proper reading. Also, when I went to release the pressure out of the system both times, I did two-10 second bursts to relieve the pressure. If you do decided to try and release some of the pressure out of your A/C system, make sure to hold your breath while you're doing it. And for anyone who's curious in doing this job themselves, the low pressure valve is in the back passenger side of the engine bay close to the hood (It's the blue-ish-green cap with a little "L" on it, much easier to get to than in my Chevy Cruze), while the A/C compressor is below the passenger side headlight. I'll try and take some pics to post when I go and check the pressure.
My Cars (Their Names)
'93 Ford Escort (Jorge - Prior)
'06 Kia Optima EX (Sakuya - Prior)
'11 Suzuki Kizashi SE AWD (Azumi)
'09 Subaru Impreza 2.5i Base 5MT(Akari - Prior)
'11 Chevy Cruze Eco 6MT (Erika - Prior)
'12 Suzuki Kizashi Sport SLS AWD (Kitsune)
BLyons
Posts: 226
Joined: Sun May 24, 2015 12:22 am

Mine has been blowing cool air, but I feel like it could/should be colder. I bought an A/C Pro kit this weekend and was planning on checking the pressure and doing a recharge. I'm a little worried though because I saw a lot of reviews that claimed the gauge was faulty and they ended up overcharging their cars. So now I have to wonder if they were legitimately faulty, or if those people just weren't following directions properly.
Black 2011 Sport SLS AWD
KansasKid
Posts: 428
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 2:19 am
Location: Kansas City, Kansas

My car definitely seemed to figure out that it was overcharged way before the gauge was anywhere near the red zone. That's why the A/C compressor started kicking on and off. The kit I used was an A/C Pro kit. Maybe just try releasing the refrigerant for about 10 to 20 seconds, and then waiting about a minute to check the gauge before you try to add more refrigerant?
My Cars (Their Names)
'93 Ford Escort (Jorge - Prior)
'06 Kia Optima EX (Sakuya - Prior)
'11 Suzuki Kizashi SE AWD (Azumi)
'09 Subaru Impreza 2.5i Base 5MT(Akari - Prior)
'11 Chevy Cruze Eco 6MT (Erika - Prior)
'12 Suzuki Kizashi Sport SLS AWD (Kitsune)
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KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

You definitely want to carefully read the instructions on the bottle and follow them. I have used these kinds of kits several times, all on different cars, and they all worked fantastically. From what I recall, you aren't supposed to use it in bursts. You keep continuously adding and occasionally tilting the can in different angles as LPSISRL wrote. You're also supposed to have the A/C going on full fan speed (hence, have the engine running).

I found the following video which are instructions from a manufacturer of one of these products. The sample car they used is a first-gen Mazda3 which is my previous car and one I've done this process to.

2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
BLyons
Posts: 226
Joined: Sun May 24, 2015 12:22 am

I ended up not doing it anyway because the gauge showed the pressure was right where it should be. I still feel like it was colder last summer, but whatever.
Black 2011 Sport SLS AWD
dslatsh
Posts: 127
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2015 11:22 am

I'm in the market to check my ac...would you recommend one of.those pro kits or one that comes with a gauge and the can of the refrigerant? SeeMs like pro kits have a trigger instead they also have ones with regular refrigerant, an advanced.formula and one that is synthetic blend that helps lube the pump etc and seal leaks anyone know which be best to use?
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