A/C not cold at idle so added R134A and now no cold air

[gpjlytham]

Hi All

I have a 2011 Genesis 4.6l and the A/C was blowing cold when you were moving but at idle the A/C was not very cold (not as cold as my other cars) so i thought it must be low on R134A so i put some in and now i don't have any cold air. I have ordered a gauge set off amazon that should be here tomorrow.

On order: - OrionMotorTech 3 Way AC Diagnostic Manifold Gauge Set for Freon Charging, Fits R134A R12 R22 and R502 Refrigerants, with 5FT Hose, Acme Tank Adapters, Adjustable Couplers and Can Tap.

The compressor clutch is engaging but not disengaging.

I guess i might have put too much refrigerant in the system. It might be an expensive oops.

What pressure readings should i have on the high and low sides? If it makes any difference I live in AZ and we have very low humidity and crazy hot temps.

thanks.

 

[Ducatislave]

Hi All

I have a 2011 Genesis 4.6l and the A/C was blowing cold when you were moving but at idle the A/C was not very cold (not as cold as my other cars) so i thought it must be low on R134A so i put some in and now i don't have any cold air. I have ordered a gauge set off amazon that should be here tomorrow.

On order: - OrionMotorTech 3 Way AC Diagnostic Manifold Gauge Set for Freon Charging, Fits R134A R12 R22 and R502 Refrigerants, with 5FT Hose, Acme Tank Adapters, Adjustable Couplers and Can Tap.

The compressor clutch is engaging but not disengaging.

I guess i might have put too much refrigerant in the system. It might be an expensive oops.

What pressure readings should i have on the high and low sides? If it makes any difference I live in AZ and we have very low humidity and crazy hot temps.

thanks.

your pressure readings depend entirely on amount of refrigerant (by weight) in the system and the ambient air temp. while that does not really answer your question as to what the pressure difference should be my guess is that you have blown out the orifice valve (lots of newer cars have a burst disk built into the orifice valve to protect the compressor from lockup as a result of overcharging the system) if the compressor is running nonstop. Here is how I arrived at that conclusion. 1-the compressor clutch will not engage if the resting system pressure is below the set threshold. 2- the constant operation of the clutch tells me that it is not able to suck down the low side far enough to cause the clutch to disengage, or in other words its not building any high side pressure.
If, when your gauges arrive, you find that with the car running the high side( check high side only before opening valve for low side, so as not to destroy your low side gauge) pressure does not significantly increase as soon as the compressor turns, on then your have damaged the TPR/orifice valve and will have to replace it. Also be sure to confirm that at least one of the fans kicks on as soon as the clutch is engaged, a bad fan relay or fuse may have been your "not as cold air at idle" issue to begin with. Regardless of the result, I will caution you NEVER use any of the advertised super synthetic refrigerants or anything with leak stopper, that is a death sentence for your compressor, seals and orifice valve. straight 134a with the appropriate amount of refrigerant oil in the compressor will yield the coldest air possible, as well as the longest system life.

 

[G-722549]

The gauges arrived and i hooked them up and took out some pressure and the a/c started to work again. I took it on a long run 70ish miles in 114 degrees (dash says 114) heat and it was working well.

hopefully it's cured.

 

[OlderGuy1stGenesis]

Overcharge is two times worse than undercharge. That is why they got away from 30 lb. refrigerant bottles, emphasizing 12 oz cans.

 

[pulsar]

When you charge a system you can add gas or liquid depending on position of can. It’s possible your initial fill got an imbalance between high and low side depending on if gas or liquid Freon was going in. One of the two lines off the compressor should be cold and sweating some. Back in my high school days did not have gages so would add Freon and keep my hand on the cold side line of the compressor, suction side I think for liquid line if I remember correctly was the hot side, when the cold side was good and cold I stopped adding Freon. Poor mans method but never damaged a system. This was in R12 days too. Still have 5 or 6 new cans of R12 in the cabinet. Not sure its legal to even have that stuff anymore?

 

[EdP]

This was in R12 days too. Still have 5 or 6 new cans of R12 in the cabinet. Not sure its legal to even have that stuff anymore?

Not many R12 systems left, but the right person will pay you more than you paid for it. I'd not advertise it but sell it at a swap meet. There are some legalities today with EPA certification and such. Not sure but you have to have a certification to buy commercially.

 

[OlderGuy1stGenesis]

When you charge a system you can add gas or liquid depending on position of can. It’s possible your initial fill got an imbalance between high and low side depending on if gas or liquid Freon was going in. One of the two lines off the compressor should be cold and sweating some. Back in my high school days did not have gages so would add Freon and keep my hand on the cold side line of the compressor, suction side I think for liquid line if I remember correctly was the hot side, when the cold side was good and cold I stopped adding Freon. Poor mans method but never damaged a system. This was in R12 days too. Still have 5 or 6 new cans of R12 in the cabinet. Not sure its legal to even have that stuff anymore?

There is always ''an imbalance between the high and low side" (that is the pump pumping) Without that imbalance nothing would move.

There are only a few key issues in basic air conditioning. One, what shape is the compressor in ? Is it pumping without reed or valve damage ? Next do electromagnetic/electronic controls like the compressor clutch work ? Does the metering device or thermostatic expansion valve work ? Is the system clean and free from trash like ground up metal ? Has the correct amount of oil been added to the system, and lastly was/is the weighed charge measured in according to the specified weight ?

Guessing always leads to unwanted results and/or system damage.

 

[OUsig]

the AC in my Genesis is pretty weak when at idle also. VS our 2007 Tahoe will blast ICE cold air all day long in ANY situation
the Genesis seems weak. I may need to get this looked at also. Heck I have replaced so many parts the past year or 2 already...

 

[Ozy44]

The A/C in my 2012 3.8 is also weak at idle. My guess is that the radiator/condenser fan does not move enough air at idle. My A/C gets colder almost immediately when i begin moving forward and more air is pushed into the engine compartment.

 

[OlderGuy1stGenesis]

The A/C in my 2012 3.8 is also weak at idle. My guess is that the radiator/condenser fan does not move enough air at idle. My A/C gets colder almost immediately when i begin moving forward and more air is pushed into the engine compartment.

I am a retired hvac professional.

AC in most cars requires that one or two electric fans run under 35 mph, ALWAYS. So that means that, in summer, one or more electric fans MUST be running whenever the compressor clutch is engaged, with radiator and air conditioning condenser clear of trash, including insects. I have occasionally seen a car with a plastic bag sucked into a radiator area.

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[OlderGuy1stGenesis]

the AC in my Genesis is pretty weak when at idle also. VS our 2007 Tahoe will blast ICE cold air all day long in ANY situation
the Genesis seems weak. I may need to get this looked at also. Heck I have replaced so many parts the past year or 2 already...

Work must always be performed by hvac auto professionals or someone that has completed a two year program of hvac in a technical school, or an auto program in a technical school. In cars, THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS and always 7 areas where a do it your selfer can screw it up ! <20 years commercial hvac USC School of Medicine>

 

[rstlne]

Hopefully you figured out your issue with the ac recharge. If not.....

Take it to a pro and save yourself a headache.

I had similar issues last year, hot at idle, cools while in motion. I was thinking about doing in myself earlier this year but decided against it. I did not have the necessary tools to do it properly by gauging, flushing, making sure lines are clear etc. Also, as I get older, I think to myself, do I really want to do this and is it worth my time? So, with those thoughts, I had a good reputable mechanic/shop do the job for me. I think it was about $70-$100, dropped it off in the morning and picked it up after work, and the AC has been working a lot better the last 6 months.

 

[G-40407]

Hopefully you figured out your issue with the ac recharge. If not.....

Take it to a pro and save yourself a headache.

I had similar issues last year, hot at idle, cools while in motion. I was thinking about doing in myself earlier this year but decided against it. I did not have the necessary tools to do it properly by gauging, flushing, making sure lines are clear etc. Also, as I get older, I think to myself, do I really want to do this and is it worth my time? So, with those thoughts, I had a good reputable mechanic/shop do the job for me. I think it was about $70-$100, dropped it off in the morning and picked it up after work, and the AC has been working a lot better the last 6 months.

So what was the fix for your issue?

 

[rstlne]

So what was the fix for your issue?

My fix was, I took it to a reputable shop and had them do everything properly for me so I wouldn't be going through what OP is going through. Spend the extra $20, $30, $50 and have your local reputable shop do it and save yourself a headache.

$25 fre-on, $15 tool, = $40. Your time and if you screw up, 100000000 hours and a 2 bottles of Costco qty Tylenol for your headaches.
$100 ac/mechanic shop, 2-8 hours. Pick up car, turn on AC, no worries.

If you want to figure it out, go for it. AC isn't worth figuring out without having or buying the proper tools to troubleshoot.

 

[Ozy44]

My fix was, I took it to a reputable shop and had them do everything properly for me so I wouldn't be going through what OP is going through. Spend the extra $20, $30, $50 and have your local reputable shop do it and save yourself a headache.

$25 fre-on, $15 tool, = $40. Your time and if you screw up, 100000000 hours and a 2 bottles of Costco qty Tylenol for your headaches.
$100 ac/mechanic shop, 2-8 hours. Pick up car, turn on AC, no worries.

If you want to figure it out, go for it. AC isn't worth figuring out without having or buying the proper tools to troubleshoot.

So what did the reputable shop do to fix the issue?

 

[2014BH38]

Same problem here...please give details as to what the fix was. Many thanks.

 

[3dwaxmill]

So what did the reputable shop do to fix the issue?

Same issue I did take mine to a AC pro and they said nothing was wrong. all pressures and charges were fine.

So what did your pro do??

 

[luffy09876]

I apologize for bringing up this old thread. I had a similar issue with my vehicle recently; It turns out I just need to recharge the refrigerant in the AC system. I did a DIY on recharging the refrigerant, though. I came across an in-depth article that may be worth reading. Search for "Hyundai Air Conditioner A/C Recharge Instructions on YOUCANIC" and you will see an article that goes over common causes and possible fixes. You can read about it yourself. I hope this information can assist someone else with a similar issue.