a/c WAY overfilled (not by me)...did it destroy my compressor?

[v8only]

Hey all, my a/c wasn't working in my newly purchased 98 lsc..so I bought one of those $20 gauges from autozone and connected it to the nipple near the firewall.

The reading was completely off the gauge...literally the needle went all the way around past high and pegged on the stop just before 0.

Idiot owner must have shoved too many bottles in it.

While trying to test the pressure, part of the valve nipple unscrewed and all my my r134 vented suddenly. I'm extremely upset at this.

However, being how full it was, I'm worried my compressor was damaged and I don't want to purchase $75 worth of r134a just to find a bad compressor and have to evacuate it all.

What do you all think?? I can't check the compressor cause it won't cycle on cause there is no 134 in the system.

Should I pick up another a/c compressor and just install it? Any opionions? Any way of testing the compressor with no refridgerant?

 

[ratdog442]

try this

http://www.autoacforum.com/messageview.cfm?catid=20&threadid=12050

 

[v8only]

thanks for that...great link.. I saved that!

Talking to a friend, it seems my orifice tube "may" be clogged...I found this
http://www.autopartstomorrow.com/parts/7815967-four-seasons-fixed-orifice-tube

which seems better than a $20 splice repair kit...I'll try replacing that line...It makes sense why my pressure seemed so high

 

[DieselDan]

Let the EPA find out that you are venting R134a to the atmosphere....

 

[v8only]

Let the EPA find out that you are venting R134a to the atmosphere....

can't be much worse than everyone running around without cats.

Regardless I agree...that's why I'm so pissed...I lost $75 of refridgerant when that happened. Sadly I was trying to test the pressure when the silver valve that the cap screws onto unscrewed itself....the r134 blew up and out...scared the piss out of my father in law that was right next to me.

 

[2002WRXSTi]

Somehow I managed to overfill my AC system so I bit the bullet. Paid PepBoys to do a service on it. They drained and tested the system and gave me a warranty that if it leaks out they will refill it

That was last year and it is still working fine so I got lucky.

 

[JoshMcMadMac]

Buy your refrigerant elsewhere...$25 a pound is ridiculous. It sounds like the proper charge was in there and you are on the right path checking on the orifice. Be sure to have the system vacuumed down when you are ready to charge it.

 

[LaserSVT]

can't be much worse than everyone running around without cats.

Regardless I agree...that's why I'm so pissed...I lost $75 of refridgerant when that happened. Sadly I was trying to test the pressure when the silver valve that the cap screws onto unscrewed itself....the r134 blew up and out...scared the piss out of my father in law that was right next to me.

Its over 100x worse. Still not as bad as R-12 though.
And you are paying way too much for refrigerant.
AND the system wont run if overfilled. There is a high pressure sensor and low pressure sensor so I am sure the comp is fine.

As to orfice filter, never seen one on our cars but that does not mean they do not exist.
I find new chit on these cars all the time.

 

[Moes8]

$75 of R134a???

my car holds $18 worth

 

[Moes8]

was the compressor running when you checked it? i am guessing not.

if the system is charged and the compressor isnt running then you can show 70-90 psi on the low side, when the compressor runs it lowers the low side (suction side) down to 30-40 psi