AC Recharge?

LunaEros

LunaEros

Well-Known LVC Member
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Ok. Last week the AC clutch fuse had burned out and I wasn't getting cold air. I hadn't used the AC for months over winter time. So I put another fuse in and it seemed ot start working again. I thought it was getting cold. It had felt it cool and assumed it was getting cold and turned it off but now realize that's all it is. Cool. It's not getting cold. I hooked up a half full recharge can with a gauge and it's showing about 35psi which I understand means it's full but it still took the rest of the can. I'm getting about 70° from the center vents when it was around 80° according to the external temp reading. The driver's side vent doesn't seem that cold though. Could it possibly need more? I read another thread where someone had a full reading but it kept on taking more refrigerant and eventually started getting cold and working right. I know the DCCV can cause it but wouldn't that throw a fault code if it was bad? Because I'm not getting any errors except for with the restraint system (I have a faulty side air bag and burned out warning light for it) and an occasional error on the ABS system. I see on the AC recharge gauge it shows the safe full zone goes up to 55psi. That, how it's blowing about 70° and how it took in the last half of the 134 makes me think it needs more. Should I try to recharge it some more or do I need to check something else like the DCCV? I don't really know how to check that though.
 
LunaEros said:
Ok. Last week the AC clutch fuse had burned out and I wasn't getting cold air. I hadn't used the AC for months over winter time. So I put another fuse in and it seemed ot start working again. I thought it was getting cold. It had felt it cool and assumed it was getting cold and turned it off but now realize that's all it is. Cool. It's not getting cold. I hooked up a half full recharge can with a gauge and it's showing about 35psi which I understand means it's full but it still took the rest of the can. I'm getting about 70° from the center vents when it was around 80° according to the external temp reading. The driver's side vent doesn't seem that cold though. Could it possibly need more? I read another thread where someone had a full reading but it kept on taking more refrigerant and eventually started getting cold and working right. I know the DCCV can cause it but wouldn't that throw a fault code if it was bad? Because I'm not getting any errors except for with the restraint system (I have a faulty side air bag and burned out warning light for it) and an occasional error on the ABS system. I see on the AC recharge gauge it shows the safe full zone goes up to 55psi. That, how it's blowing about 70° and how it took in the last half of the 134 makes me think it needs more. Should I try to recharge it some more or do I need to check something else like the DCCV? I don't really know how to check that though.
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Maybe check the DCCV fuse since you had other issues with the other fuses? I will say not to overfill the AC! I have done it and honestly not sure what damage it could have caused to the last LS I had. It might have just been a safety valve that popped out to prevent any damage and I am sure others might chime in here about that as well. I know when I had a DCCV fuse blow the air was not extremely hot that came out but it was not cold at all. Not saying that is your cause but just an idea.
 
From what I gather the DCCV fuse is the same fuse that I replaced that wasn't allowing my AC clutch to engage.
After a lot of reading and watching YouTube videos about it I'm starting to think that maybe it is the GD DCCV. I heard someone explain his problem as "It's acting like the heater and the AC are running at the same time". That sounds pretty much like what mine seems to be doing since I can only seem to get that 70° reading at a particular position in the stream of air out of the vent. With the exception that neither seem to be extremely hot or cold. More like I'm getting warm and cool streams of air out of the vents at the same time. The only way I saw to manually test if it's the DCCV is to crimp the coolant feed hose to it. They said if the AC starts working more normal again then you have your main culprit. But even to do that it seems I have to take so much stuff off that I'd already have access to the valve.
Why the F did they have to make all the failure prone parts so GD inaccessible?!!! GRRRRR!!!!! Looks like I'll have to check it out one of the next two weekends.
I know that most of the LS wizards in here say to get OEM type parts but does anyone have decent experience with aftermarkets DCCVs? I've seen some people claim they haven't had any major issues with other aftermarket parts. I already know what Joe would say. Not to waste my time and just get the oem part. But I'd rather not spend so much more to get the Motorcraft/Bosch one. That's money I need to get other things fixed.
 
The DCCV is extremely easy to access compared to the air temperature blend door on a panther. Trust me, the LS actually was an improvement on that.
It pretty easy to determine if it is the DCCV or not. Wait till the engine is completely cold (wait over-night at least). Start it up and put the AC on full blast. It should freeze you out for the first minute or so. If it does, and then gets warmer and warmer - probably the DCCV. If it just barely cools at start up, then its probably not the DCCV.

There is the giant misunderstanding about that pressure gauge on the DIY recharge cans. (BTW, never, ever use one. They have junk in there that can kill your expansion valve (whole dash has to come out then), and they reduce cooling capacity.) That gauge just reads the low side pressure. You can't tell anything about charge level from that! You have to monitor the low and high side pressures, outdoor temperature, and use the settings from the service manual and compare the readings from the charts there. (Settings are min temperature, max blower, fresh air, all windows down.) Even with that, it is just a really good guess on it. The only way to be 100% sure is to vacuum it down and weigh new refrigerant in.
 
Ok. I did that, Joe. Haven't started it since last night. Wunderground says it's 53° here. Went into the car warmed up the temperature probe I have to 75° and then stuck it in the vent.
Started the car and put it on full blast. The temp plunged to 40° in the first minute. Let it keep running. At about 5 minutes it worked itself back up to about 50°. I stopped at 10 minutes. The car's cooling system was up to 151° and the temp coming out of the vent had gone up to 60°-62°.
So you think that's the DCCV then?
 
No, it really doesn't sound like it. Usually, DCCV problems result in high heating.
Unfortunately, my test doesn't really work below 70 or 80, since the outdoor is already close to as low as the AC would cool anyway.
 
joegr said:
No, it really doesn't sound like it. Usually, DCCV problems result in high heating.
Unfortunately, my test doesn't really work below 70 or 80, since the outdoor is already close to as low as the AC would cool anyway.
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According to Wunderground the temp isn't supposed to get up to 70° here until the 24th. Just a few days ago is was almost 75°. Damn weather can't make up it's mind.
Can the DCCVs get stuck part way open? I didn't try turning the heat on to see how warm it would get at where the engine temp was. I have noticed the heat hasn't gotten hot. Only kinda warm. At least for the past month or two, come to think of it.
 
LunaEros said:
We seem to be jump around here. This is what the next ten days looks like here.
Hickory, NC 10-Day Weather Forecast | Weather Underground
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Even better on my side in NC near the beach.
Screen Shot 2021-03-15 at 11.54.25 AM.png
 
joegr said:
Unlikely, but not impossible for sure.
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Do I need to wait until the temp is closer to 70°? It did seem to rise in temp as the engine warmed up. And the initially temp at 40° was much colder than outside felt.
 
If you got this car used recently just assume it's gonna need the DCCV. I suspect a lot of the people get rid of these cars cause they don't understand the coolant system. Every single Used LS I have owned the DCCV is a part that had to be changed from the start. Even on my current 03 LS I saw on the carfax and service records and about everything else had been replaced and mine was giving about the same quality air he describes till I replaced the DCCV. Replaced my DCCV and had great cold AC ever since. And also make sure you check the DCCV fuse again after you change it as mine blew after my last was changed.
 
DaleGrib said:
If you got this car used recently just assume it's gonna need the DCCV. I suspect a lot of the people get rid of these cars cause they don't understand the coolant system. Every single Used LS I have owned the DCCV is a part that had to be changed from the start. Even on my current 03 LS I saw on the carfax and service records everything else had been replaced and mine was giving about the same quality air he describes till I replaced the DCCV. Replaced my DCCV and had great cold AC ever since.
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Yeah, I got it last year from a private used car dealer. He has a 2000 too that he hasn't gotten around to fixing to sell. He told me he had replaced the DCCV when I asked before I bought it. And it worked perfectly before now. Though I don't know how long ago he did. Because he had sold the car to at least one or two other but he had to get it back since they couldn't make the payments. And though he's a pretty honest guy he probably would've gotten an aftermarket one.
 
LunaEros said:
Yeah, I got it last year from a private used car dealer. He has a 2000 too that he hasn't gotten around to fixing to sell. He told me he had replaced the DCCV when I asked before I bought it. And it worked perfectly before now. Though I don't know how long ago he did. Because he had sold the car to at least one or two other but he had to get it back since they couldn't make the payments. And though he's a pretty honest guy he probably would've gotten an aftermarket one.
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And most people that don't know these cars that well would make an assumption that the aftermarket one was safe. It's not something you can really fault them for per se. You should be able to tell if it's aftermarket once it's out cause most likely if OEM it will have Bosch stamped on the silver part. On most cars the good name aftermarket parts are just fine but not on this car for the coolant system!
 
LunaEros said:
... And though he's a pretty honest guy he probably would've gotten an aftermarket one.
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I'd bet that he did, how would he know not to...

This does increase the odds of it being the DCCV, but I would wait for warmer days before jumping in.
 
You said yours did the same thing, Dale? Last week when it was hot in the car I turned the ac on and it only felt kinda cool up near the vent. And somehow only seemed cool around the center of the air stream out of it. A few day later when I got the temp probe out I was able to only get 60° at a particular spot in the center of of the vent. Plus when it was freezing here a couple months ago it seemed like it was only getting warm. Though my trip to work and back is only 10 minutes. Then the more exacting measurements I just made.
Yours did similar and it was the DCCV?
 
joegr said:
I'd bet that he did, how would he know not to...
This does increase the odds of it being the DCCV, but I would wait for warmer days before jumping in.
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I'll do the test again when it gets warmer. If it is maybe I'll wait a month or two and if it gets warm enough to need it I'll try pinching off the hose feeding it somehow until I do. Plus that should also tell me if it's the DCCV screwing up, no?
 
LunaEros said:
I'll do the test again when it gets warmer. If it is maybe I'll wait a month or two and if it gets warm enough to need it I'll try pinching off the hose feeding it somehow until I do. Plus that should also tell me if it's the DCCV screwing up, no?
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Yes, pinch off both supplies though.
 
I bet there's no trick to get around having to drain the system to replace it, is there.
I also wonder if I need to replace it if it's possible to rebuild the one I pull out. Those solenoids all are held on with small torx, right?
 
LunaEros said:
You said yours did the same thing, Dale? Last week when it was hot in the car I turned the ac on and it only felt kinda cool up near the vent. And somehow only seemed cool around the center of the air stream out of it. A few day later when I got the temp probe out I was able to only get 60° at a particular spot in the center of of the vent. Plus when it was freezing here a couple months ago it seemed like it was only getting warm. Though my trip to work and back is only 10 minutes. Then the more exacting measurements I just made.
Yours did similar and it was the DCCV?
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Yep at times, one spot was colder than the other when mine failed. Then it got really hot overtime when it would malfunction. I suspect my door was sticking on mine cause this car has done more sitting in its life than driving.
 
DaleGrib said:
Yep at times, one spot was colder than the other when mine failed.
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I mean out of a single vent, not different vents. Mine had felt like the center of the air stream coming out of the center driver's vent was cool but the air towards the outside of that vent felt more warm.
 
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