Blocked Orifice Tube?

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SEMI_287

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Well the A/C hasn't worked in the Grand Am since I bought it. Three days ago I hooked up a refill hose with a gauge and It read 10 psi. So I put around 12 oz of 134a and around 20 oz of 134a with oil and stop leak. Right after I was getting down to 42 degrees out of the vent on max ac, ambient temp 88. I thought Great! It works. Now, yesterday all I would muster was 57 degrees and it was in the 70's. Today I have no A/C. It gets 'cool', blowing 75 out of he vents, temps were near 85 today. Did that rotten stop leak gum up the works?

My fans all work and those temperatures were at speed.

Oh and my gauge reads around 38 psi on the low side. I'm planning on getting a set of gauges this week sometime.
 
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Originally Posted By: SEMI_287
Did that rotten stop leak gum up the works?

If it plugged up the tube the low side would go into a vacuum. I'm guessing that you have a pretty big leak and lost the refrigerant already.

But without a high side reading I can't diagnose it.

The stop leak wont plug things up untill you open the system to replace the leaking part. When moisture gets in along with the air then it will harden into cement and plug everything up.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
I'm guessing that you have a pretty big leak and lost the refrigerant already.

But without a high side reading I can't diagnose it.



Well I just gave the high side valve a push and there's refrigerant. I'll have to see about getting a set of gauges. Also, if the compressor was on the way out a low high side reading would show up right?
 
I will have to agree that you have a bad leak somewhere. Fully charged you should have a higher pressure than 38psi on the low side.
 
Originally Posted By: Bluestream
You need to go and see a certified air conditioning technician


...and expect to pay to get that stop leak out of there.
frown.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Bluestream
Never use the stop leak, that is what caused your problems...

Sounds like the system had a good size leak already, the stop-leak may have just complicated the repair however.

Good news is the Grand Am a/c parts are plentiful, inexpensive and relatively easy to work on.

I'd get the gauge set then add some 134a with the green dye additive to locate and repair the leak. Shouldn't be too difficut to spot, unless its the evaporator.
 
Originally Posted By: Rock_Hudstone
Originally Posted By: Bluestream
Never use the stop leak, that is what caused your problems...

Sounds like the system had a good size leak already, the stop-leak may have just complicated the repair however.

Good news is the Grand Am a/c parts are plentiful, inexpensive and relatively easy to work on.

I'd get the gauge set then add some 134a with the green dye additive to locate and repair the leak. Shouldn't be too difficut to spot, unless its the evaporator.


The stop leak had the green dye in it. There's still good pressure in the system, the compressor still runs. There isn't any dye leaking anywhere. Although the most common and pronounced leaks in Grand Am's is the shaft seal behind the clutch and pulley. I've decided to get the system evacuated and just fix it right. I've ordered a gauge set and vacuum pump from Harbor Freight also a remanned compressor, accumulator, and orifice tube and seals from rockauto. This should do the trick.
 
Under what conditions did you get 38 on the low side?
What RPM, [if not static] Ambient temps, temp a few inches in front of the condenser, was there an external fan to cool things, what was the high side, etc., etc.,?
 
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