My Dash air hasn't been very cold lately so I tried servicing it with 134a freon that I bought at Walmart with gage. The initial pressure reading was below 10 psi at 75* ambient. The gage says I should see between 35-45psi. I put in one 12oz can of leak stop freon and several 12oz cans of 134a freon. When the gage got up to about 35 psi, the compressor clutch would intermittently stop and start and would sometimes make a screeching noise like metal on metal for a couple of seconds or so, while turning slow, then turn off/on, for a few times, then start turning at regular speed. Then start this process all over again. I thought maybe there was too much pressure or something, (inaccurate gage?) so I released the pressure down to 25 psi and the compressor clutch stopped doing this and the dash air is now cold. Does anyone know if too much pressure can cause the compressor to do this? Thanks for any suggestions. Larry

Larry, First off, you just did something illegal that you could be fined for. You cannot release any kind of freon, including 134a into the atmosphere. It must be captured. The compressor will not work properly on too high a pressure. I'm not sure exactly how it acts when the pressure is too high. Next time, you should go to a repair shop where they will perform the work properly and legally.

Sound like you got a liquid lock, If you turn the can upside down or on its side it will put in liquid and on the low side that is a no-no.

For a system that is cooling but not well one can of Freon should be enough. Several more cans was way too many cans of Freon.

jfkmk wrote:Larry, First off, you just did something illegal that you could be fined for. You cannot release any kind of freon, including 134a into the atmosphere. It must be captured. Why then are AirSoft guns allowed to use 134A as a propellant? Some spray cans do similar.Air Soft GasI suspect the rules you quote are for discharge of 134a into the atmosphere by shops who discharged the gas in high volumes and charging for the service, not the one-off vehicle owner.Golly-Gee, if I lose 134A due to a leak, am I going to pay a fine or go to jail? Or.....is a leak OK but disharge is not? Help me understand the jeopardy we are all in.

R134A is not the same. Please be a little more careful in your statements.http://www.epa.gov/Ozone/title6/608/608fact.htmlThe Prohibition on VentingEffective July 1, 1992, Section 608 of the Act prohibits individuals from intentionally venting ozone-depleting substances used as refrigerants (generally CFCs and HCFCs) into the atmosphere while maintaining, servicing, repairing, or disposing of air-conditioning or refrigeration equipment (appliances). Only four types of releases are permitted under the prohibition:"De minimis" quantities of refrigerant released in the course of making good faith attempts to recapture and recycle or safely dispose of refrigerant.Refrigerants emitted in the course of normal operation of air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment (as opposed to during the maintenance, servicing, repair, or disposal of this equipment) such as from mechanical purging and leaks. However, EPA requires the repair of leaks above a certain size in large equipment (see Refrigerant Leaks).Releases of CFCs or HCFCs that are not used as refrigerants. For instance, mixtures of nitrogen and R-22 that are used as holding charges or as leak test gases may be released.Small releases of refrigerant that result from purging hoses or from connecting or disconnecting hoses to charge or service appliances will not be considered violations of the prohibition on venting.However, recovery and recycling equipment manufactured after November 15, 1993, must be equipped with low-loss fittings.Thank you and have a nice day, by the way IMO too much freon should not cause Metal to Metal sound.

Dash air | Good Sam Community

deandec
Explorer
May 16, 2015
jfkmk wrote:
Larry,
First off, you just did something illegal that you could be fined for. You cannot release any kind of freon, including 134a into the atmosphere. It must be captured.

Why then are AirSoft guns allowed to use 134A as a propellant? Some spray cans do similar.

Air Soft Gas

I suspect the rules you quote are for discharge of 134a into the atmosphere by shops who discharged the gas in high volumes and charging for the service, not the one-off vehicle owner.

Golly-Gee, if I lose 134A due to a leak, am I going to pay a fine or go to jail?

Or.....is a leak OK but disharge is not? Help me understand the jeopardy we are all in.
Ivylog
Explorer III
May 16, 2015
For a system that is cooling but not well one can of Freon should be enough. Several more cans was way too many cans of Freon.
MountainAir05
Explorer II
May 16, 2015
Sound like you got a liquid lock, If you turn the can upside down or on its side it will put in liquid and on the low side that is a no-no.
jfkmk
Explorer
May 16, 2015
Larry,
First off, you just did something illegal that you could be fined for. You cannot release any kind of freon, including 134a into the atmosphere. It must be captured.

The compressor will not work properly on too high a pressure. I'm not sure exactly how it acts when the pressure is too high.

Next time, you should go to a repair shop where they will perform the work properly and legally.

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