My air conditioner is not cooling properly. Already checked and no codes. I searched and found numerous posts on adding freon, but you need to get the can that has a gauge. Where do you get the ones that have the gauge and what pressure should there be? I have an '03 that only has 8000 miles on it. I have see tne R134 cans at autozone, but never one with the gauge. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

when it comes to a/c and you don't know what you are doing, it is best to leave it to a professional. your problem could be anything from a vacuum leak to a bad compressor. but if you must, i think the zone has a guage set. the gauges don't come on the can, they are separate.

good luck, but over pressurization is as bad as under pressurization. find some place that will tell you what the pressure should be and check before you add.

i understand, it will probably be big money if you take it somewhere but at least you won't break anything else!

 

Examine all your coil and condensor fittings for a greasy dirt collection, it could be as simple as a loose fitting.

 

i recently got my '04 Z06, and the A/C wasn't cooling properly (cool when moving not so cool when idle) it ended up being a bad compressor and a leak in a line...

when i took it in it had 3 days left on the factory warranty! so i got a whole new A/C compressor, line, fittings, freon and now it cools just like a brand new car...

you should definitely get it checked by a professional...

 

When a car sits for too long and the AC is not ran, the oil in the refrigerant does not circulate in the lines, sometimes causing a crack in the seals and a leak.

Get a leak dye test before going crazy. IMHO

 

If you do not have any codes, the ONLY way to correctly diagnose the system is by observing the suction and discharge pressures. There very important!!!!! If you have low suction pressure, it would indicate that your low on R-134. The suction and discharge pressures are determined by a chart in the service manual. The "CORRECT" pressures are determined by the chart and effected by temp, Eng RPM, and humidity. When i get home tonight, I will try to take a picture of the page and post it.

The very first thing that I would do is check the "CONDENSER" !! Its the radiator looking thing that you see when you look under the car in the front. The actual engine cooling radiator is "BEHIND" the one you see. MAKE SURE that that condenser is clean and free of trash. If you don't see any trash in it, there could be dirt, leaves and trash "BETWEEN" the radiator and the condenser! There is a 3/4" space between the two and it commonly collects dirt and grass. I use a garden hose set to full hard jet and blast the condenser. I have also used a LONG handle bottle brush to help dis-lodge the crap in there. It will flush out a lot of sand. If you really want to make sure that there clean, your going to have to remove the plastic shroud/cover on top I(four screws and remove the air bridge) and flush and brush it out.

BC

 

question where you recommend to take my 2000 c5 if I dont want to take to the dealer?

 

Any compenent AC shop! Look in the yellow pages.

BC

 

thanks

 

I had a bad valve stem that allowed coolant leakage. AC shop fixed for $20 bucks 2 years ago with no problem since.