QuestionI drive a 2005 frtliner columbia, and just had new compressor and drier installed,charged, and worked fine for 60 days... very cold.
Then one day it just went warm.Charged in 2 cans freon and it "sort of worked" off and on.
I took it to the shop that installed compresser and all they did was evac, and recharge.All they got out of system was 3/4 lbs freon on a 3.5lb system.I asked where was the rest? They didnt know, or could see a leak. This troubled me.
It had to go somewhere..
Anyway, they recharged ,checked the cycle, and said it was ok.
IT WAS NOT OK.
I took it back and they replaced the expandtion valve, it still did not fix it.
It blows cool, not cold like it did before, and only for a a short time, then warm.... then cool again.
With a new compresser, drier, exp valve, it still is not fixed.
What should i do???
AnswerGregg,
The only time you will have less than the perfect amount of refrigerant in the system is when you have a leak. It is a sealed system, nothing should get in, nothing should get out. Think of it like your refrigerator... it's the exact same system when you break it down. How often have you ever had to recharge it.
It is safe to say that you definitely have a leak. And if the shop was worth 2 cents, you wouldn't have left there without them locating and fixing it. Sorry, that ticks me off because shops like that give those of us who actually know what we are doing a bad name.
Ok, steppin down from soapbox now.
Did the shop put any dye in the system when the recharged it? If so, with an ultraviolet or black lightbeing shone on the lines and rest of the system, it will make itself very noticable.
Chances are, if you just had the compressor and drier replaced, one of the little green o-rings was left off of one of the connections, and that is where the refrigerant is escaping.
Another way of checking in your garage....
Provinding you have some pressure inside the lines already....
get a spray bottle and fill it with a soap/water mixture. (heavy on the soap) or windex works very well also. Spray this around all of your connections on the lines, especially the ones that were recently taken apart. If you have any refrigerant inside the lines making pressure, you will see bubbles form wherever the leak is. Take your time doing this though. If it took 60 days for 2.75 pounds to leak out, it is a slow leak, and may take a moment or two for the bubbles to form. Also spray this on your condensor (in front of your radiator) and check for the same bubles, occasionally I will see a truck come in that had a pebble hit the condensor hard enough to crack the aluminun lines inside the fins.
But... make certain you have some pressure in your lines before doing this or you will just be wasting about an hour. (get one of the cheap gauges from autozone or somewhere and check it yourself, no need to pay someone to do that.
Thank you for your question, I hope I was able to be of some assistance, if so please remember to rate this answer. If I can be of any help now or in the future, please do not hesitate to ask. Thanks again and good luck in everything.
