QuestionAbout 1 month ago I had my A/C system professionally charged with freon for my 1996 Honda Del Sol S. About a week ago the A/C stopped being cold. Around the same time, I also had my radiator flushed. I don't know if those were linked. Anyway, I just put some R-134 in myself this last weekend to check for leaks, and it looks like the Schroeder(sp?) valve might be leaking because I saw some bubbles coming up very slowly. I have not seen any dye come out yet though. After I put in the new freon, my car started making this clicking noise with the A/C on, and every time it clicked, the tach would bounce when I was idling. I would idle at about 600 rpm, and then it would bounce up to about 900 rpm, quickly down to 200 rpm, stay there for a fraction of a second, and then back up to 600 rpm for about a full second. This cycle repeats when I am idling with the A/C on. When I actually driving with the A/C on, the car seems to lose power and then gain it back in a cycle pattern of the same time intervals. With the A/C off the car drives like normal. The air is still blowing cold, but I can't say for sure that it is as cold as when I first put the freon in. Any suggestions? I have just over 100,000 miles on my car and it runs very well normally.
AnswerSteve, I apologize for the last answer, I accidentaly pasted a response to another questioner. Here is what you were supposed to get......
The schraeder valves are notorious for leaking. But they can also be misleading. If you seen the bubbles immediately after removing the fitting from the service port, it may have just been slow to reseat itself. A quick way to check is to mix up some dish liquid and water in a spray bottle and squirt the valve. If it is still making bubbles, then I would say that the rubber seal around the base of the valve is dried and leaking from there. You can replace these relatively cheaply. It's just a matter of recovering the refrigerant inside it and having it charged back up. If you should find that the valve is no longer leaking... you can use this same solution to look for where your system is leaking. Concentrate on anywhere there is a joint or fitting. If you see bubbles form, you have found your leak, have it repaired and charged back up.
But with your description, you are decribing your clutch "cycling" as we call it. This is when your low pressure switch turns on your compressor, then the pressure drops too low because of the low charge, and the switch opens back up and shuts it off.
If you had it charged a month ago, and it has already leaked out, then your leak is rather sizable, and you should be able to locate it with the soapy water. (Windex works well also)
Thank you for the question, I hope I was of some assistance. If I can do anything further during this process, or in the future, please do not hesitate to ask. If you found this response to be of some assistance, please remember to rate this answer. Thanks again and good luck in everything.
