Honda Repair: A/C, mitsubishi galant, metal shavings

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I have a 2001 Mitsubishi Galant which I just purchased about a month ago.  The A/C isn't blowing that cold.  A mechanic looked at it quickly and put some R134a in it (since it was a little low) but it still isn't blowing that cold.  The other day for example, it was almost 80 degrees outside and the temperature at the center vent was mostly around 68 degrees.  There was a point where it was blowing at 56 degrees but it only stayed there for a couple of minutes and then went back to 68 degrees.  The other day it was 90 out and the A/C temp was about 77.  Today it was 60 out and the A/C temp was 44.  The A/C was always in recirculate mode and I heard the compressor kick-in every so often and the fan was set to speed 2.  When I set it to 3 or 4 the temperature would go up about 10 degrees (I guess because it was adding in warm air).  Also, the A/C temperature didn't change much when I was idling as compared to when I was driving.  Also, the low pressure line under the hood was ice cold.  Other cars that I have had had very cold A/C's.  Is it possible that this model car just doesn't blow as cold as other model cars?  I read on the Internet that sometimes metal shavings can partially block the line and divert the cold air.  Could this be the problem or do you have another suggestion?  Thank you for your time.

ANSWER: DJ, generally the failure is in the pump itself. How many miles on the car? Could be the condensor too with a blockage... The lines can be disassembled and blown out. Or the A/C core - heater core could have a blockage as well. Other than that I would inspect the system entirely for damage, bends, kinks, or have a pressure test done to ensure there is no leaks. There are gaskets on most of those lines too. Could be there too? Best o' luck...

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QUESTION: Hi again, the car only as 55,000 miles on it.  My mechanic said he removed all of the refigerant and filled it up again with the proper amount since he thought that is was overcharged.  It does blow a few degrees colder but it still isn't that cold.  Yesterday it was about 75 degrees out, but the A/C temp was about 55 degrees at Fan Setting 2.  At Fan Setting 3 the A/C temp is about 60. At Setting 4 it is about 62. That is without recirculation on.  When I put it on, the temp goes up about 2 degrees or so which is strange to me since it should go down.  The A/C compressor seems to be cycling normally.  There is something else that I noticed that may be causing the problem.  When I first start the car and put the A/C on it blows pretty cold...about 45 - 50.  Then after about 3 minutes or so the temp goes up to 55.  Also, when idling, when I just put the vent on (no A/C) the temperature of the air coming out of the vent is about 90 degrees (even though it was only 75 degrees outside).  The temp control was on the coldest setting.  Now I am thinking that possibly once the car heats up after 3 minutes the A/C is working very hard to try and cool that hot air that is coming in.  If this is true could this problem be Heat related...such as a blockage causing extra heat to come into the car? By the way, do you know how much refrigerant this car should have? Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Answer
DJ, i am not the greatest on A/C systems. Especially when it relates too Mitsubishi Galants as well. Is there a heat shield possibly missing? This could be a possibility too. There is a reservoir too. Small cylinder shaped. This should be ice cold when the A/C is on too. Other than that there is only a few components that could be causing these issues. Start by replacing the condensor which is either in front or behind your radiator. If there is damage i would think that this would be the most open for damage from road debris and what not. And then replace the next least expensive part. Hope this helps you.