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A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged


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mactube
User

Sep 20, 2019, 1:07 PM

Post #1 of 30 (2682 views)
  post locked   A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

My A/C of my 2015 Chevy Camaro is "kind of working" , it blows cool air, but the air is not really getting cold. So I figured there I have to just top off the refrigerant , which I did. The Pressure level was in the very low level of the green zoon, So I filled it up to the top level of the green zone, but the temperature hasn't changed at all.

Does somebody have an idea what the problem could be?


Hammer Time
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Sep 20, 2019, 1:33 PM

Post #2 of 30 (2666 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

Those DIY kits will do more damage than good. This needs to be diagnosed professionally ready both high and low pressures after a complete evacuate and recharge. The charge has to be exact and there is no way to do that without completely evacuating and charging with a specific weight of refrigerant.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



mactube
User

Sep 20, 2019, 1:40 PM

Post #3 of 30 (2662 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

@Hammer Time wow... I never know this.. you see these DIY Kids so commonly that you would think thats the way to to do it..... thx


Hammer Time
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Sep 20, 2019, 1:47 PM

Post #4 of 30 (2660 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

We refer to those things as "Death kits". Those things can cause you to do serious damage to the system.

You can't just arbitrarily add refrigerant when you don't even know if it is actually low. The exact amount of charge is very critical and only then can the pressures give us an idea what the problem is.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
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Sep 20, 2019, 2:01 PM

Post #5 of 30 (2652 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

@ mactube: Days of REAL DIY single cans of REAL stuff are gone now. Yes they sell it for all those who recall that. Yes you could just blast in charge and look at a glass that it wasn't foamy and it was, eh - 'about right' and worked. Systems held mega pounds of refrigerant.
End all is just what Hammer Time said. Still yes it can be done when all info is lost or something altered OMG takes me hours sometimes.
The "Death Kits" did seem to dump the sealers on some but still NOT GOOD. You can't purge the silly hose nor trust or test by the cheap gauge first and know you can play with the things.
Side note YES I buy those if well marked PURE refrigerant here in New England that stuff goes dirt cheap for Winter about now already costs less than the can did.
Side tapped you can run it thru machines or gauges. You'd freak out at what simple stuff costs PLUS really have a clue what you are looking for where at what temps all over all parts.
End of story is it's not worth it. Do as said many times here when we hear this is just get it vacuumed out and charged by weight listed on it THEN IF NOT PERFECT EVEN A SHORT WHILE YOU KNOW THERE'S MORE TO DO to really fix it.


Then if you think you can still go thru that again can be out some serious bucks, worse make it so bad it's wrecks it.
Long time now to suggest just don't the equipment just isn't worth it for casual use,


Tom



mactube
User

Oct 1, 2019, 3:14 PM

Post #6 of 30 (2566 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

You guys really scared me, so I decided to make an appointment at local jiffy lube ... found an offer for $119 for an A/C service I hope that will fix the problem.

I will come back on here to post how it went...

I noticed, that the driver side vents blow real hot air, while the passenger side vents blow air thats slightly cold.


Tom Greenleaf
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Oct 1, 2019, 3:28 PM

Post #7 of 30 (2562 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

That's an age old sign of working but slightly too low on charge. Today no guessing let Jiffy Lube get it spot on THEN YOU KNOW IT CAN WORK PROPERLY. It may last or not IDK how well they are at finding leaks? They should also be able to tell how much came out. That's cheap info to have if not the end of this IMO,


T



Hammer Time
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Oct 1, 2019, 3:35 PM

Post #8 of 30 (2560 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

OH my God...........Jiffy Lube?

They can't even do an oil change right.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



mactube
User

Oct 2, 2019, 11:11 PM

Post #9 of 30 (2542 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

I ended up taking it to another shop which I found an A/C Service Groupon for.

They filled up the freon but told me the blend door actuator is not working thats why there is hot air blowing out of the drivers side vents and cold air out of the passenger side vents. Costs: $750


Hammer Time
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Oct 3, 2019, 4:29 AM

Post #10 of 30 (2537 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

OK, so now you have the correct diagnoses. You may not like the extra expense but at least you didn't do any harm to the refrigeration system by overcharging it yourself.

Here is the part. Accessing it may be difficult.






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Tom Greenleaf
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Oct 3, 2019, 5:50 AM

Post #11 of 30 (2533 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

Great find HT! OP: He - getting to stuff IS the game that costs. Why is my thought on basically newer stuff. If you disconnect the battery and do NOT use a memory saver that holds slightest residual power dang doors can stick! That applies for total dead battery by surprise too.
Will it change otherwise or hear it struggling? Hard with other noises. Not sure car by car if that's found if you can bump it out of that problem and prove it is before the big dig in there?
Good luck and you made the right choice for you this was in need of higher able techs to pin down,


T



Hammer Time
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Oct 3, 2019, 5:59 AM

Post #12 of 30 (2529 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

Yes, what happens in that battery thing is that every time the battery is reconnected, the doors go through a calibration process that forces them to the extreme limits and many times they get stuck there as they rarely hit that position with so much force.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
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Oct 3, 2019, 6:45 AM

Post #13 of 30 (2525 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

HT! Why on Earth do we know of such crazy stuff? I gotta re-find and good old speedometer cable, clean it of greases and glue a bumper magnet on the end to fish down that crap either push or pull dang things! That's why I made the big bucks - I WISH! Tom


mactube
User

Oct 3, 2019, 3:30 PM

Post #14 of 30 (2513 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

@Hammer Time @Tom Greenleaf thanks for the imput !!
yes ... I heard of accessing the actuator or the blend door its a crazy job.. I saw a youtube video where somebody actually took apart the entire dash board ind still cut some corners to not take out the windshield.

I seen other videos where people cut though the side of the dash board with a saw to get to the part. Now a weighing the option to actually take it to the Chevy dealerships for them to actually text the errors to hopefully find something different !? ... I might have to check because some of them charge $260/hour


Hammer Time
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Oct 3, 2019, 3:42 PM

Post #15 of 30 (2509 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

The flat rate for yours is 3.5 hours so it doesn't appear the dash has to be removed on that one. I believe it can be accessed from under the dash.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



mactube
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Oct 3, 2019, 7:23 PM

Post #16 of 30 (2493 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

@tomgreenleaf .. I don't here anything struggling or any clicking noise when I operate the A/C.

@HammerTime from what I hear, one side of the blend door often breaks off and causes it to get stuck.

Do you have a partner of the blend door or actuator from your diagram ?


Hammer Time
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Oct 3, 2019, 7:27 PM

Post #17 of 30 (2489 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

If the door itself is broken, then you have a pretty serious problem but I've only seen that happen on a lot of Jeeps and a few Fords.

See if you can get a visual on it and you will be able to watch whether it is rotating the shaft or not.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



mactube
User

Oct 3, 2019, 7:29 PM

Post #18 of 30 (2487 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

When people post a broken blend door, they mention the same symptoms: cold air out of the passenger side , hot air out of the diver side vent.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/upkolmdwjswjof5/blend%20door%201.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/f3eex7vl19a564g/blend%20door%202.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8bzumup8h8kefwe/blend%20door%203.jpg?dl=0

They will then cut though the housing to replace the blend door:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/co7oy9ds6xvhet4/blend%20door%20housing%202.jpg?dl=0

I have seen on guy on youtube who took on the job himself that the dealership charges thousands of dollars for :
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ig05k606i3uzfhk/dash.jpg?dl=0


Hammer Time
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Oct 3, 2019, 7:36 PM

Post #19 of 30 (2482 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

I don't know why you are assuming that is even your problem.

Even if it was the issue there is no reason to hack things up by cutting. It all screws together.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



mactube
User

Oct 3, 2019, 9:40 PM

Post #20 of 30 (2478 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

I will start by trying to taking the actuator off.


Tom Greenleaf
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Oct 4, 2019, 1:34 AM

Post #21 of 30 (2475 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

mactube, HT, You two take it from here I suspect info overload + we are ALL still guessing. Prove what it's going to need as best as poss. then move on to just that. This came a long way from a "Death Kit" charge kit! OMG, carry on I'll do the heavy watching, Tom


mactube
User

Oct 4, 2019, 1:13 PM

Post #22 of 30 (2462 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

@TomGreenleaf thanks for the input.... I will keep you guys updated with pics etc. here as soon as I get to work on it.


mactube
User

Oct 15, 2019, 11:00 PM

Post #23 of 30 (2354 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

@Hammer Time you were right! The actuator was actually real easy to take out. It actually works fine :

https://www.dropbox.com/s/43tx6oqszvpf7qw/actuator.mov?dl=0

But when I look into the hole there is nothing where the actuator would attache to, which confirmed my fear of the blending door being broken and probably fell down inside the housing since I can look all the way to the other side where the hole on the other end us and where the other side of the blending done goes into:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dx0wj0lzpai7lve/acturator%20hole.mov?dl=0


The part no. of the blending door is : 92215212 which is only 14 bucks on the GM Direct website but I will order it from Amazon, since you can order it with Amazon Prime.

I will actually take on the repair myself and cut out the blending door from the side of the housing.
The problem is just really the limited space under the Driver side dashboard. I took out the driver seat already so I can lay down there. I will have to find out how to remove the vent / housing which takes up a lot of space down there so I will have space for the Dremel saw.

I will let you guys know how it works out


(This post was edited by mactube on Oct 16, 2019, 9:35 PM)


Hammer Time
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Oct 16, 2019, 4:08 AM

Post #24 of 30 (2342 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

I'm glad you were able to confirm what the problem is.

I'm not sure what your plans are when you say you are going to fix it yourself. If you plan on cutting open that housing, there's no going back once you do that. If you ruin that housing and have to replace it, your problem will get much larger.

Personally, I would never cut up the housing on a late model car like that. I would remove the dash and do it right.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



mactube
User

Oct 16, 2019, 9:53 PM

Post #25 of 30 (2311 views)
  post locked   Re: A/C doesn't get real cold ... refrigerant recharged  

I just started to work on it today ... and it went real well.

With the help of some youtube videos and a lot of patients..

I was able to access the housing and cut it open and recover the broken blend door:

( sorry having problems to upload the pictures but who ever needs to see how it looks like can just copy and past the links)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lvw5ub9b464nb42/1.JPG?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/i4e34fu9od683vt/2.JPG?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/w4anoxy08lw9nj4/3.JPG?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/jvyy6r3mi27w91x/4.JPG?dl=0

on the bottom of the 2. pictures you can see the actual pieces inside the housing, that broke off.

Will report back after the next day of work...





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