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Hello,
First time poster here.
I have a 2006 Dodge Charger. The AC is only cooling to about 5-10 degrees less than outside temp.
The high and low side gauge readings rise and fall together. Outside temp is 82 degrees with these readings. Windows open and A/C on full blast for a few minutes.
Here’s where they start: Low side 25psi, high side 125psi
After a couple of minutes, they each rise to low side 37psi, and high side 210psi
I then hear a click and they fall back down to low point of 25/125.
After a couple minutes the cycle starts over again.
The compressor is engaged the whole time.
With the car off, the reading are low side 80, high side 125.
Everything I read/watch seems to show pressure readings remaining relatively constant after the system runs for a few minutes.
I’m hoping someone might be able to help me figure out what this changing readings means.
Thanks,
Eric
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Replies
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It sounds like your slightly low on charge. The head pressure 210 seems good. your suction 37 seems a little low. The click your hearing is the compressor cutting
out on the low pressure switch stoping the compressor clutch. The way I would approach this is add 4 oz of charge. see if things improve? if so your on the right
track. add no more than 8 oz total.Thanks for your advice college man. I really appreciate it. I’ll give that a try. I was afraid to add refrigerant without hearing it from more knowledgeable. I’ll use restraint on the amounts as you suggest. I’ve read so much that has me pretty fearful of overcharging. Thanks! ~Eric
I have an update on my situation.
I’ve added around 6 oz of refrigerant trying to get the gauges in the ranges of a couple of temp charts I found. I added 1oz at a time, weighing it as it went, looking for temp and gauge changes.
After a couple of ounces, with the air on high, windows open, the compressor clutch and fans now runs continuously (with the exception below). The high and low pressure have now stabilized when idling.
I still am getting 80 degrees from the vents using outside air. Using inside air I get around 70 degrees from the vents.
Here are the current readings I’m getting with 90 degrees outside and high humidity.
Idling at 750 RPM: 46 low / 220 high
2k RPM: 22 low / 250 high (fans are variable and bump to high speed if left here for very long)I noticed one other curious thing to me. If I slowly give it gas, the compressor keeps spinning. However if I just tap the gas, the compressor stops, low pressure rises for a couple seconds to 90, then it kick back in and drops back to 46 . This is the only time I’ve seen the compressor stop with the AC on high.
Any other ideas on next steps?
Check your cabin air filter is not clogged. If you drive the car around you only get 70 f out of the vent? see if this chart helps.
http://rechargeac.com/how-to/ac-system-pressure-chartThanks again for the reply college man.
I went to look for the cabin filter. After some research, I figured out my model doesn’t have a filter. Apparently some packages do, some don’t . There is a screen where it intakes into the cabin though, and it was clear.
Today I went to check the temp driving. It’s quite a different day at 70 degrees. I’ll give some numbers that I found.
low psi 35, high 150 , seems inline with the charts numbers at 70f, 21c
Driving today I’m getting 45 degrees in the vent using inside, 50 degrees using outside. Seems to do much better when driving, but I’m skeptical that I will get very low when the temp goes up.
Idling, I get 60f using inside air, 70f using outside air.
I looked over the INTERPRETING PRESSURE READINGS part of the chart and nothing seems to match up with my situation. Pressures seem right on to the chart values, now that I charged it, but still idling I’m getting almost no differential between outside air and vent.
I’m stumped. That’s easy to do though 🙂
Always take the reading using inside air temp. You won’t get a good reading using outside air. If it works well driving and tapers idling you may
have a dirty condenser. check out some of the ac facts in our video library.Good to know.
I’ve read and watched much HVAC library section now. A lot of good info there. Condenser looks pretty clean by my eyes, but I think I might clean with a cleaner like shown in one of the videos. Hopefully that will get me a bit more out of it.
Thanks again for all your help!
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