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bronxlcsw
join:2005-09-21
Bronx, NY

bronxlcsw

Member

Just loaded 18 oz of Freon in My Malibu is it enough?

Just bought a 2004 Chevy Malibu Classic for $1200 dollars . They were asking for 1800 dollars but since the air conditioner did not work i got them to take 1200 dollars. Last time i took a car to get freon filling it was $100 dollars. I went to pep boys and purchased a long can with 18 oz of freon. At first i connected to the wrong connector then i found the right one near the rear of the engine. Loaded the whole can and its ice cold air coming out. Is it that simple? Do i need to load another can? The needle gauge was in the blue zone not the red area.
bronxlcsw

bronxlcsw

Member

Also i forgot to ask. My cigarette lighter does not work. There are 2 of them They will not charge anything. Is this a fuse issue?

pmohr
Premium Member
join:2002-09-22
Maryville, TN

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For the power sockets yes, it could very well be a fuse. Have you not checked them yet?

As far as the refrigerant, you really should have the system checked out professionally, to see why it wasn't cooling in the first place. If it had a low/no charge, then there's a reason; likely a leak, unless someone discharged the system on purpose.

However if you're happy with the system as is, it blows cold air and doesn't seem to have any issues, then you might as well leave it be.

You can judge content by pressure (an actual manifold gauge set for pressures on both sides of the system, not just the rough low side pressure gauge you'll find on a DIY-er can of refrigerant), but IMO it's best to recover what's in there, evac the system and see if it holds vacuum, then charge it back up with the amount of refrigerant specified (not just by pressure) and check it for leaks. This way you'll not only have a system that works well, but will likely work well for quite some time (excluding component failure of course, I'm talking more so about leaky components/fittings that will cause the refrigerant level to drop, and the system to perform poorly in a short period of time).
18172841 (banned)
join:2001-10-06
Lagrangeville, NY

1 edit

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Let me break out my magic 8 ball and ask...

AC was not working for a reason, all you did IMHO was waste money, it will stop working again... unless someone took the crap out for no reason (not likely)
No one can know if it is enough because we don't have anything hooked up to check, we also don't know if the system was totally empty, if so, the system may have water in that will freeze and can cause damage to the system. As far as the blue zone I have no idea what that is (I have gauges and never used a can before).

The lighter could be a fuse or 10 other things... again, how can we know. "Can" it be a fuse yes, would it be the first thing to check, yes. Is it a fuse, no idea.

GL

Edit: typo.
bronxlcsw
join:2005-09-21
Bronx, NY

bronxlcsw to pmohr

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I knew that i had a slim chance of success at recharging the freon on my own. It was 27 dollars. Money in the garbage if it fails. I will check it daily and if it runs out due to a leak then it was not the freon. When i bought the car the seller told me the car was siting idle for 6 months. In fact the cars interior looked like it was idle for 2 years. Could that cause the system to lose refrigerant??

cdru
Go Colts
MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN

cdru

MVM

said by bronxlcsw:

In fact the cars interior looked like it was idle for 2 years. Could that cause the system to lose refrigerant??
Yes. Neglected dashboards and interior fabric would allow for a slow leak. You might try a good cleaning with some Armor all in the next day or to to improve your odds of it staying charged.

Seriously though, no. It's a sealed system. If it's sealed, it's not going to leak out. It's kind of like having a two liter of Coke sitting on a shelf. Does the volume go down after 6 months?

Cho Baka
MVM
join:2000-11-23
there

Cho Baka

MVM

Good thing I had my sarcasm detector fired up.

No_Strings

join:2001-11-22
The OC

No_Strings to cdru

to cdru
said by cdru:

It's kind of like having a two liter of Coke sitting on a shelf. Does the volume go down after 6 months?
No, but it will lose its fizz. The plastic used in soda bottles is permeable to CO2 and it does escape over time.

You're welcome.

cdru
Go Colts
MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN

cdru

MVM

said by No_Strings:

No, but it will lose its fizz. The plastic used in soda bottles is permeable to CO2 and it does escape over time.

You're welcome.
Ok so maybe not the best example. The fizz would be lost regardless if it sat on a shelf undisturbed or there was a closed loop circulating pump inside the bottle. Thankfully a car's AC system isn't made of plastic pop bottle and the refrigerant from CO2. Just sitting for 6 months shouldn't have resulted in the refrigerant leaking out on it's own. There is a leak somewhere in the system and it would have leaked out during that period (if not before) if it was driven/turned on or not.

No_Strings

join:2001-11-22
The OC

No_Strings

My off topic sarcasm didn't merit a reply, but thanks for clarifying.
sailor
Premium Member
join:2003-10-21
Long Island

sailor to bronxlcsw

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said by bronxlcsw:

Just bought a 2004 Chevy Malibu Classic for $1200 dollars . They were asking for 1800 dollars but since the air conditioner did not work i got them to take 1200 dollars. Last time i took a car to get freon filling it was $100 dollars. I went to pep boys and purchased a long can with 18 oz of freon. At first i connected to the wrong connector then i found the right one near the rear of the engine. Loaded the whole can and its ice cold air coming out. Is it that simple? Do i need to load another can? The needle gauge was in the blue zone not the red area.
Don't add another can. If that gauge is in the blue zone then it is telling you enough.

But next time you ever go to recharge a cars a/c system be damn sure you know which line to attach it to...before you go attaching it.

This blowing ice cold as a result of your adding this can is only a temporary fix and I would normally suggest you to take it to a auto radiator shop and have them diagnose the problem for you....But most a/c repair is expensive repair and since you have a $1,200.00 car and not a more expensive car and also since it is right now hot as hell where you are and very humid I say enjoy the ice cold a/c for as long as you can.

It might blow cold for days, a week or you might even get lucky and it might blow cold for a month or more...You might make it through this scorching August we are in.....You just purchased this car....the transmission might fall out next week....you just don't know with a $1,200. car so I say unless you have deep pockets don't even bother with the high cost of a/c repair at the moment on this specific car and just keep driving it the way it is....until you know more about the car.

And if you lose the cold coming out of the vents quickly don't throw your money away by buying more cans...but I have a feeling you just might get lucky and make it through the hottest part of the summer which we are in right now.

I picked up a 1996 Jeep Cherokee earlier in the spring..Everything about it I liked but the guy I bought it from said the a/c never worked and that is the way it was when he bought it...He had it approx 2 years. In my checking out the Jeep I was able to turn the a/c compressor by hand so I figured a quick shot of freon might get it working for a temporary fix since the compressor wasn't seized.

After buying it that is what I did..Blew ice cold like yours did and just put one can in ( I have done this many times over the years with many different vehicles )....Still blows cold now months later but eventually I will take it to a friends radiator shop who will find out exactly what it needs and have him fix it properly and for good...All I did was give it a quick temporary fix just like you did. But that is good enough for me right now until I decide if I am going to keep the Cherokee or not as I have other vehicles...including another Jeep ( Wrangler )

Bottom line, run it and enjoy the cold air coming out of the vents while it lasts. If after driving this car for a few months you feel it is a car that is worth putting money into then by all means take it to a reputable radiator shop and have them repair it the correct and safe way....there is much more to it than just adding a can of freon...system needs to be diagnosed properly, have a thorough evacuation and then the required amount of recharge along with compressor oil...That all should be done by competent professional but for what you did, enjoy it while it lasts.

Finally, always wear gloves and safety glasses when messing with refrigerant.
tcope
Premium Member
join:2003-05-07
Sandy, UT

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First, it was not Freon... it should be 135a. In that you initially connected it to the wrong port I'd highly recommend you either read up on the subject or have a profession work on it.

Having too little refrigerant means that the air won't be cool and even less should shut off the compressor as with no refrigerant, the compressor can burn out.

Having too much refrigerant can be even worse. Again, it won't cool the air as much and the compressor should shut off. Refrigerant gets cold by compressing it (I should say, removes heat). If it can't be compressed (system is too full) it won't work correctly. This is why you _at least_ need a pressure gauge. Refrigerant should not be added without one.
sailor
Premium Member
join:2003-10-21
Long Island

1 edit

sailor

Premium Member

said by tcope:

First, it was not Freon... it should be 135a.
I believe you made a typo and meant to say 134a refrigerant.
18172841 (banned)
join:2001-10-06
Lagrangeville, NY

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First lol, come on gona say "it aint freon" at least get 134a right.

Too little / too much are just as bad (and should have sensors for protection) they both will damage the compressor. The can also HAS a little dinky gauge... the "blue" also has PSI... but just lowside... it is ya junk.

In the blue means you still do not have enough in it , (was in the parts store today and looked really quick) 18oz + not enough says to me it was totally empty. Do not add more, wait till it stops working again, and bring it to a shop that can pull a vacuum on it (I'd say go now but I doubt you will), and repair what is damaged. Ya you can keep topping it off (this is bad for many reasons but), if it NEVER went empty. I am banking on empty however... as it has been said, the car could sit 10 years, the AC system should still be full.

O ya and when you hook it up to the wrong port and the can explodes imma lol.
bronxlcsw
join:2005-09-21
Bronx, NY

bronxlcsw

Member

Well i read all the replies and i have to say... You people know cars well. Its been three (3) days and its still coming out cold. After reading some of the replys i could deduce that most of you feel that a cars A/C system can stay charged for the life of the car and never runs out of 134a coolant. If true then yes there is something wrong and i am on borrowed time. if not true then is it possible that i just got lucky and the system was actually empty? Also the cars title is from Florida and the previous owner drove primarily in Miami area for the life of the car and must have used the A/C daily. Now i do want to report that when i am on a steep hill or when the compressor kicks in the car is jolted forward slightly. I think some of the belts need to be replaced. Eventually i will take it to a pro but last time i had an A/C issue i was charged over 600 dollars. They claim they first had to insert some type of die into the system so they can find the leak and then repair the leak and then re-insert the die and then insert the actual 134a. 600 dollars. Look, i make a good salary but thats alot of money for most folks. Whats the line about the alternate A/C system one can use in a car? "55/4" A/C system. Go 55 MPH with all 4 windows open.
18172841 (banned)
join:2001-10-06
Lagrangeville, NY

18172841 (banned)

Member

You have it right, the system is sealed...

Putting in dye, yes, best way to find the leak. You add a dye that then leaks out... take a UV light, and the leak glows... the rest... recharging the system / adding dye should all be the same thing...

depending on what was replaced $600 could be fine... AC systems are a PITA to work on, your lucky if you have a big leak lol, as they are most of the time easier to find.

Btw do not add any dye yourself, what ends up happening is if you add it, and don't check, forget, don't get around to it, whatever. The crap keeps leaking, and could start making more and more stuff glow. Do not add it thinking you will "help" the shop. I've seen a car that had a motor oil leak, someone added dye to... no joke the whole damn motor would glow under the light... yep reallllllllll helpful.

Way out of order lol but, empty and "lucky" no, if it was in fact empty (low is a different story), as I said you could have moisture in it... that is bad as it will freeze and could damage stuff... when you pull a vacuum on a empty system the water actually boils out... (by water I mean any moisture as in what is in the air that has gotten into the system because it was empty and now just low). Seeing as it took 18 oz, and is in the "blue" from my quicky look still low... does not go well for it having had some left...

If you want to check the can SHOULD show you PSI, you should have 25-35PSI on the lowside (ac on, max cool)... any less and it is still undercharged... do note that systems low on refrigerant can blow cold... so cold they ice up...
bronxlcsw
join:2005-09-21
Bronx, NY

bronxlcsw

Member

Well you learn something new every day. I just did a little research on the car i bought. heres a question by someone asking;
"Is a chevy classic 2004 the same as a malibu 2004"

And the reply is: "Yes and no. Basically, there were two Chevrolet Malibu's in 2004. GM redesigned the Malibu for the 2004 model year. This new 6th Generation Malibu based on the GM Epsilon platform was given the name Malibu, whereas the older N-Body 5th Generation Malibu was renamed to the Malibu Classic. The Classic was only available with the 2.2L 4 cylinder Ecotec engine (L61) for 2004 through the end of its production run, and furthermore, was only available as a rental car or to taxi-cab companies. The last year the 5th Generation Malibu was manufactured was 2006 when GM discontinued the body style. " So i know it was not a taxi because it has gold paint not yellow or no taxi partition. Therefore, i deduce that it was a rental car which helps explain how this 6 year old car has 152k miles on it. That comes to 28k per year. And then to my surprise i find its a 4 cylinder engine. I guess thats good for gas mileage.
briand069
join:2003-04-13
Vacaville, CA

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said by tcope:

Refrigerant gets cold by compressing it (I should say, removes heat).
Actually it's the opposite. When the liquid evaporates it absorbs heat.