fchorrocks

A couple weeks ago, my air cond was working OK, not super cold, so I added some 134a Ez-chill which came with it's own gauge for the low pressure side. I NOW know this isn't the best stuff to use, because it has the leak sealer etc, I put it in before reading alot about AC problems.

On a hot day 90 degress, it says the pressure should be 45-55, so I added enough to get to that pressure. Got cooler and was working great for a while, then it started not working too good.

I checked the hot/cold valve to make sure it was closed all the way. (Had issues with that before..)

I also would hear hissing noises in the dash. (On another board i read that is normal, said it was the TXV valve working, so I didn't pay much attention to it)

So I threw the gauge back on it and the low side was around 40psi, so I didn't add any freon. A couple days later it stopped cooling all together. Compressor was turning, clutch engaging properly, but no cooling.

Then all of a sudden I heard a loud clakking noise from the compressor. It wasn't the clutch engaging/disengaging. Much too fast and loud... I threw on the cheap gauge again, and the LOW side was at 100PSI! I turned the ac off, waited for a few minutes to see if the pressure was going down. I turned the AC back on, no clakking and the pressure when back down to 30PSI, and after 30 seconds started making the clakking noise. So have now left the AC off. Gauge was at 105PSI. I went out this morning and put the gauge back on the low side and it's still at 105PSI.

After looking around the web, I'm assuming I was low on freon originally, and also had some air in the system, hence the poor cooling. Adding freon helped for a while, then something serious went wrong.

Now, here are my questions:
Did the 45-55PSI suggestions from the Ez-Chill pump TOO much freon in?
Is the loud fast Clakking sound, the relief valve on the compressor?
If so, is the compressor damaged?? If not the relief valve, did the compressor just tear itself up and send metal shavings through my system?
Could I just have the drier replaced, and have it evacuated really good, and then recharged?

Am I screwed??
Frank

SamVVT

Yeah, sounds like you over charged the thing and the high pressure on the high side ruined the compressor. At least won't allow it to run properly.

That's why sometimes it's better to pay $100 to an AC shop to get it properly evaculated and recharged. That's what I would suggest now before any more costly damages are done (like a new compressor) if not already.