97 civic d16y7 (same as before!)

AC blows cool, not cold. I'm gonna get a friend help me charge it up (he's got a machine at the shop) but I need to know the high/low pressures.

And yeah we'll check for leaks before we start.

compressor engages (I can feel the engine working harder) and condenser fan comes on. condenser is clean as far as I know but I haven't shone a light through it to confirm

(EDIT) we only started getting hot (100+)weather lately, and I havn't used the AC much before that. last year it didn't work at all due to a harness being unplugged (without my knowledge) so it's been a while since I've paid attention to how cool/cold it actually is.

 

Refrigerant pressures are dependent on the outside temperature, so the answer to your question is not straightforward.

Do this:

1) Measure the outside temperature with a thermometer.

2) Hook up the manifold gauges, open up the car doors, stick the thermometer in the vents, and run the A/C on MAX/Vent/Recirc in the shade or at night while holding the engine to 1500 rpm. Note the vent temp and the low/high pressures after 10 minutes.

Post the outside temp, low/high pressures, and vent temp.

 

When you have a machine, use it to pull all the refrigerant out and weigh how much came out. Then recharge the specified amount back by weight.

 

Thanks MK, I was thinking that would be the better option. I checked the manual I downloaded but didn't see a spec for how much 134a the system is supposed to be charged with. Any chance someone knows that spec?

 

21.9 oz

 

Thanks RonJ. I'm hoping to do that (as well as taking off the throttle body and cleaning it) this week. I was hoping to do it this weekend but that won't be happening.