AC issue on 2001

My wifes car AC just started blowing warm. I figured it was getting alittle low on refrigerant. So I went and bought a can with the gage on top, and I connected it and it was reading half way into the red zone....way overcharged. But nobody has put any in the system since we bought the car over a year ago. The AC has been great for all this time. So how can it be blowing warm and be overcharged that much without overheating the cars engine ? The clutch is coming on with the compressor, so any answers ?

My wifes car AC just started blowing warm. I figured it was getting alittle low on refrigerant. So I went and bought a can with the gage on top, and I connected it and it was reading half way into the red zone....way overcharged. But nobody has put any in the system since we bought the car over a year ago. The AC has been great for all this time. So how can it be blowing warm and be overcharged that much without overheating the cars engine ? The clutch is coming on with the compressor, so any answers ?

I for one wouldn't trust a can with a gauge on it. An actual set of a/c gauges is needed to check high and low pressures. It's probably under charged due to a leak, but you won't know for sure without a gauge set. The only accurate way to know the charge is to have the system recovered and weighed. Also, I've never seen an overcharged a/c system cause the engine to overheat.

Yea, I have a buddy with the gages. I just thought it may have gotten low, and I could just add some. I've done it on plenty of cars over the years. As for the overheat when overcharged, I've personally seen it several times. So I just don't take those chances anymore. Cuz driving in Az. Overheating just sucks....I'll throw the gages on high and low and see what they read. Thx man

If you checked the pressure on a hot day, and the engine compartment was hot(engine was previously running), that would cause the pressure to seem overcharged....

If the compressor is running, do the lines feel cold(if yes, test temp door)? Is the cooling fan running?

It's possible there is a leak, and you have air in the system....

As GMTech1 said, the only way to really know how much refrigerant is in the system is to recover by weight....

could also be the blend door in the heater/ac box. you should be able to hear the actuator in there when you turn the heat control from cold to hot.