1997 honda accord ac

[beef_bourito]

hey so my moms accord's (1997, ex? it's the v6 model) ac isn't working. it stopped working before (like a few weeks ago) and she got a freon top up, then it stopped working again in only a few weeks (i think around 3 weeks).

the mechanic said that he couldn't find a leak. could he just be a complete hack and be wating our time and money? what else could go wrong and cause the freon to escape? could it be a bad compressor or is it just a leak?

[UncleBob]

if "topping off" the system worked the first time, then it would seem that there was a quantity issue the first time. Why it failed the second time could be due to several issues....fragged compressor/clogged orifice tube (whatever is applicable). Stuck pressure switch. A leak...although it would have to be pretty dang big.... too much oil....air contamination or incorrect freon type contamination from when it was serviced.

Just a small list for yah. The real answer is, find a real AC mechanic.

[beef_bourito]

alright thanks, i was hoping there would be a lcear cut answer but i guess not. we'll have to live without ac for now cause we don't really want to spend the money on it.

[Racincc85]

I would replace the schrader valves in the service ports. I had a similiar problem with my old toyota. When connected to a vacuum pump I was able to pull it down to 30 inHG where it would stay for hours after the vacuum pump was turned off but as soon as I would disconnect my gauge set hoses I would lose all the vacumm. This is how leak tests are done but in order to determine in the schrader valves are bad the service hoses must be disconnected from the service ports and the system allowed to sit for at least half an hour then a gauge set reconnected to see if a drop in vacuum has occured. Most shops (especially midas and the likes) do not do this part of the test because it involves time and effort. The schrader valves are very cheap and easy to replace so it might be worth it. If you lived closer to me I would look at the car for ya as I've amassed some A/C service equipment over the years. Just as Uncle Bob suggested I would find a good A/C mechanic to help you with all this unless you can get access to the needed equipment.

Funny story about incompetent mechanics -

Next to the garage I worked at back when I was in high school was a quick-lube place that recharged A/C systems. The guy who ran it was a greedy bastard and never took his time with anything. He wanted as much money as quick as possible. I saw him attempting to recharge an A/C system one day. He didn't disconnect the recovery machine after he evacuated the system to check if the schrader valves were bad but immediately recharged the system. When he disconnected the machine he got a brutal blast of R-12 to the face because the valves were bad and released all the freon. He ended up going to the hospital because it caused mild frostbite on his nose .