Air Conditioning INOP

[BeatnikTermite]

on my 1999 Chevy Malibu, 3.1 V6, the A/C has quit working. When the A/C button is pushed on the head unit:

The compressor seems to kick in (slight change in belt noise)
Does not seem to get up to full draw on the engine
The RPM do not drop as I am used to seeing when the A/C kicks in.
The air is not cooled at all.
I am getting condensation pool on the ground.

Thinking it was low, I tried to charge it, and only ended up wasting a freon bottle since it didn't take a drop.

Three questions:

1) Does the lack of draw on the engine suggest anything, i.e. bad compressor, no charge to compress, etc.?

2) Is it possible that the hose I was using to charge was not working with the fitting installed on the car since it was a "conversion" kit hose I had left over from the conversion of my 1992 Chevy Cavalier?

3) What am I missing?

Thanks for looking.

[ViperJ]

Originally Posted by BeatnikTermite

2) Is it possible that the hose I was using to charge was not working with the fitting installed on the car since it was a "conversion" kit hose I had left over from the conversion of my 1992 Chevy Cavalier?

I would try to get the malibu belt. Your local auto part shop should have it. I am thinking you belt isnt going to work because diffrent car and diffrent year.

[BeatnikTermite]

Originally Posted by ViperJ

...malibu belt...

I don't undersatand your post, Please elaborate. What belt?

The hose I am refering was left over from the R12 to R134 conversion kit I purchased for my old car. The kit came with two quick disconnect valves (High side and Low side) and a hose to connect to the freon bottle. I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this conversion hose only working with the conversion valve or if it works with all R134 systems. I hate to go spend another $20 on a new hose and freon only to find out that it doesn't work either.

Follow up:
Last night I checked all of the fuses and relays when I was pulling out the Blower motor resistor so the fan would work on 1 & 2. They are all good.

P.S. What a pain that was. If Chevy put the resistor way up there because they thought it wasn't going to blow, then why was it needed in the first place. On the other hand, if they put it in because there was a chance it was going to blow, why bury it up by the firewall. Two words: Design Flaw.

[sparkn]

Thanks for the resistor info. I've been looking for that. My 1/2 isn't working right now along with my high/low control.

As far as the A/C is concerned:

Don't bother with high side connections at all. It's really not needed for a charge.

There is a plastic hose fitting on the A/C system. DON'T ever connect a bottle to it.

Connect the low pressure hose to the low pressure hose fitting. My Malibu has this on the passenger side firewall by the exhaust. Low side pressure should be between 65 PSI (extremely hot day) and 45 (55-60 ambient air). The A/C should be run on it's highest setting for a few minutes before taking any readings.

Three things to note:

An overfilled system is worse than an underfilled system. The excess stress is felt at the gas pump, compressor wear, and excessive belt wear. More than 5 PSI too much and your system could cease to cool altogether.

If you had an empty system before you started filling, it may have air in it. It will have to be evacuated if it has air (my pump costs $350, but I use it daily). Get a certified tech to work on it if this is the case. A good R-134/sealant/oil mix will help condition seals and keep the pump lubed, but it won't fix a leaky system. Air is usually not a problem as the low pressure switch shuts the system down long before reaching a vacuum. This is usually a problem on cars that have been empty for some time.

You said you heard it click. Is the compressor actually turning? Get someone else to turn the system on and off and check to see that the pulley is actually starting and stopping.

If you still can't get the A/C to work, stop at a mom and pop (read: cheap, but reliable) place to get an A/C tuneup. At best, you drive away with a working system. At worst, you know what the problem is.

[ViperJ]

Originally Posted by BeatnikTermite

I don't undersatand your post, Please elaborate. What belt?

I not sure if i totally understand your post but i would check the AC belt that is hooked to the engine, because the AC draws power from the engine to power itself. I had a friend and his AC went out also, it was because his belt broke.

[BeatnikTermite]

Thanks for the info about the pressure readings. I guess I need to get a pressure gague on a low-side valve and see what I have.

I am still not sure why there are questions about the belt or pulley turning. There is one belt that also connects to the PS pump, Alternator, Water pump, etc. If this were bad/broken I would not be able to drive the car. If the A/C Compressor pulley were not turning, the belt would not be either.

Thanks again for the info.