Air in my AC System after compressor change, Help. ?

Question

I changed the ac compressor on my 95 Honda Passport. 134a. I'm using the arctic air freon but I cant get it to blow cold. I let the air out of the ac system careful to not let the foamy stuff out. Let the gas out really slow so the solid dont come out. Then I refill it with the good stuff but it just dosent blow very cold. Should I be careful about "not" letting the foamy stuff out? The clutch went out is why I changed the compressor. It was blowing really cold then.

Answer 1

Yes you literally have air IN your system .... and it will not work.  The step you missed is that after the system is sealed it must be evacuated using a vacuum pump and maintained at 28 inches vacuum for 30 minutes to remove all traces of air and moisture from the system before filling it with a charge of pure freon.  The only fix now is to take it to an a/c service facility and tell them exactly what you did. They will have to remove the freon which is in your system as "contaminated freon" which must be recycled and then your system can be evacuated and recharged. You may be charged extra above and beyond the normal service fee for contaminated freon disposal.  By the way Federal Law prohibits doing what you did because of the adverse effect discharged freon has on the ozone in the atmosphere.  Do not freak out over this - they only actively prosecute professional shops which disregard this prohibition!  The proper procedure if you wish to replace an A/C component yourself is to take the vehicle to your local A/C shop and have them recover the freon, go do the work, and then go back to the shop to have the freon reinstalled, most shops will do this service for the same charge as a A/C check & top off.

Answer 2

You need to evacuate the system first.  This involves special equipment to suck all the air out of the system, and leave it under vacuum for about 30 minutes or more.  Then, you need to fill it with the same type refrigerant that it had originally.  But don't unhook the vacuum without adding refrigerant first.  Otherwise air will get in.  Air isn't a good refrigerant.  Your best bet is an A/C service shop because of the special tools required for evacuation and charging.  

I assumed that no other parts needed to be replaced.