What damage can you do overcharging a car's ac system?

Question

I added a can of R134 to the AC system because it started blowing warm on a 01 Montero sport, it turned out the ac belt was slipping and not turning the compressor so after it was changed the compressor turned on and off in about 2 second duty cycles. I reconnected the valve to the low pressure side and bled some back into a large catch container being the most environmentally friendly way I could think of. So now at max a/c its on/off cycle is 29 seconds pretty consistently. I don't have a pressure Gage for exactness but is that about the right run time, or do I need to lower it some more?

Answer 1

You can't go by the cycling time, you have to gauge the pressure.

Answer 2

most air systems hold like four cans when empty and if you over charged it will lock up or blow a line if you add the wrong type it can lock it up or rot out a valve or seal.. if smart  would have had it fix right cause you have a leak

Answer 3

buy a new ac

Answer 4

Not sure about your particular automobile, but many have sight gages these days and if so (high pressure side) you add until the little bubbles are no longer there. Too much can cause compressor failure. I have even see people lock the compressor up permanently by overcharge.

Answer 5

There are kits available at all large auto-parts stores that have a can of 134 and a charging hose with a low pressure gauge on it, that is really all you need, 25-45psi is normal.  Expect to add a can every year or so.

A/C systems can be dangerous to work on, so do not approach this too lightly!

See:  http://www.macsw.org/pdf/MACS%20Service....