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hey i bumped into some nasty curb and my a/c line apparently leaked. So now my A/C doesn't work and there is no freeon coolant. They say when that leaks the ND-11 oil is gone as well. Toyota is quoting 128 bucks for 11 ml of ND-11 oil, omg how much of this stuff do I need to recharge my A/C? They don't even know themselfs!!!

and how much of the coolant refridgeant do i need to recharge as well? is there anyway to test the inverter of the a/c just to see if its working?

Phil,

Any good AC guy can fix your unit. You should vacuum the system (to remove contaminants) and add some freon oil as well as a full freon charge in a situation where you had a rapid leak.

JeffD

You must use the correct oil for the A/C system. The oil has special dieletctric properties, which means it isn't conductive, even at high voltages. If you use oil normally used for such applications, you are likely to get error codes indicating a low current leak in the high voltage system.

At first I was concerned that the techs didn't know how much oil to put into the system, but then in reading the pertenant parts of the repair manual, it isn't quite clear. Theres a small section describing the oil to remove out of a new compressor, based on how much is left in the old compressor. The difference of what's in the new compressor (about 100mL it seems) and what's in the old, is what's still in the system.

Most of the oil will stay in the compressor, as it has an oil separator. This is so that not as much oil circulates around, which does no cooling, nor has any purpose anywhere else outside the compressor.

You didn't mention whether you repaired the cause of the leak...

Just adding compressor oil and more refrigerant may not fix your problem. If you didn't repair the leak, the new refrigerant will just leak out, again. And, besides being an expensive waste of R134a, it is illegal to vent the gas into the atmosphere. AC repair personnel are supposed to recycle the refrigerant, though most auto owners find out they have a problem AFTER (and because) the R134a has leaked out.

Also, air conditioning systems operate with relatively high pressures; and servicing should be done by knowledgeable people. Besides not fixing the problem, pressurized gas can be very dangerous if you are unaware of the safety requirements and hazards. Also, without investing in the proper equipment (manifold gage set and vacuum pump), you may even damage the system further by overfilling. While this equipment isn't cheap, it isn't terribly expensive either. And, if you have several cars or work on your friends and neighbors air conditioners, it may be economical to purchase. But, for most people, the infrequency of use makes it more economical to leave the servicing to qualified service personnel.

If you have access to a vacuum pump and gage set, the first thing to do is draw a vacuum on the system, seal off the pump and wait to see if your air conditioner holds the vacuum. most shops wait 20-30 minutes to see if the vacuum holds. If it does, you have done two things: confirmed no leaks and removed most of the moisture (water vapor) from the system. While a vacuum pump may not be required, in humid climates when the system has been open to outside air, it will remove any moisture and increase the system efficiency. (Water vapor can freeze in the expansion valve and evaporator coils and block the flow of refrigerant.)

If you lose vacuum, you still have a leak and need to find and repair it. The loss of vacuum is free, versus adding refrigerant and finding out a week later that you have just lost a couple of cans of R134 to the atmosphere.

Anyway, if you have a leak and it isn't something obvious, like damaged/crushed condensor coils or coolant lines, then the next thing to do is add a can of R134 and sniff for leaks with a leak detector. Or, you can use the poor man's leak detector, soapy water, which is sprayed on the lines and components while looking for bubbles.

I usually use a small can of R134 that has leak detector dye in it. That small amount of refrigerant should be enough to activate the pressure switch that keeps the compressor from running when the system doesn't have any refrigerant in it. Then, after letting the compressor run for a few minutes, you can inspect all connections and components for dye stains and repair/replace the defective part(s).

Before you attempt any of this, you should check the Internet or ask friends about handling high pressure gas and liquids, wear safety glasses or goggles, and keep your hands and loose clothing out of any belts, gears or moving parts.

Unfortunately, this is one of the maintenance items that is better left to a reputable service center or your dealer. Even with the prices they charge, if you haven't worked on air conditioning systems before, you will probably find that the cost of the manifold gage set, vacuum pump, refrigerant (usually twice as much as it actually needs if you know what you are doing), possibly an accumulater (filter/dryer) and expansion valve, and the time spent under the hood of a hot car, it is probably easier in the long run to just pay someone else to do it.

Good luck, and let us know how it turns out...

well, depending on how much ND11 ya lost, 2 fl oz should cover most leakage.

the refrigerant is on a label under the hood. DH doesn't remember off the top of his head, but he's thinking it was something like 0.96 lbs. look for yourself to confirm. he's pretty sure the label is under the plastic guard right in the front of the engine compartment.

the ND11 has to be completely uncontaminated. the evacuate and recharge is just like in another car. you can't get a kit from your local auto parts store, as that contains oil you do not want. you need PURE 134 with no oils or sealers or anything.

i have confirmed there was a leak since my local mechanic was using a vaccume seal gauge like phoneix mentioned. I waited over a week and it has been confirmed that the pressures don't seal so I need to replace my hoses and pipes. Quoting from toyota a new pipe (from the a/c to the driver) would cost me 400 bucks so I'm waiting for my mechanic guy to find parts from a salvage prius (since he rebuilds priuses for a living).

I"m just waiting on his call when he finds the parts.

But very good information you guys have given me, i'll reroute it to my mechanic (he's a good guy, he's the one that sold me the car) and be sure it'll be up and running! Until then i got another problem to deal with since I think I short circuited the car and my speedo doesn't work, as well as the power button... i've outlined my problems in another thread called "I think i short circuted my car" thread :S

Hi Phil, see if Steve has the parts you might need:

http://www.autobeyours.com

He is a dedicated NHW20 salvage rebuilder in Indiana, and I'm going to get in *so much trouble* for sending people his way.

DAS

my salvaged 05 got hit and i didnt want to spend the money on the oil so i ran it without adding nd 11 oil, i just charged it with r134a, my guess is most of the oil stayed in the compressor, because its not considerably loud or getting hot ( and im in fort myers, FL )

It's possible you didn't lose much oil, since there is an oil trap in the compressor to prevent most of the oil from circulating through the system, as it would otherwise displace the refridgerant that is doing the cooling.

Does anyone know how to replace map light bulbs? I am have a hard time getting them out after taking the lens off.

Oh, the bulbs themselves....

They just pull out. They are either wedge or fuse like. Can't remember which bulbs are which.

You can replace a damaged AC pipe with special hose and fittings. http://www.hydraulic-supply.com/html/pr ... ttings.htm Pipes can be fabricated easily,your shop needs some Mexicans badly.The equipment to repair AC is cheaper than a scam artist.One shop said I needed a new compressor for a Honda so I went somewhere else and got a top off which has worked for years.Women don't cook things anymore and men don't fix things anymore,now that is progress.I just replaced a battery in a Honda then made a nice quiche.Use some vaseline on the battery terminals and top up the quiche after it is placed in the oven.

to put a ending to this story my mechanic found the new a/c pipe (i kept the old one) he installed it for me and then refilled the A/C with the FERON stuff, by then my a/c was working and it only costed me 400 bucks, better then the 800 + quoted from toyota.

good old salvage parts.

If the "stuff" he used included its own non-ND11 oil, the two oils will mix and the compressor may eventually burn up. Just FYI.

It may not burn up, but you may get trouble codes, as the system will detect a small current leakage in the high voltage sytem. The special oil is a good insulator to high voltages, where 'normal' oil conducts some electricity at high voltages. High voltages are not normally present in conventional auto AC systems as the compressor is completely mechanical.