About to ?*#@ing lose it! (Adding freon to A/C)

[Cruising Mike]

My air conditioner freaking sucks. It somehow makes the car damn near stall out while sitting at red lights. I figure I'll add a little freon/refrigerant to it, and we'll see if that works. Simple, right.

Well I see a port on the A/C but my Haynes Manual says don't put it in that port, put it in the other port on the low side. The Haynes is for 01-03 Cruisers and I have an 05, but how different could it be, right. In the picture in the manual, the other port is right there.

BUT IT IS NOT ANYWHERE IN MY FREAKING CAR!

I am seriously about to lose it. An hour's worth of Google searches later, and I am no closer to being able to add this freaking freon.

The Haynes Manual is no longer an option because it is currently in about five different pieces.

So please, before I lose my freaking mind, can someone please tell me where the hell this "low-side" port is? A diagram would be even better.

Thanks in advance.

[DreamCruiser02]

On the left side of the engine there are two metal looking hoses with ports on top. You need to fill the one with the smaller port(should be the one on the right) the fill hose will only fit on that one.

[DreamCruiser02]

Being low on freon probably isn't why your car is stalling.

[heifetz17]

I agree, the freon level would not cause the car to stall. Does the a/c blow warm? If it's still cold, you don't need any freon, and likely wouldn't be able to add any because the system is probably already full.

[Cruising Mike]

The A/C blows cold when I'm driving, but warm when I'm sitting at a light, which is also when I get the bucking/shaking/stalling, which is why I figured adding freon might be worth a shot.

This is about the billionth problem I've had with this car. I'm ready to trade it in for a Toyota or Honda, but I still love it, so I keep trying these low-cost stalls to try to get another few days out of it.

I still love the PT, but apparently it hates me.

Originally Posted by DreamCruiser02

On the left side of the engine there are two metal looking hoses with ports on top. You need to fill the one with the smaller port(should be the one on the right) the fill hose will only fit on that one.

When it comes to the inner workings of cars, I'm about as uneducated as someone can be, but although I see the two hoses, I only see one port.

[CREWZIN]

I'm gonna have to agree , in some part, with Mike. I have the Service Manual for the 01-04 cruisers. The Haynes and Chilton only cover 01-03. Even though the SM covers 01-04 it still shows both ports near each other on the top of the engine as the Haynes manual does but I'm pretty sure Chrysler, for some unknown reason, changed the low side port. Like mike, I just did a pretty good search on the Internet for the location of the port. Nobody actually says where the port is but they do say they have recharged the system so it must be there. I can't check myself because I have an 01 but what we need is someone with an 04+ cruiser to show or say where it is.

Mike, my guess is that it might be a dual port on the compressor itself. The compressor has a relief valve (green) and it might act as a pressure relief valve AND the low service port. I know it's not on the accumulator (there is a cycling switch) but no port. This is only a guess so until someone comes along and actually says where it is, we have to wait.

Now, as DreamCruiser02 said, that's not why your almost stalling. The PCM raises the idle when the A/C is on. It raises it also when you use the power steering. It raises the idle to compensate for the power being taken away form the engine when the A/C-Power Steering is used. I'm not sure of the exact way it does the raising but it has nothing to do with weather your a/c is working. There's also the IAC (Idle Air Controller that's attached tothe throttle body that controls the butterfly in the throttle body so it doesn't slam shut when you come to a stop and holds it open when the car is cold so more fuel and air come into the engine. It can get dirty and it can be taken off and cleaned. Just a thought.

[cintra07]

It's me in Mexico again.... My A/C does have freon - but blows warm air - found this on a previous post --

could it be this simple for a high pressure switch?
Air Conditioner lines freeze - why ??
cindy cindy@cozumelmexicohomes.com

[CREWZIN]

cintra07,

That was my answer back in 09 ...and I was wrong. The picture I posted was the cycling switch NOT the high pressure switch which is on the compressor. The cycling switch makes sure the compressor turn on and off because if it stays on everythings gets extremely ice cold and parts freeze up. The only way to stop it is to turn the air to warm for awhile or turn the A/C off for awhile. The freezing stops and you'll have cold air again till it freezes up again. The cycling switch is easy to replace as no R134a is lost when taking the old one off and replacing it with a new switch.

If you not getting cold air to begin with, that switch is NOT your problem.

[cintra07]

OK, then that isn't the issue either - even when I turn it off and then on it never gets cold like it's suppose to. perhaps a slightly colder but not right.
so ... now what ? he said i have freon and there is no leak.
It is the 'can' looking thing, but don't think it's a compressor. he would have told me that even if it's in spanish. ... go to be something else.

[CREWZIN]

Mike sorry to interrupt your problem.

cintra07,

Is your compressor coming ON at all? Do you hear it clicking on? If it is coming on, is the fan running to cool the compressor, radiator and condenser?