low pressure value leaking

[dcw1]

I have a small leak at the low side valve. It is not in the metal tube. Rather it is coming from down in the valve itself. I assume the seals on the Schrader valve are bad.

 

There is a Mastercool core replacement tool that will allow the innards of the valve to be removed without releasing the R134 or allow air into the system. It seems pretty easy. The tool is about $37.

 

That's not cost prohibitive but I hate to buy a tool that I will likely never use again.

 

So my question is: Is there a cap that could be put on the valve stem that is air tight rather than replace the core of the valve? The valve cap that is on there now is plastic and seems more designed just to keep dirt out.

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

I wouldn't want to cover up a leaky AC system with a cap of some kind. See if you can get the tool "loaned" to you from an auto parts store (Advance Auto, Pep Boys, OReillys, etc), then your cost would be the valve parts only.

[dcw1]

Too funny. The thread I started entitled "driver's side cool, passenger side warm" has been locked. Censorship is alive and well. Anyway, below would have been my last post in that thread but again, the few who control this site have locked that thread. So go read that thread first to get the flavor of what's going on. My suggestion as to my vehicle problem and how I fixed the problem is at the end of this post. Perhaps I'll get kicked out of the forum after this.

 

I love how me being very specific with my questions is bad attitude. Or actually just asking more detailed follow-up questions is bad attitude. I actually came back after doing something that appears to fix my problem. No one even suggested that cool air on drivers side, warm air on passenger side could be a result of low refrigerant. It seems I may have answered a very big question here: imbalance in cooling MAY BE caused merely by low refrigerant. There are tons of posts by people looking for that answer. Not every imbalance in cooling will be low refrigerant. But it seems at least possible that low refrigerant is the problem. I am not positive at this point but in my mind, I may have avoided a huge A/C repair bill.

"telling people to RTFM" is an appropriate comment and is good attitude? Censorship (killing this thread) also was suggested by those who don't like what is being said. If you don't like what is being said here, stop visiting this thread. Unbelievable. You don't like what is being said so you run to the administrator to shut me up. How decidedly un-American.

Equating an A/C system to a medical issue is ridiculous as well. But if someone wants to ask for advice on a medical forum, answer the question. They know what a doctor is and don't need directions to their local physician.

Look at my post on July 22 at 12:40. I asked very specific questions in response to the suggestion that low refrigerant causes freezing up as opposed to my vehicle symptoms. The only reply was to go to an A/C tech. No discussion, nothing.

I think it is clear from this forum that most of the comments are trying to be helpful. And I suspect that the vast majority of the recommendations are valid and decent advice. But it sure is clear to me that when someone questions the advice they get, there is no discussion. Its just, "You don't know what you are doing, go see a mechanic."

Finally, perhaps you don't realize this but if had taken my vehicle to a mechanic (as suggested numerous times), I risk them saying, "Seems your compressor is shot. That'll be $1800." How do I counter that? What do I say to that? "No, I'll take it somewhere else". I then get, "That'll be $99 first for our diagnosis that isn't guaranteed unless we get in there and do the work." I'd rather not put myself in that situation if I can avoid it. THAT is what this forum is about or should be about. Not half-baked answers and then suggesting I go see someone who could totally take advantage of me. $99 isn't going break the bank but I sure have better things to do with $99 than flush it down the toilet.

Answer the question asked, make meaningful suggestions, or don't reply.

So, if your car is suffering the same symptoms in my initial post, I would suggest checking the refrigerant levels first. It has been suggested here that a low reading on the low pressure side may not actually indicate low refrigerant. But with my vehicle, adding refrigerant when the low pressure side reading was low has worked for almost a week now. Air is still very cold on driver and passenger sides. And then see if you can find the leak (if there is one). My leak was easy to spot once the pressure was up. I could actually hear it. And hopefully, you can fix the leak yourself. But if you can't fix it yourself, you'll know what and where the leak is rather than blindly taking your vehicle to a mechanic. At that point, if you can pinpoint the problem, you simply can call around for the best repair price.

Or go the other route as suggested here because you have an A/C issue. Just immediately take the vehicle to a mechanic and perhaps pay $479 (if you are lucky) for a $15 repair.

[akirby]

You weren't simply asking questions. You were berating the techs because they didn't give you the answer you wanted to hear.

 

You're too cheap to spend $37 on a DIY tool to change the Schrader valve the right way.

 

You don't have any equipment to detect a refrigerant leak. It may be leaking from somewhere other than the schrader valve.

 

You don't have the equipment to evacuate the system, refill it to the proper level and add the proper amount of oil.

 

If you just want to ask questions and get input that's fine and dandy. If you don't like the input then ignore it.

 

What you can't do is ask for help then argue with and berate the people who are giving it just because you don't like it.

 

If you'd like to wipe the slate clean and start a new thread asking questions, go right ahead but leave the attitude behind.

[dcw1]

Wow, I love the hits this thread is getting.

Right, I totally agree I didn't get the answers I wanted to hear. "Go see a mechanic" and "RTFM" and "this is an A/C problem so only pros can help you" don't count as answers I want to hear. Only WWWPerfA_ZN0W posted a meaningful response.

My A/C seems to be working fine now. I obviously still have a very slow leaking Schrader valve that may need to be fixed if the original cap does not totally stop or significantly slow the leak. I'll deal with that if the system runs down again. Maybe that will take 3 days or 3 months or 3 years or never. For now, that leaking Schrader valve is staying put until the system runs down again--hopefully never as I tightened the plastic cap on very tightly.

Thus, right now I don't think I need a machine to detect another "possible" or "phantom" leak. As I said, I got lucky and can actually SEE and HEAR my leak. I think the more prudent and cost-effective thing is for me to fix (if necessary) is the leak that I actually can SEE an HEAR. Then, and only then, take it to a mechanic if it still seems to be leaking somewhere else AND I can't find that other leak. (but some here suggest not to even bother looking for or listening for another leak--I need a machine). I call nonsense on that because I found one very fixable leak with my eyes and ears only. Is that common? No. But it can't hurt to actually TRY to find it before running to an A/C technician.

Do you see the difference in suggestions? One person says look for the leak yourself since you may find it. And here is how to look for it. The other immediately says you're too stupid or its impossible to find the leak, so go to a mechanic.

If the system was leaking oil, wouldn't I have perhaps seen oil on the driveway/engine/system lines? Perhaps you meant to suggest that I visually inspect for oil leaks before taking it to a mechanic. See the difference? I suspect not.

The A/C seems to be working despite the answers here. In fact I only got a problem laundry list of "could be" without even anyone suggesting it may be a $10 low refrigerant problem. And that laundry list included some things I could have looked at or done as well---like removing debris. But was that even suggested? No. It was buried in with "You're too stupid to work on such a sophisticated system. Go to a mechanic." And now I am cheap because I don't want to buy a $37 tool that I'll use once in a lifetime.

Interesting my posts and responses are much more informative than anything I got here. Hopefully someone with a "cool driver's side and a warm passenger side" will use the above information I provided here and at my initial thread and save some money by checking the refrigerant first instead of running to an A/C mechanic immediately. It may not be your answer but it may work and keep some money in your pocket. I would suggest also visually checking the Schrader valve ports and all lines for leaks as well. Remove the cap and visually see if there is leaking oil or listen for a leak. Is there oil pooled in any locations? Or don't bother looking and just run to the A/C technician. See the difference in responses? It is fairly obvious.

Thanks to WWWPerfA_ZN0W as he actually made a useful suggestion here that I had not thought about----- see if the $37 tool can be rented. An excellent actual suggestion. Akirby, is WWWPerfA_ZN0W "cheap" as well for making such a suggestion? Sounds like it. I also suspect though that I am too stupid to use the tool properly. Or there probably is another leak somewhere else so I am wasting my time.

I actually found a video that discusses using metal valve caps to tightly seal off a Schrader valve port. The guy said if you use metal caps don't over-tighten them. If you tighten it too much it can cause the valve port threads/opening to flare or mushroom. If you eventually do have to remove the Schrader valve anyway, the flared threads make getting the Schrader valve out VERY difficult. Messed up threads and an irretrievable Schrader valve may mean replacing the entire valve assembly.

My work here is done. If you can't make a suggestion besides "RTFM" or "go to a mechanic", don't bother posting. Especially if you can't handle someone questioning your suggestion.

[akirby]

And we're done here. You just can't let it go and now you've interfered with someone else's thread (I deleted your post).

 

If you continue to be disruptive your account will be suspended.