I had issues with my AC and this thread was awesome. As far as oil, my new compressor that I didn’t really need cane pre oiled from Denso. My new Denso dryer needed oil and I think it needed almost all of the bottle. Something like 8 oz. don’t remember. The dryer came with instructions on how to add it but it’s simple, fill from the top.
A/C system - how to remove the cooling unit, evaporator, expansion valve (4 Viewers)
- Thread starter alia176
- Start date
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That doesn’t sound right. My denso dryer says add .7 fl oz not 7 fluid oz.
Also that is a lot for one component
that’s what I get for working late when I’m tired !!! So now I have a question! How to I fix it ?? You’re right it was .7
It happens.
Total system amount (PAG46) should be 8 ozs......and typically that is what comes already in a new compressor.
So...if you added another 7 ozs. to the drier (+ any residual in the system) you likely have 16 ozs. (possibly more) in it.
Too much oil can result in 'pooling' of oil in the Evaporator and Condenser and also cause poor cooling as the extra oil is taking up the space we want for the refrigerant.
The only accurate way to charge the system at this point...would be to evacuate the system, flush the lines. use compressed air to force as much oil as possible from the components (Evap, Condenser, Drier), then remove and drain the compressor. Add oil (in correct amounts to each component), pump the system down and recharge with refrigerant.
Thanks !!! That’s what I need to do now ! Appreciate the response !
maxamillion2345
Franken-80
Did you already charge and run the system? If not I’d pull the drier and let it drain out. Maybe just replace it. Too much oil can also essentially hydrolock the compressor.
You MAY want to drain the compressor too and double check the oil amt keeping in mind there is residual. Should be charts out there that will tell you how much oil will remain in each system component after refrig evac.
You MAY want to drain the compressor too and double check the oil amt keeping in mind there is residual. Should be charts out there that will tell you how much oil will remain in each system component after refrig evac.
Yes, I charged it and ran it. It cools but not as good as I was hoping for. I found out my evaporator core was leaking and that’s how I started working on the AC. Along with that I changed out the expansion valve, dryer and compressor as suggested. I wanted to make sure the AC was good for another 20 years or so. I’ll start off by seeing how much I can drain from the dryer first. Maybe I can use a scale to measure and just remove what I overfilled.
Drier will hold up to 1.5-2 ounces (when system overfilled). The compressor (Denso 10PA17C) will retain 4-5 ozs.
So looks like I’ll have to drain the dryer and the compressor to remove the 6.3 oz I overfilled. That’s good info! Thanks!
Yes, unfortunately I was working late into the night. I was tired and I was in denial that I needed reading glasses...
. That’s what happens ! Now I have to do it all over again ! 
A couple years back, I used this thread and R&R the AC system. Worked great that first summer. Leaked down the next. I looked it over earlier this year and found it was leaking at the condenser and drier. Pulled it apart, and both o-rings were flat, like they had been in there for 20 years.
Anyway, do not use Global Parts 1321283 A/C O-Ring kit like I did...
Anyway, do not use Global Parts 1321283 A/C O-Ring kit like I did...
Thank you for the phenomenal instruction sequence. Commentary and photos so clear. Thank you for also taking the time to do this for ih8mud members. My situation:
Vehicle: 1996 Lexus LX450 with 296K miles (So. Calif is like living in Egypt i.e. life is extended)
My symptoms are:
- Loosing coolant with no visible leaks
- Excessive A/C drain tube event (abnormal)
- Foul smell during Southern California rainy season
I believe I have a core leak that is draining my coolant through A/C drain tube. During the California rainy season
, I also get foul rotten smell. At 296K miles I think the data is pointing to a leaking evaporator core.
Vehicle: 1996 Lexus LX450 with 296K miles (So. Calif is like living in Egypt i.e. life is extended)
My symptoms are:
- Loosing coolant with no visible leaks
- Excessive A/C drain tube event (abnormal)
- Foul smell during Southern California rainy season
I believe I have a core leak that is draining my coolant through A/C drain tube. During the California rainy season
, I also get foul rotten smell. At 296K miles I think the data is pointing to a leaking evaporator core.
Not sure of the threading here but my thanks was to alia176.
Thank you for the phenomenal instruction sequence. Commentary and photos so clear. Thank you for also taking the time to do this for ih8mud members. My situation:
Vehicle: 1996 Lexus LX450 with 296K miles (So. Calif is like living in Egypt i.e. life is extended)
My symptoms are:
- Loosing coolant with no visible leaks
- Excessive A/C drain tube event (abnormal)
- Foul smell during Southern California rainy season
I believe I have a core leak that is draining my coolant through A/C drain tube. During the California rainy season
Agreed.
Sounds very much like a leaking evaporator.
Thanks so much for responding. Yes, I just spoke with a mechanic friend and he confirmed that the evaporator core receives no engine coolant. He also thought that the heater core and evaporator core shared same a/c drain tube. Would appreciate any links to heater core replacement.
No, the heater core has NO drain to it at all. It is simply a heat exchanger....not unlike your radiator. If you have a leak in your heater core...it is buried deep up under the dash and not an easy item to replace. Your earlier post referencing the Evaporator made me think you were calling the refrigerant R134a ("coolant") by mistake, hence my answer to that.
The drain for the evaporator should not be letting anything but condensation (or in the case of a leaking Evap) or refrigerant to drain from that location. The Evaporator is housed in a plastic cover.
If your heater core is leaking....it can cause a foul smell as well...but also manifests as wet carpet and excessive fogging of windows.
Thanks 'flintknapper' for the response. It's my bad. I could of been more clear. So, I did capture the fluid coming out of the a/c drain tube and it is indeed engine coolant. This leads me to believe that the Heater Core and Evaporator Core share the same drain. No smell, no wetting, just topping off coolant every couple of days studying my options. I'm leaning toward pulling the dash and doing it right.
alia176
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #300
I'm confused because I see no heater core inside the evaporator core housing when I pulled it out. I didn't disconnect any coolant hoses during this process so I don't know how your coolant is making its way into your evaporator housing!
Here's a pic from page 1.
Here's a pic from page 1.
