[Umar]

Hi guys !
I own 2014 gmc acadia. I bought it with 91,000km on it and now it has 107,000 km. 4 months back I got my AC ASM Hose changed as previous one developed crack and leaked. The car mechanic charged the system with freon 134a. Ever since the cooling is good, but I have noticed some heaviness in the car from that day. Whenever I turn on my AC , I feel that car is bit heavy and bit more noisy. As I accelerate the car above 20 to 30 km/ hr, it feels towards normal.
I showed to another mechanic who says that the system might be overcharged. According to him:

There is no way to check the pressure now in the system. The only solution is to empty the system and refill which according to him can damage the compressor.

I need some opinion on it :
1. Is my system really overcharged or there can be some other reason to it.
2. Is there really no way to check the pressure, as if it is overcharged as a layman i think that releasing some gas can cure the issue.
3. Does refilling can really damage the compressor.

Thanks

 

[Turbo6.0L]

Hi guys !
I own 2014 gmc acadia. I bought it with 91,000km on it and now it has 107,000 km. 4 months back I got my AC ASM Hose changed as previous one developed crack and leaked. The car mechanic charged the system with freon 134a. Ever since the cooling is good, but I have noticed some heaviness in the car from that day. Whenever I turn on my AC , I feel that car is bit heavy and bit more noisy. As I accelerate the car above 20 to 30 km/ hr, it feels towards normal.
I showed to another mechanic who says that the system might be overcharged. According to him:

There is no way to check the pressure now in the system. The only solution is to empty the system and refill which according to him can damage the compressor.

I need some opinion on it :
1. Is my system really overcharged or there can be some other reason to it.
2. Is there really no way to check the pressure, as if it is overcharged as a layman i think that releasing some gas can cure the issue.
3. Does refilling can really damage the compressor.

Thanks

It is possible that what you are describing could be caused by a slightly overfilled system. Only way to get an accurate level on the fill is for it to be recovered and weighed. A basic set of AC gauges would only give you a ball park estimate of the level. It is also possible that the system was not serviced well enough after the line was replaced and has some air or moisture trapped in the system.

Extreme overfilling could cause damage to the system. There is a limit switch that the system uses to cycle and would also act to protect the system.

I would suggest finding a reputable place to recover the refrigerant to see what they get out and compare that to what was supposed to be in there. This would also give you a fresh starting point when recharge it.

Keep in mind that compressors do get louder with age and the drag you feel might be normal.

 

[Umar]

Thanks alot for your time and valuable information.
I must say that I wouldn't get a more comprehensive reply. So it's much appreciated.
Just one more thing, if you can shed some light on it. Does emptying the system and then recharging it again, can somehow damage the compressor or any component of the system ?

 

[Turbo6.0L]

Your welcome. No damage can occur from recovering the system. It a process that has to happen anytime any part of the sealed system has to be replaced.

 

[Umar]

Thanks I'll do as advised