AC recharge. I used the wrong fluid. Prius V 2014

In this situation, I would say don't mess around: find a well-respected A/C shop that knows hybrids, drive there today without using the A/C, tell them what happened, and have them fully evacuate and flush (with HV-safe flush agents), and refill with the 134a and the right amount of ND11 oil.

There'll be a cost for the service, but it'll be worth it if they can save you the cost of compressor replacement (which would require all the same evacuation and flushing anyway, to avoid just killing a new compressor as well, plus the price of the compressor).

I might even consider unplugging the orange cable at the compressor (after car TURNED OFF for several minutes; even safer, service plug pulled in the back), wrapping both the disconnected cable end and the socket on the compressor very well in something like Rescue Tape, and leaving it that way until at the A/C shop where they can properly flush.

-Chap

 

Sorry for the mistake.
I'd say, if you've got the required equipment, you could do the job.

If youvarent comfortable, seek a professional AC system tech that understands hybrid system.

There was a similar issue I handled some weeks ago.

The compressor had already gone terribly bad, had to replace em.

That's the link.

https://priuschat.com/posts/2663126/

In your case, you were able to identity the problem earlier.

1. Evacuate the gas and oil from the entire system
2. Flush the whole system
3. Vacuum the AC system using a vacuum pump
4. Get the specified R134 refrigerant and ND11 compressor oil.
5. Recharge the system, and you're done.

 

Alright! Ibguess, if you've got a friend d who's worked on AC system before, he could help you out.

But please before disassembly any component on the system, ensure the service plug is removed.

At this point, I don't think you ha e to remove anything from the car, since the system is still intact. All components in my view, are OK in your car. Just get the oil evacuated from the system.

As long as your compressor is still working perfectly, and has not degraded to a burn out, you're good to go: flush system, and recharge with specified refrigerant and oil.

Have you checked the link I sent you?

 

OK, I see that you have now started a second thread about this horrible situation.

But in NEITHER thread have you told us how or why the stuff you got would be bad for your system.......to the point of a major disaster, you seem to think.

A few more facts would be a bit more helpful.

For instance, have you contacted the company that makes the stuff you bought to see what they have to say ??

And in the other thread, you mentioned OVERFILLING the system.
Is THAT the real problem here.......or is there really some chemical incompatibility ??

 

They sell a product for hybrid cars, HYB-134a. I am guessing that the oil is the only difference in the kits since R-134a is a specific chemical. As noted above, a flush, evacuation, and recharge would be safest.

 

I think the first thing to find out is if the only difference between the recommended "freon" you used and they type you used is the leak detection chemical and if it would hurt your system. My bet is it won't but you find out. My bet is you need to do nothing but figure out why you needed to do the recharge in the first place and the leak detection will help. But I could be wrong. That is why you consult the manufacturer of the stuff you used.

 

A search string:

EZ Chill Auto Air Conditioner R134A Refrigerant & Oil with system safe Leak Sealer

Amazon link (US):

In the above link, in the questions section, the current first question and answer has this helpline number, for determining compatibility:

888-318-5454

Nother question/answer, fwiw:




And this:



It's not clear, but would Sawada be a company rep??

 

The original post included a picture of the can, which says "& Oil".

The oil conventionally used with 134a refrigerant is chemically incompatible with the insulated high-voltage parts in the compressor.

If there isn't something on the can that says suitable for hybrids, ND-11 equivalent oil, safe for electric compressors, or the like, there's a bit of a race against time going on to get that stuff out of there, whatever Yasuharu Sawada says....

-Chap

 

Yeah who is that guy?

I think op got sorted out at Luscious Garage, did he disclose that in his duplicate thread??

I'd guess an evacuation and recharge?

 

Unless they are identified as the seller, the replies on Amazon usually come from others who purchased the product. Anybody can find the question on line and answer, though.

 

Right ... the whole deal in an air conditioner is to play a delicate sort of game with a fluid that can go back and forth between its liquid and vapor phases easily, in the right range of temperatures and pressures useful for cooling the car. The phase change is affected by both temperature and pressure:

• Temperature: higher ⟶ push fluid toward vapor; lower ⟶ push fluid toward liquid
• Pressure: higher ⟶ push fluid toward liquid; lower ⟶ push fluid toward vapor

Also, ambient temperature affects the pressure. If you charge to a certain pressure on a cold day, it will be higher on a hot day.

I think you were actually lucky the compressor didn't frag now, in cold weather, too; here's why:

The ideal operation for A/C is, as the fluid emerges from the compressor, then gets cooled on its way through the condenser, it should have pretty much all condensed to liquid by the point where it leaves the condenser. It flows as a liquid into the cabin and absorbs heat from the cabin air passing through the evaporator, and it should all be changed back to vapor by the time it comes out of there, ready to return to the compressor and go through the cycle again. This depends on having just the right amount of the stuff in the system.

If there isn't enough, the pressure will be too low, pushing the stuff toward vapor during more of the cycle; it might never be completely condensed to liquid even right where it comes out of the condenser. That's inefficient.

If there's too much, the pressure is too high, pushing the stuff toward its liquid form during more of the cycle; it might not always be fully evaporated to vapor, even right where it comes out of the evaporator. That's worse than inefficient: one thing you never, ever want to happen is for some of that stuff to still be liquid when it gets sucked back into the compressor. The reason is that liquids aren't compressible, and letting incompressible stuff get sucked into a running compressor never ends well.

The system is protected by pressure switches that will stop it and give a trouble code any time the pressure is too high or too low. But the limit pressures are set for having the right amount of stuff in the system. If you had tried to use your overcharged system in hot weather (which would have raised the pressure further), you might have lucked out and tripped the high limit, which could have prevented damage.

But in cold weather, like now, with too much stuff in the system, you can face the risk of sucking it in liquid form even without the pressure going high enough to trip the limit. So, you're lucky that didn't happen. Go and sin no more.

The right amount of refrigerant (for earlier Prius models anyway) was, if I remember right, the amount of fill right to the point where bubbles disappear from the sight glass, plus 100 grams more added after that point, under strictly specified operating conditions including surrounding temperature, fan speed, and position of the car doors. It might be different for the v, but anyway, the specs are in the repair manual and ignoring them can get into real money.

-Chap

 

Check. Thanks for that reminder.

 

Sorry to say this but:
If you KNOW that it has the wrong oil in it AND that it is overcharged........but yet you allow the A/C to run anyway.......apparently you haven't learned too much.

 

Came to the forum, posted questions, got it fixed. That counts.

Experience: what you get when you do something, and decide not to do it again.

-Chap