Refrigerant is black

i wonder if mold could be growing inside the lines

 

it sounds like it, but idk how it's done, or what to kill the mold with. perhaps it isn't mold though, someone else might know.

 

Would be great if @lech auto air conditionin was in your area, as this would make a great thread.

 

interesting. i've never heard of black refrigerant. how long did it last until it turned black again? maybe wasn't clean and slowly grew back?

 

i suppose it's possible then. perhaps there is something that would totally kill all bacteria, idk. hopefully, lech will respond to sfo's tag. he is an expert, even over the net.

 

Wondering if the black stuff is fine metallic particles suspended in the refrigerant.

 

If it’s truly black that means most likely your compressor was very low on charge compressor got very hot and cooked oil the dark gray that appears to be black also is a fine oxide metal powder from the compressor from a little metal to metal contact also there’s a black Teflon tape coding material on some internal components on the scroll that wears off when there’s contact and you have find needle bearings located in the compressors

As you take apart your components at each connection you will probably find a light gray to black film on the inside of all the white should be bright shiny clean aluminum lines

this can be flushed out any components that have mufflers attached to them get replaced

you would be doing a new expansion valve and because you already had the evaporator out to get to the expansion valve on this 2009 vehicle and evaporators are the mother of all leaks other than condensers on Prius is at this age don’t try cleaning it save yourself a lot of grief and just replace it.

so you will basically have an entirely new system did I forget to mention the condenser replacement.

I myself cannot live without air-conditioning in my vehicle that’s why I never ever allow the system to get any lower than 1 to 2 ounces usually less because I do not want to allow my compressor to burn out.

sometimes you’re lucky sometimes you’re not some people can completely run the compressors down to almost no refrigerant and they survive and they have no problems and then you have the unlucky guys who just do it once or twice and they have a two or $3000 bill after that it’s a roll of the dice do you feel lucky today .