Noticed the A/C wasn't working at all this spring, and after doing a lot of research on this site, I added 'Interdynamics A/C Pro Refridgerant 134a for Hybrid Vehicles' into the L port on my '08 Prius last weekend to get the A/C system working again. Right away the compressor kicked in and started working and within seconds the digital thermometer (stuck deep in one of the vents) was reading around 50 degrees. The system has been running normal the past couple days, including a 4 hour trip I took where it ran continuously. The one issue I still am noticing is there are a lot of bubbles in the site glass, like an excessive amount, almost a frothing look to it. I may have have injected some air into the system, because first I hooked the *new* hose up to the L port to get a pressure reading, and then I hooked the can up to the hose. Could the air bubbles cause damage to the system or any of its components? Also, is it normal if the compressor gradually changes pitch in sound as it's running? Or should it be a constant steady sound?
Generally continuous bubbles in the sight glass indicate a low state of charge. I doubt Prius AC technology is much different from a regular car in that respect. Whatever you do, DO NOT use R134a with oil in it. It’s the wrong oil. The one you used seems to be ok for the Prius, but you can have too much oil in a system. You might want to use R134a with no oil next time. The best way to check your charge is with a set of gauges. Don’t use a set of gauges you have used on a non hybrid car though. Buy a new set.
Really ?? What exactly do you think justifies that ridiculous statement ?? Note: Refrigerant evaporates at atmospheric pressure and a drop or two of the "wrong" oil certainly won't hurt anything. As for the original question: You probably didn't get enough refrigerant in the system the first time. There should be just a scant few bubbles floating by. BUT......adding refrigerant never really FIXES anything, since it will eventually leak out too. You need to find the leak and fix it.
Toyota (and Denso) requires that the oil in the system must have less than 1 percent PAG contamination. If you want to take a chance there is no PAG oil inside the hoses go ahead, however, don’t spread misinformation.
When those hoses are disconnected......the ends are open to the air, right ?? And NO coolant or oil flows BACK through them in normal use, does it ?? Seems to me like one would have to try REAL hard to leave them contaminated with a couple of drops of oil, much less 1%. Do AC service shops really pay attention to what set of gauges they connect to cars with that requirement ? Somehow I doubt it.
Probably not. They won't be working on my car. I'll work on my own. None of these shops will touch my car.
Wow, I thought you were smarter than that. Have you ever used an AC gage? Nobody ever disconnects the one end and oil doesn’t dissipate from exposure to air, however minimal. As I said do whatever you want to do yourself but don’t spread misinformation.
I never said any of that. I did not say to disconnect BOTH ends of the hoses. And I did NOT say that it was oil that evaporates. Almost every set of gauges I have ever seen has a hook on the gauge itself and is stored on a peg with the hoses dangling DOWN. There is a reason for that. I quit.
I always like when the spec says you want to just see just the occasional bubble whiz by, and just when the compressor stops: a swirl of bubbles. At least with third gen, it says you shouldn't be seeing any bubbles, (though maybe still that swirl as compressor stops?) Here's the Second Gen Repair Manual info:
Nice. The bubble and gage check starts on AC-136. It says bubbles are ok if the system is to spec but I like using gages myself.
IF that is your only measure of whether it is full or not........it is VERY DIFFICULT to tell the difference between full and totally empty if there are no bubbles.
Agreed, and that's what bugs me about it. The one saving grace: I think almost any system will show a swirl of bubbles just as the compressor shuts off, at least that's what I've always seen if I watch one.
Yes. It's a variable-speed/variable-power compressor with a very wide operating range, from barely-audible to is-that-a-small-plane-in-the-distance?, depending on how hot and how humid.
