My A/C stopped working about 2 months ago, I added a can of refrigerant and it worked okay for 30 days or so. But when I turned the ac on I could see fog coming out of vents. It is blowing hot again and not sure what to do next. I was wondering if a can of sealant is recommended or what to do?

 

Getting fog out of the vents doesn't narrow down the problem.

You really should first read the high and low pressures to be sure you lost R-134a. If you did, then you have a leak and will need to locate and repair the leak. Sealant will not help in my opinion.

 

I'm not sure the kit I have reads the high pressure. I checked the larger connector (not sure if that is low or high) and it was low so I added a can and had air conditioning for a while. In what circumstance would you use the sealer?
Seems like I'm going to have to bring it in. I think I recall that Honda auto cycles the A/C to keep the windows defogged in the winter, is this true or can I wait until the spring to have the A/C looked at? Thanks

 

Honda (like almost all cars) runs the AC when you have the ventilation set for defrost. Unlike most, some years it does this without any indication lamp on the dashboard coming on. And you have no way of turning it off. But you'll know if you look in the engine compartment you can see the compressor clutch cycling.

So if you turn the air to your feet instead of the windshield, then it doesn't do that.

The attachment on top of the refrigerant can only reads the one side. A manifold with gauges to read pressure on both high & low sides is what you'll need to do that.

About the sealer, I'm not an AC guru, so someone else will probably chime in about that. I'm just generally skeptical about sealers that you add to your radiator, or anywhere else, but I don't know much about the specific stuff for AC.

 

The AC cycles in the winter months to remove humidity from the glass. All manufacturers do this.

 

I might consider a sealer if I had to charge my a/c due to a slow leak where I had to recharge once or twice a year.

My preferred method would be to recharge using R-134a with a dye when I recharge (after verifying the system is low on charge). Then use a UV lamp to locate the leak in the a/c system. I'd repair the leak and probably replace all the o-rings in the system while I had the system apart. Then vacuum down the system, then charge with the proper amount of R-134a with dye, so I could find any new leaks years down the road.

 

Do not add sealant in your system. It could cause a clog if not used correctly then you will have another problem on your hands. Do as stated above fill with freon w dye. After a week check with a UV light to see where your leak is.

Start from the front as that's where most likely is unless you've had work done before. Check condenser twice, then your hi/low cores/scheader valves, check compressor, and so on.

 

It sounds like I need to bring it in, I don't have the UV light and not sure where I would get the R-134a with dye. Unless there is some DYI kit with the necessary supplies. My dilemma is that the car is an 06 with almost 170,000 km, I've been told that AC repairs are usually in the thousands so may not make sense to repair.

 

You can get the freon w dye from the local parts store. Also they should have a uv flashlight. If not just buy it on Amazon.

 

Okay I'll look into those items. I don't have a manifold to test the high + low side. The kit I have has one gauge and not sure but think it attaches to the low side. I'll check the pressure tonight.

I assume I'd have to bring it in for this part, " Then vacuum down the system, then charge with the proper amount of R-134a with dye, so I could find any new leaks years down the road."