AC just cool not cold. Want to buy a kit at walmart and do it myself on my 2016 ls460. Any recommendations or tips would he appreciated.
thanks all in advance

 

This is gonna be a good thread. I can't wait to hear the replies.

 

Perhaps it's a refrigerant leak? I can't see a 4 year old car needing a reload.

 

jdang0118,

I've worked on my car ACs several times over the years and I don't recall any success. About the only thing that I accomplished was to add some loose refrigerant to the atmosphere.

Air conditioning and automotive AC especially is somewhere between art and science. People who are successful in this area have lots of training and lots of experience.

Keep in mind that insufficient cooling can be caused by both over charging and under charging. Charge means to add more refrigerant. And there are other causes of insufficient cooling.

If your AC needs more refrigerant added, it probably has a leak. If that is the case, then it needs to be repaired. Repairs can range from tightening connections, to hose replacement, to evaporator replacement to compressor replacement. Repairs other than tightening connections require specialized tools and skills. Finding leaks requires tools like leak detectors.

Evaporator leaks are common. They often cause oily deposits on the inside of the car and are especially noticeable on the inside of the windows.

My advice to you: find someone who specializes in automotive air conditioning repair - not a mechanic. Independents who provide this kind of service are not nearly as expensive as dealerships. You seem to live in a large metropolitan area and should be able to find someone nearby. Ask your guy who repairs your home AC if he knows someone.

 

A functioning a/c should not be losing freeon. A car that needs to be recharged has a leak. Check out UV leak detection but anything to do with A/c should really be left to a professional. There are places that all they do is work on car a/c. A recharge is not the only reason a modern car would blow cool but not ice cold. Computers, sensors, servos, low freeon, many many causes it could be.

 

If you think you’re losing refrigerant then I think it’s worth properly diagnosing the source of the leak. Your car is worth it, it’s new enough to actually fix vs putting a can of r134a in every warm season.

 

No need to over complicate a simple refrigeration circuit, it’s basic thermodynamics

 

Quickest way to ruin an AC is to overcharge it. You need a gauge set and oil, not just a can of R134.

The system has a leak; get it fixed, evacuated and charged properly.

 

... I’m pretty sure I said to have the system properly repaired before blindly pumping refrigerant into the system

 

It is my understanding that the AC system performs a dehumidification function to prevent moisture condensation on the inside of the windows year round. Will that work if you only add refrigerant every warm season?

 

What I said about adding refrigerant every warm season was a bit of a tongue in cheek joke about a car that is a total beater. The kind with an a/c leak that goes empty within a few months, isn’t worth fixing, and is pretty much ready for the junkyard. Definitely not a 2016 LS.
Youre right that the air conditioning is necessary year round as it serves a vital dehumidification function in addition to cooling the cabin down. While many cars got by without it in years past, it’s pretty much a necessity today and needs to be functional at all times.