GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

QUESTION: Should the AC expansion valve tube (where enters firewall) be SLIGHTLY cold or VERY cold to the touch ?CONCERN: AC not working, suspect Freon is fully charged. (at 35 psi)BACKGROUND INFO: My AC this year seems to be 95% dead. Compressor fly wheel spins and radiator fan turns on, but vent temp is only about 68 degrees, when outside is 75. Under the hood, tube from expansion valve is only slightly cooler than ambient right at firewall. Freon currently reads at 35 psi when running.Thanks for the help,FishTail(James: 2004 Vibe, 100k)

MY SOLUTION: I ended up taking it to 2 shops to fix my problem. The first shop charge me $70 to pump the freon system with dye. They said I had a pair of BIG leaks, and a few smaller ones. Assuming they were honest, THAT MEANS THE DO-IT-YOURSELF GAUGES THAT SAID MY FREON WAS FILLED, WERE WRONG! And all this time my system was empty. That first shop wanted $500 to $1000 to fix "everything", which meant they would replace major components. The second shop I went to, said they could "repair" the defective schrader valves (replace few small parts in them) vs replace the full hi and low lines. They also placed a gasket in another leaky spot, and said there WERE NO OTHER leaks. This second shop, cost me only $200. Now, I'm cold and happy.