freed - did you get after that AC yet?
I just wanted to check that you really, truly are certain that there's a deeper problem with the AC outside of simply low R410a. Did you pressure test it with a proper manifold or something?
Ready for a long story?
I bought my 2003 GT new off the lot in 2002 and drove it, disinterested for 10 years; I had stopped wrenching on my own vehicles and turned that over to pros while I raised a family. Eventually, the blower motor began to get unreliable.... just randomly stopping and starting in any and every position. The AC would always light up and when the blower chose to blow, I'd get cold air.... until I didn't.
At this point, the car is 15 years old, a little beat up (blame my kids), and I'm already pondering a replacement, deferring repairs, etc.
Oh... and I live in Minnesota where it actually does have a short, but hot summers, and the Winters are no joke. The last 4 winters I've had heat blowing less often than not. One day, my dash starts playing the drums, and I mean LOUD.... WTH? (yeah, it's the infamous recirc actuator, though I did not know at the time). I find I'm like the Fonz, and I can give the dash a good whack and make it stop, for a while.
So then a divorce comes around, COVID comes around, and golly if I don't fall in love with the boring car I've been driving for 19 years. So, I strap on the tools - new blower motor, new blower resister, check harness connection, test ground.... blower is more consistent, but not fully. Decide to get after that knuckle busting actuator, and even went to the extent of removing the passenger seat to give me a slightly less destroyed body while I work on it. 3 trips to the hardware store later (thank you top lag screw with the 1" of clearance), I've got it out and Mr eBay in - that flap valve works like a champ, and man do I like open the cabin air filter housing just to admire it in action.
Oh, did I forget to mention that cabin filter? Um....... like 5 pounds of tree detritus packed in there; yeah, there's a mesh screen above, but I guess 19 years of parking under a tree with Minnesota snow and ice packing everything down is too much for any car. (and another "why the hell was I paying mechanics?")
But still- got a blower thats super finicky, so eventually I find that stinking blower relay. that one not in the engine bay or the driver side, but way up under the dash, by the blower, which I'll admit isn't that unreasonable, but kinda unknown-ish. Pull it, and oh my.... nasty yellow stuff that looks like the back of my favorite greasy spoons flat top grill. Not Good Eats. A mere few dollars from Rock Auto, and Viola, that blower is humming solid, on demand.
Okay, so I've needlessly replaced a bunch of parts, and spents loads of warm summer nights with my head in weird places... but really - just having a ball, and all these parts are like $140 in total. Just further marveling at the magnificence of the 2003 GT , with its revvy motor, 6 speed gearbox, never stopping Toyota/Yamaha drivetrain, and the fact that I can literally put a 16' extension ladder *entirely* inside my car, with hundreds of pounds of tools and other materials - all doors closed. So why exactly have I been thinking of a Tesla for the last 4 years?
Now I move onto the AC compressor... I'm thinking clutch. That's what the cool kids say - I even call a couple of AC shops around and ask if they'd be willing to replace the clutch if I brought them the compressor. Lets just say I found myself thinkin I might know more about the car than they do (answer: "that can't be done, sir") . But first - let me test that solenoid on the compressor, just to make sure its operable if I manually put 12v on it, as would happen when the refrigerant pressure switch signals it. Yep - happy click, click to that. Hmmmmmmmm.... how about the refrigerant pressure switch itself, could it be bad? Sure, in theory..... mine isn't closing and sending 12v to the compressor solenoid, no matter how long I let the car run AC on, freshly repaired Air Handler blasting at Max......
Those $20 R410a top up cans can't actually do anything good, right? That stuff's for suckers who pour "Radiator Stop Leak" or Drano down the sink. Totally beneath me.
Well, ya know.... that can comes with a simple pressure gauge for the low pressure side; even if I'm not getting fancy with a pressure manifold it should give me a clue?
To the store I go - put that puppy on with the motor running and hey - there's some pressure... squeeze the trigger, burst, burst, burst... hmmmmm.. pressure increasing, I think that means no leaks? Pop it off, open the door... Holy Moly - it's blowing 60 degree or colder air while ambient temp is 90+.
Dang.
That was 4 weeks ago. Been really enjoying my chilly ride daily.
Oh, and while I have the dash wide open, that crappy GM/Delco head unit gets ripped out, and the touch screen Android head unit with Live Rear View and Screen mirroring needs to go in. After all, I had to remove the radio to assist in a two arm wrap around technique for the recirc acutator
Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd..... I've got the rear hatch plastic fascia pulled off to reveal the hatch lock, since it seized up and wont turn left a decade ago, not allowing me to use the fabulous opening glass feature (how many other subcompacts casually haul 12 foot Aluminum stock?) . While that skin is off, dang, that's a nice spot to drill a 20mm hole and pop that 720p rear view camera in. Oh, what about those hatchback lift struts? They're awfully weak in the dead of winter when the seals shrink and the gate is ominously moving towards your head.....
'Til next time....