So, I refilled my a/c with two cans of 134a and it blew cold for a good week and then it went to being a smidge away from room temperature air and now blows lukewarm. I put in another can of 134a and it guzzled it down, blew cold for a day and now it's back to lukewarm. Today I attempted to put in some leak seal 134a alongside regular 134a and neither would take. So, she's full but she's not cold. Not even close.
I don't see any visible leaks so my question is, is it time to replace the compressor? I know the 95-02 compressor's are the same but, I've never bothered with them beyond removing them. There's no noise coming from it or the lines connected to it. For all intents and purposes it seems fine on the outside.
Just saw the sticky lol maybe my answer is in there.
Take it to a shop. They will have the proper equipment to test the system for leaks and will be able to properly fill the system with the correct amount of R134a.
Refrigerant systems are filled by weight, not pressure. Too much refrigerant in the system will cause it not to cool properly. Also air in the system will reduce it's cooling ability. The system needs to be vacuumed out, leak tested, and properly recharged.
Just an FYI,
On a 70 degree day, my cavalier's AC system set to MAX will blow cold at +6 degrees f. within 3 minutes.
You've got a pretty substantial leak for it to be lost that quickly. It could be one of the compressors seals or an o-ring in a line. Seems the connection to the evaporator is very often were a leak will appear, but anywhere there is a connection or seal could be the leak. You've got at least some air in the system now too. Pretty much anytime you have a leak, air will get in, once the refrigerant expels. This will also introduce moisture into the system. PAG oil reacts to moisture in a nasty way. You should change the accumulator and check the orifice tube for any debris. Replace it with a new one, even if the old one looks fine. They are cheap enough.
There is a possibility you also lost some oil, especially due to the rather large leak you must have. This can aid you in finding the leak. If oil was lost, you may be able to see it on the lines, condenser, compressor or the connection to the evaporator. You won't be able to see the evaporator though, without removing the cover under the dash.
Unless you have the tools for working on an a/c system, I second Tinkles recommendation, take it to a shop.
Never use anything with the words Stop Leak on it. This alone tells me you need to flush your system now. That stuff it terrible for whatever it is put in. I know it seems like a quick fix, but it really messes up passages in closed systems, be it A/C, radiator, PS, whatever. It is ALWAYS best to find the leak and repair/replace what is causing it. Be sure to tell the technician that you put stop leak in it and want it flushed out. You can't flush the compressor with flush fluid. However, you can pump new oil through it, by hand turning it. This will take a little bit of time and oil, but will clean out most of the old oil and most importantly,,, the stop leak.
