I have to fill the air conditioning every year. No cold air

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henex1980

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Mazda cx-9 2008
Hello, did any of you have a problem with the air conditioning? Does the mazda cx9 have a weak point in the air conditioning system? Air conditioning packed 9 months ago and the air conditioning is not cooling anymore. 2 services claim that the air conditioning system is tight and good. So why is air conditioning not bringing cold air again?
 
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I don't want to laugh at it. Cx 9 from 2019 in my hands. I did 3 air conditioning services and there is always little gas. 120-160gr. The rest run away. I had a hole in the aluminum tube under the coolant reservoir. this has been fixed. Unfortunately, the air conditioning done in the spring still works through the summer. Then there is no gas. the services make a test with nitrogen and say that it is good. I have a ride. And again the gas is escaping somewhere. I think maybe somewhere in the 2nd zone in the tunnel? There are pipes under the car. Maybe somewhere under the dashboard?
 
If the first guy can't find the leak, try a different guy.

Freon doesn't leak out naturally. If you *ever* have to fill it, that means there's a leak, and it needs to be found and repaired.

Anyone who is competent can do this without much difficulty at all.
 
Buy a leak test kit in the parts store or on amazon which consists of a UV dye and glasses or light. You put that in the system and run it full blast over a few days and the dye will leak out of the offending area, thus locating the source.
I'd be suspect of faulty Schrader valve seals on either low or high side lines. If the freon has already leaked out then simple to just remove them and replace with new, then recharge with freon and dye. Very inexpensive to replace those first and go from there. If there is freon in the system still ( you can check with a pressure gauge ) then spray some soapy water on those valves and run the system. If leaking you should see bubbles from the area around the valves. It may be a very slow leak and you may not see bubbles right away though so my suggestion is to replace them first( you can easily do and only cost a few bucks) if the system is empty and start there. Hope that helps
 
thanks for your comments. One mechanic says maybe you should get to the evaporator under the dashboard. I have a green dye in my system. I will buy uv lamp as you say. I have to see under the car where the pipes go to the second row. I must see the second blow in the tunnel. Nobody looked there. If this does not help, I have to disassemble the cockpit. One of the cx9 users reported a problem with the rubber-metal hose that he needed to replace.
 
You mean 2 valves labeled Low and High? I unscrewed the plastic cap on the L valve today and heard a small blow. As if some air had passed away. It's weird. It may hiss, but when we press the valve. Maybe you're right. I have to run the air conditioning and test the uv lamp with the glasses. I'm still thinking of doing a foam test.
 
henex1980 said:
You mean 2 valves labeled Low and High? I unscrewed the plastic cap on the L valve today and heard a small blow. As if some air had passed away. It's weird. It may hiss, but when we press the valve. Maybe you're right. I have to run the air conditioning and test the uv lamp with the glasses. I'm still thinking of doing a foam test.
Click to expand...
Yes, those are the valves. You should not hear anything from there when removing the caps. There's your leak. Replace those core inserts. The o rings go bad all the time.
 
henex1980 said:
You mean 2 valves labeled Low and High? I unscrewed the plastic cap on the L valve today and heard a small blow. As if some air had passed away. It's weird. It may hiss, but when we press the valve. Maybe you're right. I have to run the air conditioning and test the uv lamp with the glasses. I'm still thinking of doing a foam test.
Click to expand...
Go back to the shop(s) that said the system is fine and ask them why you were able to find the leak. If any of them paid a little attention to the big machine they hooked up to your car, they would have noticed a leak.
 
but why are there no traces of dye at the valve? You can't see anything with the naked eye. When I pressed the valve, a green dye appeared. Could this leak be so tiny that it doesn't leave a green mark? I hope you are right and it's this valve's fault. My Mazda is 12 years old but has never had an accident or any repairs on the front. I think that disassembling the dashboard is now without sesnu. I have to check this jumper. This is the L valve, so low pressure? I think right?
 
henex1980 said:
How many schrader valves are there? I see 2 valves for me. High and Low. I found on ebay with 4 valves included. link to the auction https://www.ebay.com (commissions earned)
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There are only 2 valves, 1 high and 1 low. In that listing they are giving you duplicates, two of each as extras. In order to determine if the system is empty you need to have a gauge attached to the low side to see if there is any pressure before removing the cores. The reason why you do this is to make sure the system is not under pressure to harm you and also so that the freon does not evaporate into the atmosphere which is bad for the environment. If you connect a gauge you can see if the system is under pressure. If it is then you will need to connect a vacuum recovery machine which only shops have to evacuate the system completely. Then the machine is left on under vacuum for about 30 minutes and gauges are watched to see if it holds the vacuum. If it holds a vacuum then there are no leaks in other major components of the system and can be recharged safely. However the system does need to be evacuated and then valves replaced before recharging or you will have another leak. You can get a simple gauge that connects to the Schrader valve and any auto parts store to see pressure before proceeding. If no pressure then unscrew both cores and replace.
 
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So I have to buy all valves? I thought maybe the o-rings themselves were a problem. It seems to me that the low pressure screw cap has an additional O-ring, I will check it carefully tomorrow.
 
Could 2 services not know that these can be service valves? I hope I'm on the verge of discovering the failure. Thank you for your help.
 
henex1980 said:
So I have to buy all valves? I thought maybe the o-rings themselves were a problem. It seems to me that the low pressure screw cap has an additional O-ring, I will check it carefully tomorrow.
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Try tightening the valve core in each one. The o-rings are for dirt/moisture, not pressure.
 
You need the valves, they come with the o rings and you replace the valves because they have springs inside that push in like a tire valve. They can get weak and won't seat on the seals properly. Why are we trying to save $2 by not replacing the entire valve?
 
henex1980 said:
I have placed an order for valves, waiting for delivery. I'll do a leak test tomorrow.
Click to expand...
Great, keep us posted. You also may want to check with an auto parts store to see if they keep these valve cores in stock. May be quicker for you. In any case, you always replace both as they have the same wear and age, just like you are supposed to do with old school halogen headlight bulbs. If one goes out, the other is right behind.
 
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