The oil charge doesn’t have to be quite as accurate as the refrigerant charge in your car’s a/c system. However, it is highly important for system longevity and proper cooling.
NOT ENOUGH OIL – A low oil charge is the most common contributor to a seized or knocking compressor. Replacing a compressor is costly enough. Removing contaminants (such as metal shavings) from the rest of you’re a/c system due to a seized or knocking compressor can drastically increase repair and labor costs to do correctly. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CONTAMINANTS. Besides the new compressor and filter-drier, the latter of which must be changed any time the system is opened to the atmosphere, any other component that is to be reused will require additional labor to clean internally, or often, replace.
TOO MUCH OIL – Many people don’t realize too much oil can have a devastating effect on your car’s air-conditioning system. Using refrigerant cans that contain oil and repeated compressor replacements that contain full oil charges without properly compensating are just two of the many ways this can happen. Too much oil in the system not only prevents your a/c from functioning well, but it can also lead to temporary seizing of the compressor. Too much oil in the cylinders can lead to premature failure and permanent seizing of the compressor, among other things.
HOW CAN I MAKE SURE I HAVE THE PROPER AMOUNT OF OIL IN MY CAR’S AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM? – Unfortunately, there is no magic trick to doing this correctly. But depending upon what part(s) is being serviced, there are some ways to take an educated guess. For example, let’s say your car’s a/c was functioning correctly but was involved in an accident that damaged the condenser. Obviously, the condenser and filter-drier will need to be changed, and these items contain oil within them. Do your best to drain as much of the oil from them, and add that amount of oil back into the system before charging the car. This will help maintain the system’s oil charge integrity, so you don’t have a system oil over or undercharge. In the end, however, there is only one true way to ensure you’ve got an accurate full charge of oil in your car’s a/c system. Drain the compressor and flush each part in the system individually, reinstalling, and started with a full proper charge of refrigerant. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CONTAMINANTS