AC hissing and not blowing cold

[Zuppa93]

Greetings

 

The AC on my 986 Boxster (2000 S) has been out of action for many months due to a leak in the low pressure line, which I have now fixed. However, since refilling with refrigerant gas, the air from the AC is still warm. I can also now hear a hiss which is audible from the drivers seat through the vents, but is most prominent from the area circled in red (picture below). Is this the expansion valve? Sorry for my ignorance on this!

 

I know the compressor is working because the low side pressure drops when I turn the AC on (snowflake button). The low pressure side pipe (blue in pic) is cold and the high pressure (green?) is hot. Any help would be appreciated!

 

Thanks

 

 

[JFP in PA]

Before you recharged the system, did you fully evacuate it to remove any moisture?  If you didn't, you need to recover the current gas charge, evacuate it, and then recharge it along with any required PAG oil.

[Zuppa93]

I did not - thank you. I will have to take it to an AC tech for this...

[Hayabusa3]

Hi Zuppa93 - what did you find out?

I'm in the same situations. Bought the car with no AC, I  put it under a vacuum for 30 minutes and added 2 small cans and the AC worked for a few weeks. So i have a leak small enough that it passes the vacuum test (watched it hold for 30 minutes) but big enough to run out in a few weeks. Now i've got warm air and hissing through the vents up front. Before i did anything there was simply no AC and no noise from vents. I suspect me condensers are shot and leaking (they look original (i did remove the bumper and clean them when i bougth the car)).

 

I'm just thrown by the hissing noise...

[JFP in PA]

You can evacuate the system, and recharge it along with a small amount of UV dye, which will leave a tell tale dye mark at the source of the leak(s).