I thought I’d share an issue I had with an RX300 ( badged as Toyota harrier) 1999
Aircon compressor leaking in Malawi.
Found a second hand unit and got a local garage to swap it.
After recharging the unit quickly blew out the refrigerant.
On close inspection the fan power leads had been swapped causing the fans to push warm air from the engine forward through the rad and condenser.
Swapping the fan supply cables had fixed the problem.

 

I believe you that it did blow out the refrigerant.

Reversing the fan motor to blow hot air on the condensor I would think is superheating the refrigerant in the condenser instead of sub-cooling it. like it should be.
Did it blow refrigerant out the "pop off" pressure saftey valves on the compressor or rupture and leak out the condenser?

 

Fortunately it only blew through the valve on the compressor. Now it’s the hot season in Malawi so I’m glad I spotted the problem. I’m surprised a high pressure sensor didn’t shut down the aircon.

 

Hi Culross,
I am guessing is because the pressure increase from reversing the fans was Superheating the refrigerant to higher than normal gas pressure between the compressor and the condenser input and this is why it was releasing refrigerant from the compressor's pressure release valves- we called them "Pop Off Valves" back in the day.

If the line from the condeser output to the expansion valve(high pressure liquid line) is over spec it will cut the compresor off(using pressure switch) and I would believe it would do that if it wasn't escaping pressure already from the compressor, just a guess.

Lucky it didn't rupture the condenser or damage the refrigerant lines.
Your A/C is blowing cold and proper now?

 

Maybe you didn't do something while placing the new AC. I had a 2015 Cruze for around three years, and it also had problems with the AC ever since I got it. I also had to look for a new conditioner and installed a https://www.socool.sg/ conditioner as well. I haven't had any problems, though. The car was working correctly, and there was no fog on my windshield or windows when I used the AC. Maybe you didn't take the old one properly and left something in the car that was still working. You always have to make sure that you completely remove the old one to place the new one in.

 

I had to replace the condenser because it was blocked. It’s now working well in 40 degree heat on holiday in Botswana
👍

 

Hi culross, thank you for posting your fix!

Your reversed fan wires blowing the hot engine air on the condenser was a problem you already fixed.

Yes, a blocked condenser can also cause higher pressure between the compressor & condensor and pop off excess pressure too if blockage is enough.
However, when the condenser has blockage we will usually measure lower than expected pressure and poor sub-cooling on the "High Side AC Port" port because the condenser is acting like an expansion valve due to blockage on one side and no blockage on the other.

This should have been seen with the gauges on the high side port if the blockage was persistent.