Technical Air conditioner doesn't work well after refill

[Brumm0815]

Good day everyone!

First of all: Please notice that English isn't my mother tongue but I will try my best to be as explicit and detailed as possible.

The car I refer to: Fiat Punto MK2, 2002 60 hp, 1.2l engine

I have a problem with my air conditioner. After the winter I noticed that it won't cool down the air anymore, so I went to my garage to refill the air conditioner. (1 1/2 monts ago).The guy working there told me that nothing of the cooling liquid was left.
He refilled it, checked if there is some leak somewhere (the machine testing this said there isn't any) and he put a special illuminant in it too see a leakage in the future.
Okay, after the refill the airconditioner worked so far, not THAT cold as I expected it to be, but it was definitely okay. I noticed a noise after pressing the air conditioner button, which sounded like darth vader inhaled a deep breath (sorry, I can't explain it better:yum. After that sound the compressor started working and it got cool.
Now the problems start: One mont later I noticed a constant noise while having the air conditioner running. It got louder and louder and the air got cooler and cooler. A friend of mine said that the compressor doesn't run all the time, it starts and stops automatically but never runs the whole time. After noticing the noise it also noticed that the compressor ran all the time without any stop. I said okay, let it be then.
For you to have an example of that loud noise, please watch this video I uploaded for this thread:

youtube . com/ watch?v=YoaNAlyb77w
(please remove the spaces in between)

You hear that metallic noise? That's what I am talking about. It's really loud when the car is idling, it softens at around 2000-3000rpm. That's where it worked.
Yesterday I was driving and noticing there is no cooling anymore. Nothing. Again with this noise and knowing that the compressor is working.
I looked under the hood seeing the compressor running and the cooling fan working. I touched the metal pipes going to and away from the compressor. The one which is supposed to be cold (the lower one) was neutral and the one which is supposed to be hot was MEGA hot (upper one). I mean even hotter than when the whole system was working properly.

(see the compressor running?)
I really have no clue why the system is working but the cooling stopeed. When I was refilling the system the compressor didn't do a thing. And now it's running like hell, heating itself up but no cooling at all.
It was suggested to me that it could be the condenser ot the expansion valve which is located between the engine room and the inside room (the connection between inside and outside).
What do you guys suggest? Have you ever had such a problem?
I hope we can find a solution together!

Thank you for your time and trying to help!

Greetings
Brumm0815

 

[Ziggy122]

Was there enough AC "gas" put in?
Its a metallic noise - sorta like metal running metal, IS the clutch even able to spin the AC compressor?

EDIT - here is video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoaNAlyb77w

Ziggy

 

[Brumm0815]

Should be, it was a complete refill and yes, the clutch spins the compressor. As I wrote the compressor itself and one pipe get extremely hot while in use.
Could be that there is no liquid anymore in the system or (but don't ask my why) the compressor protections won't work anymore (if there is too less liquid in it so it won't even start) and it compresses the air? maybe which gets super hot. But this is just a suggestion now.

 

[Ziggy122]

There is a low pressure and high pressure swtich

the low prevent the AC working when there is insufficient gas in the system

The high pressure is what makes the clutch engage and disengage, when ac is running as the pressure increases it gets to the cut off point and stops working for a short period while it cools down a lil and then it'll kick back in

How much can was put in?

Ziggy

 

[Brumm0815]

Uh, I really don't know how much it was. A machine did this refilling job so I guess he just programmed the machine with the data of my car and it did the job itself.
I went to my car and I poked into these 2 valves with a key to see if any liquid comes out. There was a tiny bit at the beginning and then just air. So I guess there is a leckage somewher but I don't know where.
It could be that there was so much air and pressure inside the system that the sensores thought there is liquid in the system so the compressor worked and compressed nothing but air. And that could be a reason why it got so hot.
After releasing the air and puhing the air conditioner button nothing happens with the compressor anymore, it stands still completely.

 

[s and b]

take it to a guy that can check it for you is the simple answer
it sounds like compressor is trying to compress air thus pipe getting warm

word of warning do not mess with those valves again as if system was up to pressure the exiting fluid could penetrate skin go into your bloodstream as a bubble and you would die
just like blowing yourself down with an airline
its a dangerous practice

http://www.silvent.com/competences/risks-of-compressed-air-blowing/

 

[PuntoHowTo]

There are a few possibilities, the clutch on the aircon compressor is an electromagnetic clutch controlled by the ecu, one possibility is that the clutch isn't engaging properly because of dirt or something else on the mechanism so grinding not engaging

Or the clutch isn't engaging at all because it's worn.

Another thing I think is most likely is that when the system was refilled they didn't add any oil to the system and that noise is the aircon compressor ripping it's internals to bits, this would slow the compressor and prevent it compressing the gas properly and would also generate extra heat.

As for what's in the pipes, the refrigerant is a gas at normal room temperature and pressure, so when you released some from the system the 'air' you got out was the aircon gas, if you see any liquids it's either oil or water in the system.

As you're already using YouTube I'd suggest another video of the actual aircon compressor running to assess the effectiveness of the clutch. But I'm inclined to think its a lack of oil following the refill

 

[Brendan W]

Oil was the first thing I thought of as well.
There are a number of simple tests you can do. Take off the belt and see if the pulley turns freely with no noise. This checks the clutch bearing. Should, if bad, only make noise when the aircon is off unless the clutch is slipping. Next turn the aircon on and the pulley should be stiff but without any grating or roughness. Noise would indicate either slipping clutch or damaged compressor.
At idle, with the belt on, the clutch should only be pulling in about 20% of the time or the compressor should be off 80% of the time.
I think there is a leak that wasn't found. Who did the refill - wasn't a Kwik Kwak by any chance?