Troubleshooting Air Conditioner Not Working

Ok, so I got a new manifold gauge set, and took the pressures. The Low Side was like 10 psi and the high side was 0 psi. So I added some freeon after which the compressor actually turned on, and then the Low Side pressure got up to around 70 psi while the High Side was somewhere around 60 psi. I estimate that I added around 20-22 oz of freeon. So there should be in the system, whatever was in there initially, plus that 20-22 oz.

I was afraid to add too much at the risk of overcharging. The highest pressure I recorded was 80 psi at the Low Side, and lower than that at the High Side.

What do you think is going on with these pressures?

Ok, but what about this leak? I got the sniffer thing from my local parts store, but the sniffer was too big to get inside the vents. I feel like I would have to remove the vents to actually get it near the evaporator. But AT the vents themselves, it wasn't reading anything even at the highest sensitivity.

The sniffer did go off in front of the condenser, though. I put it at different parts of the condenser and it seemed to go off each time. Is that normal? Also, when I put the sniffer probe to the compressor, it didn't go off. It also didn't go off at the hoses.

The part that I can't get to, is the evaporator. So I don't know its condition--all I know is the temperature tends to be 40-50C (100-120F) as per the scan tool.

So what do you think? Don't I need to find the leak before replacing the compressor. Or what's the recommended approach?

Can you point out the tube to check? http://www.mbpartsworld.com/showAssembly.aspx?ukey_product=7631671&ukey_assembly=1083530

Ok, I really hadn't the slightest clue what you were telling me to look for. Are you talking about #432 in the picture?

If so, how do I access that?

I couldn't find it

I mean you've seen a C230 and you see the diagram. Where specifically do you think it comes out? I've looked under the vehicle, I don't see anything.

In my opinion, it either comes out on top of the transmission directly. Or it drains onto something else, which drains out of the car.

There's no visible opening that I can see under the vehicle that is THAT hose. But I'd be interested to hear where you think it is.

Do you know what this oval opening is? I saw that. But that was the only thing I saw.
There's a hose that drains outside of the windshield to the bottom of the car. I also saw that one.

But no visible evaporator drain hose.

Alright, I'm just gonna replace the compressor to see if we can get the refrigerant to actually circulate.
So I'm gonna go ahead and replace the condenser as well, since it's full of debris and since its recommended maintenance with the compressor replacement.

So I know manufacturer calls for 1 oz oil with drier replacement, and 4 oz of oil with the new compressor unit. But after I put in the new parts, and evacuate, won't I pull that oil out of the system?

Also what do you think about getting an AC flush before replacing the parts? Is that necessary?

I've not actually removed the condenser or any part of the AC system. So I don't know what is actually running through it internally. I mean debris externally.

You said a bunch of stuff together, so I just want to clarify, do you mean that A/C flushes in general are not successful?

Also, on my other question. If you take car to a shop and have the refrigerant evacuated. And then install new parts of the AC system such as the compressor and AC dessicant and add oil. But then you hook up a 3 CFM pump and evacuate the air and moisture out of the system again. Won't the oil that you put in get sucked out or not?

So what solution are you proposing? In your video, you guys just replaced the A/C compressor. I didn't see you replacing other components.

I was only going to do the initial evac in a shop, prior to replacing any parts. Then I was going to replace parts. And do an evac with my own 3 CFM pump and manifold gauges at home to get moisture and air out of the system, before refilling with refrigerant. My question is. Doesn't that remove oil from the system?

BTW. The comp hasn't seized completely. I know when it is seized on the Denso unit, the cap should fall off. That hasn't happened yet. Also, when hooked up to diagnostics, it shows that the compressor comes ON, just at a low efficiency. And of course, the manifold pressure gauges are showing equal Low Side/High Side pressures.