How to check air conditioning?

[Toshiro]

So I had a 1.5 hour drive home from the autocross today, and my A/C would just NOT get cold! So I got some gas and checked under the hood, and I noticed the line for my EGT gauge was resting against the high side A/C line above the driver's side fender, and it had melted a divot into the A/C line. Initially I figured it was a hole where my refrigerant had leaked out, but I looked at it more closely later on, and I can't see any hole, just a dent. Anyway, before I go out and buy a new line, get the system charged, etc, what should I check to ensure nothing else in the A/C system is causing the problem? When I turn on the A/C the fan starts spinning, but that's about all I could think to check in my driveway. I can check the system pressure tomorrow in shop class, I probably will, but what else should I look for?

 

[HITNRUN]

A/C system leaks are hard to find. If it did leak refridgerant out, then you have to take it somewhere. They will put a dye in the refridgerant and use a blacklight to find the leak. You will not be able to see the refridgerant if it is leaking out. It sounds like there was a leak though. Refridgerant can leak out of a hole that is nearly impossable to see. The only other thing I can think of is maybe your A/C switch is not working. The button will work but the switch wont. I datalogger can show you it it is working or not.

 

[Toshiro]

After some closer inspection by my dad and I, we don't think the hole was melted/burnt, we think the vibration scratched it into the line. Also, he felt the little divot, and it was dry, so no oil (or refrigerant) came out of the hole. We'll see tomorrow. The shop also has a a/c leak detector, but hopefully it won't come to using that.

 

[Toshiro]

Does anyone know if there is a way to adapt R12 (old) A/C gauges to check R143a (DSM, correct?) A/C? The only gauges I have access to don't fit my car.