Is this something I can do myself from a store bought can? my AC hasn't worked since last year, the compressor doesn't even kick on. When using an AC machine, I know how to draw out and recharge with new refrigerant, put the system in a vaccum etc... from college but I've never done it from a can before.
What steps are involved with this? I remember to charge on the low side of the system. Thanks -Mike-

 

I'd have it looked at by a mechanic. If the compressor doesn't engage, I think you need more than a charge.

 

IIRC, the compressor kicks on provided yea it's in working condition but also when there's a enough pressure in the system for it to kick on. Before I had my A/C recharged by a mechanic(before college) the AC never worked in it before and I've owned the truck for about 5 years. Ford recharged the system and it worked great for 1year then I found out my service caps are leaking when I took it into my AC class hence why it isn't working now.

I'm not disagreeing with you, just sharing what I've learned. Having said it's been 1year since my AC has worked, somewhere in that timeframe, something could be now wrong with the compressor, don't know yet -Mike-

 

its real easy to recharge with a can, but it will blow hot again depending on how fast the leak is. There is a port (passenger side) that you simply put the hose from the bottle on, turn the ac on full blast, then open the can and the refrigerant just flows in.

 

cool thanks man! anyone else 2nd this? how many cans do I need? I do plan on purchasing new AC service caps. How do I know when the can is empty? -Mike-

 

ill 2nd that! wicked easy!!! dont pay 65$ for just the recharge from the mechanic. they have a high mialage one for vehicals over 55k miles. get a can of that and it usauly has a colored die in it that wil show you where the leak it and it usualy can patch the small holes.

the 55k+ bottle also has a lube that makes everything flow better inside the tubes. then get another can of the reg stuff and put that in also.

u have to keep truck on and on full blast MAX AC when doing this. buy the hose and referigerant and some when u are letting it flow into the truck u have to hold the bottle upside down on some others you dont.

u wull feel the can getting cold. and u can kind of feel there the line is on the can where it starts to get warmer wile it goes down the can when its emptying.

the compressor will start to engauge when it gets enoufgh in the system and will kick in for 5sec then off 5sec and keep repeating the system. i normaly put enoufgh in untill it shuts off and i get a nice cold blow out of it.

but if its compleatly out check out the manual to see how much is soposto be in the system it will tell u and u just get the cans.

once you do it you will always remember.

 

I use a set of guages (with proper connecting hoses) to know how much I'm putting in (and when to stop), but its been my experience most AC systems have a sight guage somewhere. When it is low, it will have a lot of bubbles passing the sight gauge, and when you are full, the bubbles are single and seperated by some small amount (say 2 inches?). Also it should start blowing colder and colder air as you fill it, stop when it is suitable to you (and don't try to get it ultra cold). Its been some time since I've done this, and I have to relearn it every single time, so take that with a grain of salt.

 

well if it were me id get it checked out, refridgerent really doesnt evaporate so and since you know your valves are leaking you probable have air and moisture in the system and there for the system is contaminated... just adding refridgerent isnt going to get rid of the moisture or air, you need to put it in a vacuume.. and depending on the size of the leak and if enough water got into the system you may need to buy a new reciever dryer...


JOSH

 

I would recommend taking it somewhere to get checked. I believe I was told in the state of Colorado you must be licensed to use refridgerant.

 

do places like walmart in colorado have the cans? last time I was in there, I think I saw it.

 

Another thing to consider, If you get the cans with a lubricant/oil, too much is not a good thing. I have know of people who burned up their compressors that way. Just a word of caution.

 

Take it somewhere....its worth the money.....

Get the system drained and refilled with new r134.....dont just add a can, it wont help in the long run, trust me... Ive tried the past couple years...my AC is cold, but i wanted it colder so i added a can here and there and finally took it somewhere

 

Too much R134 is worse than not enough and if the system has been empty, there will be moisture in it. You can throw a can or two in it, but without having the system vacummed and refilled properly to the right level it most likely will just be a temprorary solution and could cause more expensive damage down the road.

 

my problem is I don't have the luxury of a vaccum machine. If it were up to me and I had one, I'd leave it in a vaccum overnight and get me a set of Robin-Air gauges, anyone ever hear of this brand?

Ford wants $89.95 + tax to recharge the system, same thing with Steve's Auto Care(good shop, dealership prices) I just hate paying someone else to do when I know how to do it just don't have the dough to get the equipment or rent one. Now that I think about it, just taking it in probably would be better sadly -Mike-

 

Well when you do ur own A/C job you are likely to overfill the system with freon as you probably dont have the gauges to watch both the high/low pressures (and not to attack you I mean that with full respect) but probably dont have the know-how to do a proper job. Normally with no freon in a system the compressor will not kick in because the high/low pressure switches do not detect enough freon to save the compressor from damage. However, if you have no freon you may have a leak in the system too, which it would be wasteful to fill it urself. Also, without the proper equipment its near impossible to fill a system to its max. Although a system may say 2lbs R134A, more likely it will be at its coldest at around 1lb 12oz or so. It would be very hard to put an exact amount in. Over charge and it will either blow warmer then should, or blow freon out the AC blow off valve, to little and it wont be cold enough.

Long story short, take it to a professional to ensure quality and a job done right. Also you can buy cans of R134a at local places like autozone I believe. However to buy anything bigger then a can you need to be MACS (Mobile Air Conditioning Society) certified...

 

Also if you really want to do this, what you need is a can of R134a, a low side hose, a thermometer, and some understanding of how an AC system works. Turn the truck on with the low side hose hooked up to the low side service port and to the bottle. Put the ac on max with the windows up with full blower. Put the thermometer in one of the middle air vents and see how low the temp goes. Find out how much freon should be in your truck, should be like a white sticker, or a blue one that says R-134a Max charge. Lets pretend its 2lbs I dunno for sure. So you then open a bottle of R134a (this will depend on what set up you get, might be like opening a nossle to allow freon in) and let all 6oz (we'll pretend again) into the system. Close the nossle or however you can stop the freon from leaking out of the system and hook up another bottle of freon. So say you have 12oz in the system and the compressor doesnt kick in, thats ok, sometimes they dont until you add more. If the compressor kicks in great, you can keep adding 6 oz till you get close to 2lbs. You really would want to stay about 1lb 12-13oz (with 16oz being in a pound). if the compressor does not turn on you can jump the low pressure switch which is probably near the drier or you can jump the high pressure switch which is probably on just a high side hose. To do so just disconnect the switch and put a paper clip in it to enguage the compressor. Monitor the low side pressure also, anything over 35 you should stop adding freon. Although it depends on the humidity, the ambient air temp etc. You really want to be between 30-40 PSI on the low side depending on the above.