Air Conditioner Recharge
By-David Trujillo
When it starts to feel just cool and not cold with the
Car air conditioning on! It is time to charge the Air Conditioning System. These are things you can do. Don’t wait until the cool air is gone.
Things to test:
Re-charging a R134a(Only) air conditioning system is very easy to do. Purchase a twelve-ounce can of refrigerant with gauge set attached to can. The refrigerant has a quick disconnect that will attach to low side of the cooling system. The low sideline is the larger of the two lines coming off the evaporator. Connect to the Low Side only.
Shake contents of can for two minutes.
Hold on to connector and slide back sleeve, connect on low side port. Make sure when you slide back sleeve it locks in place; look at reading on gauge. Between 45 and 50 pounds is a full charge. Hold can at 12 o’clock move to 3 o’clock in a back and forth about every 5 seconds.
Connection hose is on low side, start car and turn air conditioner on max. The fan should also be on high. Push down button to inject liquid into the system. The gauges are accurate. Green means more liquid is needed. Blue between 45 and 50 pounds is charged.
When your air conditioning unit is cooling but just not cold. Inject fluid for about 2 minutes. This should be enough to top it off. Remember you can always add more. So drive it for a while and check it out. The lines will start to sweat. Never let lines ice up or fit will freeze.
If you are charging an empty system, each can takes about 15 minutes to empty. But definitely be cautious you are at your own risk. The new R134a liquid is biodegradable.
The air conditioning system only holds a maximum of two twelve-ounce cans. If you have put in one can and the pressure is not somewhere near normal. We would recommend checking for a leak in the system.