LF: Assisted DIY A/C Recharge
 

1998 Acura 1.6EL (same engine as 96-00 Civic 4dr EX)

Not looking forward to having the A/C recharge service from a stealership/shop.


Been reading up and you can do DIY by buying a kit from Canadian Tire for $55 (http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brows....jsp?locale=en)

However, I'm not familiar with the procedure and not very confident in doing it, so I'd rather pay someone to recharge my A/C system with their recharge kit.

Walmart in the states is cheaper if ur going down.....but it's super easy. Find the port, spray, done.

Didn't work on my truck because the compressor is dead, but it worked fine on another car.
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The recharge kit from Crappy Tire is so easy to use, you'd have to be mechanically and mentally challenged not to be able to do it. Screw on can, clamp onto low port, puncture can, wait, unclamp from low port, done. If you cannot handle that, don't drive.

^^ does it work well and last?

what he said. when i used to work there they always sold out the day we stocked them. so i'm guessing they work pretty well.

It's just R134 refrigerant. As long as you put in the proper amount of lbs, it should work as it normally does.

Whether or not it lasts depends on your system's integrity, not on the refrigerant.

However, if you get this as a paid service, they will also inject oil to lube the o-rings as well as make the system run more efficiently by pulling a vacuum (i.e. no air in the system).

YMMV depending on your A/C system's condition.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brows....jsp?locale=en
http://www.redtek.com/techinfo.html

x2 except the CT kit is not R134, its R12a and doesn't work as well as R134. When I recharged my system I noticed it didn't get cold as fast as before.

Considering the system is empty, there is a leak in the OP's AC system. No professional AC repair shop is supposed to fill a system until the leak is discovered, which can be costly. First they have to fill the system and include a dye to find the leak, then repair the leak, then refill. At the very least you're looking at a few hundred $$$.

I had my AC repaired once at a cost of > $1000 for a new condenser - no thanks, I'd rather just use these kits and recharge it every summer.

So I'm trying to do the DIY redtek kit, did it once but I was afraid of overcharging it and didn't put enough I guess (it worked the, but few days later it's back to hot air)


The reason I stopped early was because I wasn't sure what the minimum charge was, now I looked a little deeper and more research here's what I've gathered.

From my service manual.

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/1949/19264205.png

Now what is the corresponding amount I should recharge from the can from this conversion chart?

http://img805.imageshack.us/img805/8025/ac2h.png

I really appreciate the help guys I'm completely dumbfounded and feel pretty dumb for having to ask something that seemingly straightforward.


maximum 22.9 oz, so technically I should use a full can?

you won't need a full capacity because there has to be SOME in the system

what I'm more worried about is that if you leaked all the factory stuff you must use stopleak first and then refrigerant later, and that is still a gamble, you might just lose the $55 altogether because the system doesn't seal anyway.

I think that MIGHT be it, I did put in 1/4 of the can in at first, it ran fine that one day, the next day, it was back to warm before anything was done for it.

If i take it to a shop for $150, would that be a guaranteed solution unless the compressor is fucked (it was working fine last summer)

It's not necessarily just the compressor and there is never a gaurentee. Your AC system consists of many components where one fault can lead to another. It's not my intention to come off as being harsh but I think it's best you stop here and have a certified mechanic/shop take care of your car. Don't even think about using band-aid fixes such as stop leak.

Go see a mechanic.

so update, I was doing some reading,

My system still read psi before I even started filling up with refrigerant, so doesn't it mean its's not leaking?

I'll try one more time since I still have one can of refridgerant since I'm already down $55 before I take it to the shop.

I wouldn't recharge with R12a, especially if it has a known leak. It's essentially propane with a few other ingredients, making it a hazard to you and others on the road.

They sell R134a recharge cans in the US, you might have better luck there.

I don't think there's a leak because it's still holding pressure. I guess it's just how do I discharge it since it's a DIY kit, there must be a DIY discharge?

it's hard to say, if the pressure leak happens between the hi and low side (say a leaky reservoir tank) you will still have pressure but the chemical is just leaving the system when it's off. But then it might work. I have tried the R12A and it did do the trick for me on both my EVO and my Galant VR4 they both maintained good A/C service as long as I owned it.

But my friend with a EG recharge.....didn't go so well even with a stopleak. So it's still a gamble.

Please listen to me and DO NOT DIY your A/C system. The stuff you buy over the counter is like propane. Yes it will work but if it leaks and if exposed to a spark it WILL explode! Also that stuff is illegal to use i many province in Canada but legal to buy, BC is one province you are NOT ALLOWED to use. Also if you put that stuff it most shop will not take it out of the system for you and will not touch it since it will contaminate their machine. Also you are playing with very high pressure and it can blow up that can if you don't know what you are doing or there is problem with the system. Also that stuff don't have oil in them so your system will sure to die with out proper lubrication. If the compressor dies from lack of lube there will be metal in the system and might need whole system replacement. I have more reason to not DIY this, but if you don't listen to what I already said you already made up your mind and won't listen regardless.
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Ended up going to DHP, $120 taxes in. Hassle free. thanks David/Kevin!

What did they end up finding/doing?

Not sure, they just recharged it.

I think the problem with mine was it wasn't emptied/discharged, so the new refridgerant didn't stay in the system? (not even sure if that's how it works)

If there were no leaks found in the system with the pressure guage hooked up, it's possible there was too much air in there and they had to use a vacuum to draw the refrigerant in. Also, might not have put enough in there with the DIY kit. Lastly, and this might be a stretch but one of the schrader valves might have been loose (only leak that wouldn't show up with a pressure guage on).

The enviroment thanks you for it.

while we are on this topic...i got my a/c recharged and now i have water that leaks under my glove box when i use the a/c =| wtf

Condensation build up? Maybe one of the hoses that's supposed to lead to the bottom of the car got disconnected and is now draining to the interior.

The water is condensation from the evaporator. There is a drain hole where this evaporator is located. But the drainage is plugged. There is two way to fix it. Cheapest way is have the car lifted up locate this drainage on the firewall and blow air through it. This way may plug up again. The expensive way is to take it all apart. If your car have a cabin filter you can take that out and take a look too.
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