How To Recharge Car Ac Refrigerant

The common off the shelf refrigerant is r 134 which became mandatory in the 1995 model year as r 12 was phased out due to its ozone depleting characteristics.

How to recharge car ac refrigerant. This guide will contain information on how to recharge your air conditioner with refrigerant 134a or r 134a. In the simplest form you ll know when you need an ac recharge if your ac starts pumping warm air instead of cold. The compressor has to be running before you can check the refrigerant pressure. Recharging your ac is a temporary fix to a likely bigger problem.

If your car s air conditioner isn t blowing cool air then you ve likely lost some of the refrigerant usually due to a leak you can recharge the system yourself with a charging kit and some refrigerant as long as your car uses r134a refrigerant. Start your car and turn on the air conditioner to its maximum cool setting with the blower set to high. Open the hood and look to see if the a c compressor is running it should cycle on and off. If your car s air conditioner isn t blowing cold air you may need to recharge the ac unit you could take your car to a mechanic but you ll easily pay more than 100 for the service.

There is a very limited amount of refrigerant in the system and when even small amount leaks the system can no longer function properly delivering lukewarm air instead of cold air. When finished your air conditioner should make icy cold air and the whole process should only set you back about 25 35 dollars and 15 minutes of your time. R12 is very hard to find and its availability is very low as it is no longer used. First purchase a charge kit for your car.

When on the center of the pulley will be spinning. Recharging your ac means adding more refrigerant to your ac system to allow the air to start blowing cold again. Consult your local auto parts store for the appropriate type of refrigerant. With the right tools and some care you can recharge your car s air conditioning unit yourself and save money too.

First you ll need to check for leaks. When an air conditioning system loses its ability to cool properly it may be necessary to recharge the system with new refrigerant keep reading for a r 134a a c pressure chart and steps on how to recharge the a c system when the system is low on pressure or has been vacuumed out following a repair. How air conditioners work. When your car s air conditioning ac begins to lose power and doesn t blow cool air it may be time for an ac recharge.

The car ac recharge cost can vary depending on the location independent vs dealership the type of refrigerant labor rate and the capacity of your ac system. How to tell if your car ac needs freon.