Hello all, I need to get my a/c recharged, and Walmart had kits that do this. The only problem is I have no idea where to inject the coolant. All of the auto parts places I stopped at would not help me with my problem, instead they all told me that I would need to purchase a repair manual for the vehicle. If anyone has any experience with recharging an a/c system for my vehicle could you please let me know how I go about doing this ?


P.S. Great site you all have here . Lots of information.

Well the refrigerant goes into the large metal line with a plastic screw on cap, on my '96 the line is on passenger side and up near the front upper cross member in the engine compartment. I would add one can and see how that works (they sell 134a for older cars that has both oil and a sealer combined in the mix). What you really need is a gauge so you can see what pressure the system is running at (around 34 psi is good for the low side).

Adding R-134a is not something you can guess at. Buy a recharge kit with a gauge. Those kits are far less accurate than using a manifold gauge set, but they are better than nothing. The instructions that come with the kit will tell you how to use the gauge. R-134a is very sensitive to over and under charging. This is definately a case of "more is not better." So, people who tell you to throw in a can, really don't understand R-134a. An overcharge by as little as 3 ounces can actually degrade the performance of the system. As for finding where to connect. Follow the lines that come out of the A/C compressor. One line is larger. That is the "suction" line and there will be a fitting on that line. That's where you connect the hose from the gauge.

Well the refrigerant goes into the large metal line with a plastic screw on cap, on my '96 the line is on passenger side and up near the front upper cross member in the engine compartment. I would add one can and see how that works (they sell 134a for older cars that has both oil and a sealer combined in the mix). What you really need is a gauge so you can see what pressure the system is running at (around 34 psi is good for the low side).

Sounds exactly like my setup. Where could I find a pressure gauge for the line ? I'm assuming a tire pressure gauge wouldn't work.

Heres a picture to help you all out a bit more.

http://webpages.charter.net/kaotic/06-15-07_1023.jpg

Well, the proper tool is called a manifold gauge. It has hoses that connect to the high and low pressure fittings. They're a bit pricey. But if you shop for a recharge kit at the auto parts store, look for a kit that includes a gauge.