Refill the a/c

[matthewlynch88]

I have a 1998 accord 4cyl ex vtech and had recently crushed part of the front end. As I was bending things around to get the bumper back on strait, the a/c "condenser pipe" cracked, and all the refrigerant leaked out on me.

Common sense tells me I can simply replace the pipe, and refill the system with R134A. I purchased a replacement pipe, and upon the advice of the NAPA dude, two 14oz cans of R134a with an adapter/filler hose.

As I did some research, I learned that refrigerant pressure is critical, and that measuring this requires special equipment and knowledge, as overfilling or underfilling can mess things up.

Since I know the a/c system is empty, is there any way I can find out how many ounces of refrigerant the car should take, rather than mess around with measuring pressures? It seems to me it would be pretty simple just to at a defined qty of gas. For example, one and a half 14oz cans.

Your input is much appreciated!

[old_master]

When the line broke, refrigerant AND oil was expelled. If it was longer than 30 minutes or so, before the line was replaced, the accumulator must also be replaced. After replacing the line, and the accumulator, the system MUST be evacuated to 29" Hg, for a minimum of 1 hour. Then add the proper amount of the proper type of oil, and refirgerant. Your system is a "clutch cycling" system which means it's impossible to determine how much refrigerant is in the system by simply checking pressures. There should be a sticker under the hood, (or in your owners manaul) that tells how much refrigerant the system holds. If you're lucky, it will tell what type of oil to use too.

[matthewlynch88]

Yes, it has been a few months since the pipe had cracked. I was contemplating weather or not to fix it, since the car is old, and isn't worth much money anymore ($1,200 maybe...). The weather is getting warmer out here so I decided it would be worth the 100 bucks to fix it myself. Oops!

Do you know where I can go to find an accumulator, and how much they cost? What if I simply refilled the system with the oil/gas combo I purchased already without replacing the accumulator? If sub-par performance is the answer, I may consider it. The car is at 205k and is damaged...

My gut feeling is that a system evacuation and gas/oil replacement as you described would be costly, as I do not have any a/c service equipment. It would be tough for me to justify a "proper" repair if it is costly given my circumstances.

The pipe that cracked was item #4 as pictured in the following diagram:
http://www.g1parts.com/Accord_Sedan_..._2_s/23259.htm

[old_master]

Here's a link to the accumulator/filter drier assembly: http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/web..._1366729046___

The drier has a desicant material inside designed to absorb moisture in the refrigerant and retain it. When the system is open to the atmosphere, humidity is absorbed and the drier becomes saturated, depending on humidity, in as few as 30 minutes. When it becomes saturated, it needs to be replaced and the system evacuated before recharging. You can try charging without replaceing it, and without evacuating the system. It might work, which is better odds than not doing anything to it BUT, it most likely will damage internal parts in the refrigerant system, including the compressor, if all of the moisture is not removed before recharging. You need to make the call, it's a gamble.