A/C recharge?

[Allanon1313]

ok i have a 95 SE and i was wondering how hard it would be to recharge my a/c myself. I heard you can get a kit at walmart for like $10. Anything i need to know before hand to do it?

[fluffybunny]

the kits are a little more than 10$ try to get one with a guage....make sure you dont have a big leak before you recharge otherwise youre blowing money.....if youre system has been opened you probably want to replace the dryer and have the system vaccumed down. keeps moisture out and system cools better. ac systems generally leak at the scrader valves and the manifold likes. try to get some oil in with the freon it keeps all youre seals in good condition.... are you sure your compressor works? try to grab the compressor clutch the the engine off of course, if it spins freely your clutch is bad time for a new compressor. its probably cheaper to buy cans of freon at wal mart, take it to an auto parts store that loans manifold hoses and charge the system that way. good luck.....

[mental_e_ill]

Actually the coolent with the oil is a big rip off. If you add oil to your system then that is that much more coolent that you are not adding. My uncle has been fixing and recharging A/C units for years and he told me that the oil is not worth the extra money you buy it for.

[grahamkracka]

its called futureproofing smart one

[fluffybunny]

so youre suggesting to not add oil? that is if no oil has leaked out im assuming.... cuz ive seen what happens when you dont add oil to a new compressor after installed.... if his system has never been opened and its not seeping oil out of the manifold hose or compressor, id agree with that, but if he has to replace a component id add at least 2oz of oil.....

[grahamkracka]

i say add the oil...it prevents spending more money on expensive repairs later on

[catback23]

dunno bout the a/c tech suggesting to not add oil. he should know that's on a case by case basis. This is an automotive a/c system and more cases than not will need oil added if refrigerant has leaked out. So I don't know why your uncle would suggest otherwise.

[justin0717]

I need to know where the low port is for the recharge, i looked quickly today but didnt find it. Can someone point me in the right direction?

[catback23]

on your GA I think it's on the compressor, it's has a blue cap on it with the letter "L" on it. It may not have the letter L if gm was cheap but the color will be blue. If it's not there it's on the low side somewhere between the evaporator and the compressor. Could be on the accumulator which is between the evaporator and the compressor on the low side (low side DOES NOT have the condensor between the compressor and evaporator). With this I hope you can find it on any car now, good hunting to ya.

[matt919]

I know in my 1993, the a/c everything is the old style... so i hope in your 1995, its the new one? If not, the kit at wal-mart isn't for you.. and also, i think if you have the old style, you can't just get it recharged, it needs to be converted.. which is $$

[justin0717]

i found it, i jacked the car up, and looked under cuz i couldnt find it from the top, and i found it.