Recharge R134?

[seanxu]

My AC is not working. i was told that it is because of low charge of R134.

Now the compressor doesn't work due to the low charge. Because there is a sensor there to detect the pressure of R134.

If i want to refill the R134, the compressor must be working. what should I do?

any one knows where the sensoris is.? the low side port or high side end? if it is in the low side end, when I connect it to a bottle of R134, the pressure in the low end should be high enough to enable the compressor working. Am I right?

Thanks

[seanxu]

Someone said

DON'T try to recharge an empty system without first evacuating completely using a vacuum pump.

is that true? if it is, seems i can't do by myself.

[bigdaveangell]

I really wouldnt recomend servicing your ac system yourself. Adding the R134 on the low side would work but it would be best to have the system evacuated and recharged. Most of the refrigerant you can buy from the parts store isnt the best quality. Alot of them are partially butane or something other than R134. With doing it youself you have no way of knowing if your puting in the right amount of refrigerant unless you have a set of ac gauges

[Classicrocjunkie]

Originally Posted by bigdaveangell

I really wouldnt recomend servicing your ac system yourself. Adding the R134 on the low side would work but it would be best to have the system evacuated and recharged. Most of the refrigerant you can buy from the parts store isnt the best quality. Alot of them are partially butane or something other than R134. With doing it youself you have no way of knowing if your puting in the right amount of refrigerant unless you have a set of ac gauges

Most should come with a pressure guage. You put soo much in based on the pressure inside the line. As for where the sensor is,... I have no fuckin idea.

[Hypsi87]

First of all I am ASE certified in mobil AC repair.


what bigdaveangell said is 150% correct. If you had a leak, that means that your R-134a was expanding into the atmosphere, which would promote condensing inside your AC system. Moisture is an AC systems worst nightmare. If you pull a vacume on your system, water boils at a lower temp when it is in a vacume. So if you pull a vacume on your system, it will boil it out. Also you will need to find the leak before you fix your car. not worth putting the money into it if it will just leak it away.

and about the pressure gauges that come with the sicuide cans. In my ASE class, they showed us that they can be as much as 4 PSI off.


Also, you have to remember, you don't measure the ammount of R-134A by pressure, pressures change according to tempature, you have to measure by weight. When the R-134a is in the tank or can it is in a liquid form.

Personally if you don't have the proper equipment, deffinatly get it serviced professionally.

[Classicrocjunkie]

Originally Posted by Hypsi87

First of all I am ASE certified in mobil AC repair.


what bigdaveangell said is 150% correct. If you had a leak, that means that your R-134a was expanding into the atmosphere, which would promote condensing inside your AC system. Moisture is an AC systems worst nightmare. If you pull a vacume on your system, water boils at a lower temp when it is in a vacume. So if you pull a vacume on your system, it will boil it out. Also you will need to find the leak before you fix your car. not worth putting the money into it if it will just leak it away.

and about the pressure gauges that come with the sicuide cans. In my ASE class, they showed us that they can be as much as 4 PSI off.


Also, you have to remember, you don't measure the ammount of R-134A by pressure, pressures change according to tempature, you have to measure by weight. When the R-134a is in the tank or can it is in a liquid form.

Personally if you don't have the proper equipment, deffinatly get it serviced professionally.

or just loose your A/c compressor and get a shorter belt. Shit i never even use my A/C.

[4dr92cavi4cyl]

CRJ has a point there, you'll gain a tiny amount of power by removing it, but best of all if you remove the whole system, compressor, condenser, lines, etc., you lose about 30lbs. of weight, which increases your power to weight ratio. Air is great in the summer though, so if you plan to use it someday I wouldn't bother taking it off.

[seanxu]

Thanks for your replyies! I do appreciate. I wouldn't do it by myself. Someone said repairing leaks in AC system would be up to $1000. So if the leakage is not serious, they said just refill the R134 once or twice a year. That is more economical. Is that true?
Thanks

[bigdaveangell]

Originally Posted by seanxu

Thanks for your replyies! I do appreciate. I wouldn't do it by myself. Someone said repairing leaks in AC system would be up to $1000. So if the leakage is not serious, they said just refill the R134 once or twice a year. That is more economical. Is that true?
Thanks

It really depends on the shop and what needs to be repaired. I wouldnt recomend adding refrigerant yourself just because if you over charge the system it wont function properly. An overcharged system doesent get nearly as cold as a system that has a proper charge.

[seanxu]

Thanks for your reply!

I also heard that we need to recharge the R134 and some lubrication oil. Without the oil, the compressor won't work well.

[bigdaveangell]

Originally Posted by seanxu

Thanks for your reply!

I also heard that we need to recharge the R134 and some lubrication oil. Without the oil, the compressor won't work well.

Thats correct. When you recharge the system you will need to add some oil. Most parts stores sell it or if you have a shop service your ac it should be included in the price.

[Hypsi87]

Originally Posted by seanxu

Thanks for your reply!

I also heard that we need to recharge the R134 and some lubrication oil. Without the oil, the compressor won't work well.

NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Think about this, if you don't remove oil... Then why do you need to add it.

When you pull a large vacume on the system, the most oil that it will pull out is MAYBE an ounce of oil. With the suicide cans, you can't pull a vacume so you won't pull any oil out.

Lets do some math. A typical GM AC system holds 9 oz of oil. IF you pull a vacume and pull one oz out. The avrage suicide can holds 4 oz of oil. 9-1=8, 8+4=12. So you will replace 1 oz of oil with 4 and have your system overfilled, coat everything with oil and then make it unefficent.

It is legal to "top off" systems with R-134a. Just can not do it with R-12.

Keep the AC my car runs 11.21 with AC. It only robs power when in use. It will keep the car good for resale. Also 30 lbs is not going to do shit for your times. Hotrod did an article trying to prove the whoe "every100 lbs is worth a tenth of a second rule" Well they found out it's more like every 400 lbs is a tenth. I would not worry about it.


Also remember if you get a can of r-134a that is 12 oz, you will only get about 7-9 oz out of it. The rest is either all propellent or just does not come out of the can.

[cavi racer]

Originally Posted by 4dr92cavi4cyl

CRJ has a point there, you'll gain a tiny amount of power by removing it, but best of all if you remove the whole system, compressor, condenser, lines, etc., you lose about 30lbs. of weight, which increases your power to weight ratio. Air is great in the summer though, so if you plan to use it someday I wouldn't bother taking it off.

hahahaha your such a ricer, hahaha sorry i cant stop laughing at your car hahahaha.

[4dr92cavi4cyl]

So, I'm a ricer. OK. I can deal with that. At least I'm not an ASSHOLE! Oh, and don't hurt yourself laughing, if you really can't stop, call 911. ASS!

[Hypsi87]

ok guys, play nice or I will have to seperate the two of you.......


Back on topic.

Any more flames will be handled appropriately


Hypsi87
GM global moderator