How Do I Get My Cars A/c System Recharged Or Repaired
While you can definitely buy a can of the refrigerant at your local auto parts store and look up a handy YouTube video on how to recharge your cars system, we recommend bringing it to an ASE certified mechanic instead.
Most auto repair shops will have the necessary tools and machines to properly and thoroughly check your cars A/C system and recharge it if necessary. And if it ends up that the system needs to be repaired, then they will be able to take care of that as well. Air conditioning refrigerant is harmful to the environment, so having the proper equipment to add more or evacuate your cars A/C system is necessary.
How To Recharge Your Car Air Conditioning
Rocco Lovetere
When your cars air conditioning begins to lose power and doesnt blow cool air, it may be time for an AC recharge. Recharging your AC means adding more refrigerant to your AC system to allow the air to start blowing cold again.
Important to know: recharging your AC is a temporary fix to a likely bigger problem. If your system is indeed missing refrigerant, your air conditioning system has a leak and needs to be inspected and repaired with a certified mechanic. Refrigerant does not evaporate in an airtight system, so air must be leaking in.
- Note: Some older vehicles cannot have their AC unit recharged. These vehicles generally fall before the year 1995 and use an R12 refrigerant no longer made. The only option is AC replacement.
Though an ac recharge can be completed at home, it is still considered a more professional repair, as it contains work with hazardous liquid and is best left for a certified mechanic.
Everything You Need To Know About Air Conditioning In Your Car
Kwik Fit | Wednesday 21st June 2017 10:15am
TheUK is undergoing a bit of a rare heatwave at the moment so if youve got intothe car this week and cranked up the air con for the first time in a while onlyto find nothing but hot air coming out, you could be in for an uncomfortablejourney. Never fear, heres our quick guide to everything you need to knowabout recharging your cars air conditioning system.
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The Ac Clutch Does Not Engage
The AC clutch we explained above has a safety feature built-in. It does not engage when the refrigerant pressure in the AC pipes is below the safe level. This is because running the AC with low refrigerant pressure can destroy the compressor.
To check for this, open the hood of your car, start the car, and ask someone to turn the AC on. If you notice a change in the sound of the engine and hear a click, the clutch is engaging. If you dont, the clutch is not working. In that case, you need to charge your AC.
The clutch can sometimes not engage due to a faulty refrigerant pressure sensor. To check for this, locate the sensor on the refrigerant line. Take the wires off of it and close the circuit. If the AC starts cooling, it does not need a recharge.
However, if the AC does not cause cooling even by doing this, do not run it for more than a minute as the compressor can be destroyed when run without gas.
New Restrictions For Selling R
For entities selling or distributing refrigerants for use in motor vehicles, there will be new restrictions for R-134a and other substitute refrigerants sold after Jan. 1, 2018. The rule establishes certification requirements for buying large containers of refrigerant and mandates that small containers include a self-sealing valve.
Under the new requirements, anyone purchasing a substitute refrigerant for R-12 in a greater-than-two-pound container must provide the seller with evidence that the technician has a Section 609 Technician Certification. If the purchaser is not certified and is buying the refrigerant on behalf of a service facility, the seller must be presented with evidence that one or more technicians at the facility are certified.
Refrigerant wholesalers must retain an invoice listing the name of the purchaser, date of sale and quantity purchased. The wholesaler is not required to confirm any technician certification, but EPA is recommending that wholesalers obtain a statement certifying that the cylinders are to be resold to certified technicians.
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Turn On Your Car And A/c
To recharge or top off the refrigerant in your cars air conditioning system you will first need to turn your car on, turn your air conditioner on to the highest fan setting, set to the coldest setting and open the vehicle doors to prevent the air conditioner from shutting off when it gets cool in the cabin, letting the engine and AC system run for 5 minutes or so before adding refrigerant.
How Does Freon Work
Freon gas needs to undergo an evaporation process. And the Freon evaporation process is the same for all refrigerators. In the evaporation process, the air conditioning makes Freon liquid and again makes it gaseous. When the Freon gets evaporated A/Cs fan brings air from the outside and Freon cold air and eventually produces that air from the air conditioner.
Now Lets know how to check Freon in car step by step:
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Charge The Air Conditioner System
Disconnect the yellow hose from the vacuum pump and attach it to a new r134a refrigerant source which could be a keg or individual cans which are both available on Amazon or at the local auto parts store.
Open the valve on the keg and turn it over to allow the liquid refrigerant to be present at the valve which will charge the system more rapidly. If you are using individual cans connect them to the hose and turn the can over as well.
While the gauge valves are still closed and once the refrigerant source has been opened the gauges will respond with an equal readings on both high and low side letting you know that refrigerant is present and ready to be installed. This is static pressure which will vary depending on the outside temperature. The warmer the weather the higher the reading will be. This is normal.
Each system has a specific amount of refrigerant that it needs to operate correctly. This amount is located in the owner’s manual or on the system sticker label. If you are using a keg and digital bathroom scale will help tell you how much has been installed. Using the cans make this easier because they say how many ounces are in each can. This guide will successfully recharge the system even if this information is not available.
Reference the image below to see how the refrigerant will flow once the low side gauge is opened. Never open the high side valve. The high side connection is for monitoring purposes only.
Outside Temperature – Low Pressure – High Pressure
Connect The Vacuum Pump
Connect the center hose from the gauge set to the vacuum pump and turn the unit on. This step is used to remove any moisture and static air from inside the system. These systems have a mixture of refrigerant and oil to keep the air conditioning compressor lubricated during operation. Measuring the amount of oil in the system is difficult because it’s spread throughout the system, in other words if there is a major leak and oil is dripping out the system will need a small amount of oil. Unlike a very small leak which releases little to no oil you must be the judge of this and add appropriately.
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Your A/c Is Blowing Warm Air
One of the most obvious symptoms of low Freon levels is if your air conditioner is blowing warm or room temperature air. As we discussed, the air conditioning system in your vehicle operates by circulating this pressurized refrigerant. When the amount drops too low, it eventually affects performance.
Low Refrigerant Levels For The Ac May Not Be The Problem
Though low refrigerant levels are the first thing that comes to mind when warm air instead of cold blows from the AC, it certainly isnt the only possible cause of the problem.
Another cause could be with the AC systems condenser, which wont work properly if obstructions such as leaves, sticks or other debris are stuck to it. When the vehicle is turned off, and only then, brush off debris from the condenser to improve its functionality. You can even spray it down with a garden variety hose to rinse of accumulated gunk. A dirty cabin filter will also negatively impact the performance of the cars AC unit so check that as well.
A third possible problem could be with the compressor clutch system. When the motor running, check under the hood to see if the clutch is engaging the compressor system as it should. The belt that connects the compressor wheels should be taut rather than loose or that could be the cause of the problematic air conditioner.
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How Do I Know If My Air Conditioner Needs Recharging
Unless you have at least a little bit of experience in engineering or as a mechanic, you wont always be able to tell the difference between low AC refrigerant and other problems. Dont worry about that for now. All you need to recognize is that if you have a malfunctioning car air conditioners in the Arizona heat. When you cant get cool in your car, its time to bring it into a Gilbert repair shop that understands your pain.
When you bring your car in, well investigate an AC leak in addition to other problems. An excellent first step is to examine your AC compressor. By watching how the clutch and pulleys engage, we can usually tell quickly if the problem is low refrigerant, electrical malfunction, or something mechanical.
In the case of an AC leak, bad electrical signals, or mechanical failure, the system may call for other small repairs. In many cases, though, there is a good chance that you need more of a refrigerant like R134a in your vehicle. Well get you back to an appropriate level of air conditioning refrigerant and send you on your way. Since we have all the required equipment on-site, its as easy as that!
Attach The Refrigerant Can
With the AC still running, thread the refrigerant can to the port on the service hose. Let the engine run and the compressor turn.
- Press the trigger on the refrigerant can for 10 to 20 seconds and let the gas go into the system.
- Keep monitoring the pressure to make sure you do not overcharge the system.
- Do not charge the pressure to more than 45psi.
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How To Recharge Your Cars Ac Unit
You know your car may be ready for a charge when the summer comes around, and you turn your air conditioner on, and it never gets cold. Typically, a car may never need to have its AC unit recharged for over 100k miles or more depending on how often you use it or what sort of climate you live in, but in general, youll know something is up if, after your AC has had a few minutes to start working, if the air coming out of it never gets cool and refreshing.
Many mechanics will trick or try to convince you that you need this service or that your car is due for this service while youre getting a tuneup or oil change. Dont be intimidated. If youre happy with the temperature of the air coming out of your cars AC unit then youre fine. It’s really that simple. Nothing bad will happen to your car if it’s run out of “cold air” so don’t stress. It doesnt need to be charged on any particular schedule- it can wait for you to decide you want cold air again.
However, warm air from your AC unit can also indicate a bigger issue, such as a leak that may need to be repaired, but you can figure that out pretty easily. If you charge your cars AC, and a few days or weeks later the air coming out of the unit is no longer cold, its time to take it to a mechanic. If you charge your AC and the air continues to stay cold, youll know it was just time to add more refrigerant to the system.
Reasons Not To Recharge Your Car’s Air Conditioning System By Yourself From Carr Subaru
The information age has inspired many car owners to take on more of their own maintenance. At Carr Subaru, we’re all for it — when it makes sense. However, we want to warn you against using some popular A/C system recharging kits that are now available at your local auto parts store. These products can actually do damage to your car!
The A/C system in a modern car is extremely complex, and adding the incorrect amount of refrigerant to the system can cause it to work poorly. What’s more, there are a number of important procedures you may need that these DIY canisters just don’t help with. Instead, we always recommend visiting our service center to have your A/C system recharged by our trained technicians. We have special tools that allow is to do this procedure the right way. At Carr Subaru, we simply don’t believe in cutting corners.
Below, we’ve gathered four reasons why it’s best to trust the pros at an authorized Subaru dealership when your car needs air conditioning service.
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Pro Tips To Recharge Car Ac
Over the years, The Drives editors have worked on dozens of vehicles and logged hundreds of hours wrenching under fluorescent garage lights. During our experiences, weve picked up a few tricks and noted the important things. Heres what we learned in our times recharging car AC.
- Do not overcharge the system with too much refrigerant. This could damage the systems internal components.
- If a system gets cold after recharging but reverts to pumping out warm air, there might be a leak in the system. An easy way to detect that is by using a refrigerant leak detector.
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S To Check Freon Level In Car And How To Recharge A/c
If you are worried about why yourcars air conditioning is not blowing cold air, you have to check Freon level in your car. Frequently checking Freon in car also is a good practice for a car owner because a leak of Freon in your car A/C can make your car overheat. So, better be aware of Freon in your car.
Even if you follow this post, you will know how to check Freon level in the car within only 10 minutes. But the interesting thing is many car owners go to a car mechanic to know the Freon level in their car. Whether you remove Freon from the car or recharge, first testing the Freon level in car is always recommended.
You will also know how to recharge AC in car. Knowing only how to check Ac pressure in car is not enough because telling if your car AC needs Freon should also be in your mind.
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Why Does Air Con Stop Working
The refrigerant, or gas, found in your air conditioning unit is critical to the air con system working properly. It is this refrigerant that flows around the system and provides the cold air in your cabin. However, as a result of this process which involves continually shifting states from gas, to liquid and back to gas again, some of this air con gas permeates through the system each year. Less gas means less cool air so refilling every few years will keep your air con working in tip top condition.
Ofcourse there are other reasons why air con stops working but low refrigerant isthe most common and, thankfully, the easiest to fix. If after a regas your aircon is still blowing warm, it probably means there is a crack somewhere in thepipes of the air con system and the refrigerant is escaping.
Is Air Con Part Of My Mot Or Service
No, your annual MOT ensures the vehicle is safe to drive as per strict DVSA guidelines. Since air conditioning is considered a nice-to-have feature and is not critical to the safe running of the vehicle, your MOT tester will not check to see if your air con is working.
Similarly,air con is not included in the standard service schedule set out by yourvehicle manufacturer. Regular servicing will help keep your car running forlonger in a safe and reliable condition and includes some replacement partslike the oil and air filters. But those drivers expecting their air con to berecharged as part of their service will be disappointed. Many manufacturersprovide a separate air con service schedule which will recommend a regas, on average,every 2 years.
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Set The Air Conditioner Max A/c
First, start your cars engine and then set the air conditioning to the highest level or max A/C. Every car has different types of air conditioning controllers. If your cars air conditioning system has a recirculation air switch or button, select recirculation air.
Next, put the thermometer into the center air conditioning vent on the dash.You attached the gauges to the service port and placed the thermometer into the center A/C vent in your car. Now, you need to follow only one more step to check the freon level in a car.
Prepare The Gauge Set
A gauge set is needed to connect to the system on both high and low side pressure ports and it will also be used to vacuum down and recharge the system. Inspect the connections to make sure they are tight to avoid leakage. These units must be “air tight” and not have any leaks at hose fittings or valves. The red colored gauge and connector valve represents the high pressure side of the system while the blue color represents the low pressure side.
The center hose is connected to the vacuum pump and then the new refrigerant supply bottle or can. Both gauge valves should be closed before attaching them to the system.
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