Your Cars Air Conditioner Operates On A Closed System
Considering your cars tires, brakes, and fluids need to be changed in regular intervals, for the most part, you would think that its air conditioning system follows the same type of schedule. However, that is not the case since it runs on a closed system.
A closed system means that your cars A/C system recirculates the refrigerant which is the coolant that makes the air that comes out of the vents cold so if it needs to be recharged, then there could be a leak in the system. However, cars do tend to lose some refrigerant over time naturally, but its typically not enough to warrant a recharge every year.
As Cars.com noted, Unless your cars A/C is in need of repair, theres no need to top off the system.
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Diy Car Maintenance: Recharge Your Cars A/c
If your A/C system blew ice-cold air last year but barely cools now, chances are it lost some refrigerant over the winter. That happens in older vehicles when the aging seals contract and some refrigerant leaks out.
Topping off the system can usually put you back in the deep freeze. Thats a job you can do yourself if your vehicle was made after 1993 and is filled with R-134a refrigerant .
Note: Some regions impose restrictions on the sale of R-134a refrigerant to consumers. In some cases, the cans may have a different design, requiring different charging procedures. Recharging wont fix all A/C problems. But if youre willing to gamble about $50 on a recharging kit, you might be a cool dude in less than an hour. You can save about $100 in labour costs by doing the job yourself.
Stop at any auto parts store and pick up an R-134a A/C recharging kit. I used the A/C Pro product shown here because it came with a reusable gauge and a quick-connect fitting, and the refrigerant contained a seal conditioner additive. But you can use any brand. Warning: The electric A/C compressors in hybrid vehicles are incompatible with the oils and seal conditioners used in many retail recharging kits. Using the wrong kit can result in a lethal electrical shock. Check the products label for compatibility with your hybrid vehicle before buying. If youre not sure, take it to a pro.
Read on for DIY car maintenance tips on how to recharge your cars A/C:
Is It Legal To Vent Old Refrigerant From Your A/c System Into The Air When Making Repairs To Your Vehicle
Under former EPA rules, it was ILLEGAL for anyone to intentionally vent refrigerant from an A/C system into the air when servicing a vehicle. Professional repair shops are required to have refrigerant recovery machines. The machine must be hooked up to a vehicle BEFORE repairs are made to suck any residual refrigerant out of the system so that the vapors do not escape into the atmosphere when the A/C system is opened up to replace a component. The logic for doing this is to prevent older refrigerants such as R-12 that contain ozone depleting CFC compounds from getting into the atmosphere. It makes sense and is a good thing to do. But the EPA rules also applied to R-134a, which does not contain any CFCs and are not an ozone depleting threat. However, the rationale for also requiring R-134a to be recovered rather than vented is that it is a global warming gas, and therefore contributes to climate change. The EPA rules also require recovery of R-1234yf, but the rationale is less clear because R1234yf is neither an ozone depleting gas nor a global greenhouse gas.
Obviously a DIYer has no access to a refrigerant recovery machine so the issue of whether or not is acceptable to vent refrigerant when repairing an A/C system is moot. People just do it anyway. Besides, if your A/C system has a leak, chances are most or all of the refrigerant has already leaked out so there is nothing left to vent.
UPDATE: As of March 2020, the EPA has revised its venting and recovery rules.
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Wondering How Long Your Car Ac Gas Last
If your car air conditioning stops working, more often than not it can be resolved quickly and easily with an air-con regas. The truth is, most of us take air conditioning for granted and always expect it to work without a second thought, but when warm air comes out of the vents given Australias hot and humid climate, it can be very uncomfortable not to mention sweaty.
Over time you will begin to notice your air-con system doesnt work as well as it did when new. Thats because it needs regular maintenance, which many of us fail to do. Fortunately, its not an expensive or difficult job to keep your air-con working as long as you keep up regular servicing of the car air conditioning system.
How To Tell When Your Cars Ac Needs A Recharge
If you live in Gilbert, AZ, its nice to have functional air conditioning in your car for all the obvious reasons. Were not in the business of telling you things you already know, though, were in the business of car repairs and keeping your vehicle in the best possible condition. With that said, lets get straight into what an AC recharge is and how you know when you need one.
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Ac Clutch Not Engaging
When you set your AC to max cold settings, you should hear clicking sounds that show the clutch is engaging. The AC pressure switch, which reads the system pressure, signals the clutch to engage.
With too low refrigerant in the system, the pressure switch will not keep active. This will also make the AC clutch not engaging. As a result, the system will not circulate the low refrigerant, making the air conditioning system not working at all.
How Does Ac Work In A Car
The air-conditioning system in a car works by manipulating refrigerant between a liquid and a gaseous state. As the refrigerant changes states, it absorbs heat and humidity from the vehicle and allows the system to give off cool, dry air.
To change the refrigerant between a liquid and a gaseous state, the air-conditioning system works to control pressure and temperature.
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Quick Disconnect Fitting For Ac Recharge Charging Port
This fitting in some recharge kits makes a quick, solid connection to the AC recharge charging port.
If your A/C system blew ice-cold air last year but barely cools now, chances are it lost some refrigerant over the winter. That happens in older vehicles when the aging seals contract and some refrigerant leaks out.
Topping off a car ac system can usually put you back in the deep freeze. Thats a job you can do yourself if your vehicle was made after 1993 and is filled with R-134a refrigerant .
Note: Some states impose restrictions on the sale of R-134a refrigerant to consumers. In some cases, the cans may have a different design, requiring different charging procedures. Recharging AC wont fix all A/C problems. But if youre willing to gamble about $50 on a recharging ac kit, you might be a cool dude in less than an hour. You can save about $100 in labor costs by doing the car ac recharge job yourself.
How Do I Know If My Car Ac Needs To Be Recharged
Modern air conditioning systems work with compressors, which run with refrigerants and oil through the system to generate icy air. Every AC system has two lines the high-pressure lines and the low-pressure lines.
The refrigerant gets circulated as a gas from the low-pressure line and converts into a liquid state before passing through the high-pressure line. The constant circulation of refrigerant from the low and high-pressure lines keeps the home and car air conditioner cold.
Youll agree, the air conditioning system is pressurized. And for this reason, they are properly sealed. Under normal usage and over time, the seals in the system will develop leaks. Once a leak occurs on the system, itll leak out the refrigerant over time. This will make the AC unable to produce cold air.
When this happens, youll need to recharge the AC for it to function as it should. However, like other system components, the AC system will display some signs to notify the driver to recharge it.
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Why You Should Leave It To The Professionals
There are various types of at-home A/C recharge kits on the market. However, adding new refrigerant without evacuating the old, potentially contaminated refrigerant wonât ensure that you are getting the best performance from your vehicleâs A/C system. Just topping off the refrigerant may or may not bring the cold air conditioning back and if it does bring the cold air back, the question will be for how long because the leak was never fixed. Without diagnosing the root cause of the problem, any benefit will be short term at best. Further, be aware that adding too much refrigerant can reduce the systemâs cooling ability and potentially cause the whole system to shut off.
Maximize your carâs air conditioning by visiting a Firestone Complete Auto Care for car A/C recharge service near you.
Everything Youll Need To Recharge Your Ac
Take a quick trip to the local auto parts store, and youll be ready to go.
Parts List
- Can of refrigerant
- Hose connector, if not included with refrigerant.
Or if you don’t want to bother with a bunch of parts, and like to have everything that you need nicely organized in one place, then you can use an AC Recharge Kit .
Organizing your tools and gear so that everything that you need to recharge your AC is easily reachable, will save precious minutes waiting for your handy-dandy child or four-legged helper to bring you the sandpaper or blowtorch.
Youll also need a flat workspace in order to recharge your AC properly, such as a garage floor, driveway, or street parking. Check your local laws to make sure youre not violating any codes when using the street because we arent getting your ride out of the clink.
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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.
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Air Con Cleaning At Halfords
If your air con is working fine but has picked up a nasty smell when it runs, then an air conditioning cleaning can is a quick solution that will last longer than an air freshener. These sprays work by turning the air conditioning to full then opening the can to let the cleaning gas out before closing all doors and windows. The gas will kill any mould and bacteria in the system, which are usually the causes of bad smells.
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Life Hacks To Recharge Car Ac
Because you may not have access to the right tools, or have a friend you can bum a wrench off of, we also compiled our best hacks to make your life easier and drain your pocket less.
- If you have access to a chain auto parts store such as OReillys, Autozone, or Advanced Auto Parts, you dont need to buy the refrigerant with the build-in hose. These stores will lend you the tool to use with the can of refrigerant you just purchased.
Check For Leaks Again
Its also essential to check for leaks again after you have followed steps 1 through to 6. Please note that you may need to recharge your air conditioner from time to time to keep it at an optimal performance level. Other things you can do include selecting different kinds of replacement AC components and changing out the serviceable parts in your old unit.
However, it is best to check for leaks in your new AC unit if it suddenly stops working. Your local mechanic may be able to find a way to check for leaks if it seems elusive. Its always better to contact a nearby workshop specializing in repairs for vehicles and ask them about their methods for diagnosing problems.
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Heres How To Recharge Car Ac
Anybody who can follow instructions can recharge car AC. Get your glasses and gloves, grab the refrigerant and attachment hose, and lets get chilly!
Deposit Photos
Why Charging Your Own A/c System Is A Bad Idea
While most modern vehicles won’t need their A/C charged but once every few years or more, refrigerant will slowly leak out of the system. Eventually, there will be so little refrigerant that no cold air comes out of the vents.
To properly recharge the system, the remaining refrigerant needs to be recycled out. Then, the entire system has to be flushed and depressurized. Once the system is totally empty, it can be refilled with new refrigerant. The exact amount of refrigerant needs to be put into the system for ideal performance. Not enough refrigerant and the system won’t blow cold too much refrigerant can actually flood the system, and create temperatures too low for the system to operate within.
Because the margin for error is slim, and the savings compared to the professional service are modest, we can’t recommend recharging your own A/C system using do-it-yourself canned refrigerant products. While a can of refrigerant might cost you $20-$30, a professional A/C recharge will only cost you $95-$165, depending on your make and model, according to Angie’s List.
If your A/C isn’t blowing like it should, you can call the trained professionals at the Hanson Subaru service center for a quote on a system recharge for your vehicle.
Hanson Subaru
- Service:360-943-2121
- Monday8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Tuesday8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Wednesday8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Thursday8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Friday8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Saturday9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Sunday10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
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How Often To Recharge The Car Air Conditioner
Recharging the AC on a car is not a regular maintenance item on your cars manufacturer recommended maintenance schedule. In theory, the system is sealed, and you should never need to do this. In practice, however, rubber seals dry up and wear out, and refrigerant slowly evaporates over time, leaving not enough left in the system for the air conditioner to work effectively. Other components can fail as well, but attempting a recharge is the first thing you should try, particularly since this is often all it needs to start working again.
Preparing The Recharge Kit
As you unpack your kit, youâll find a can of refrigerant, a flexible rubber hose, and a pressure gauge. Follow the instructions in the package to assemble the pressure gauge part of the kit. Usually, the hose is already attached to the gauge. Before you screw the gauge into the can of refrigerant, be sure to turn the gauge counterclockwise until it stops. There is a pin inside the assembly that pierces the can of refrigerant once everything is together tightly. This pin is controlled by turning the gauge clockwise until it pierces the can. But you donât want to do this until youâre ready, so be sure to back it all the way out before you assemble everything.
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Check The Cabin Temperature
Determine the cabin temperature using a thermometer. Insert the thermometer on one of the air vents close to the steering wheel to read the air temperature.
A fully charged AC system should blow air as cold as 28 degrees. This can slightly vary depending on the ambient temperature.
If the pressure goes over 40 PSI, consider contacting a technician to discharge the gas a bit. It is referred to as high low side temperature. An overcharged system or a faulty compressor can cause A high low side temperature.
This is where technical know-how comes in. You may conduct an expert HVAC technician to diagnose the system. Heres where you can compare DIY AC recharge vs. professional.
You have successfully recharged your AC system. Pat yourself on the back! This guide is also helpful for those asking how to recharge car AC after compressor replacement.
