What are the laws in your area about charging up a system without repair you know has a leak?
A/C Recharge Pricing
- Thread starter The Critic
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Originally Posted By: XS650
Chris,
The only way to properly charge a R134a system is to remove whats still in it, evacuate and charge. Not doing it this way is more trouble than it's worth.
Plus what if it wasn't low? You have another problem.
Chris,
- Is there any reason to not put dye in a car AC. Seems like it would be nice to have it already there if there is a problem in the future.
- If your system is acting weak and needs freon, should you always get it evacuated?
The only way to properly charge a R134a system is to remove whats still in it, evacuate and charge. Not doing it this way is more trouble than it's worth.
Plus what if it wasn't low? You have another problem.
Originally Posted By: MrCritical
What are the laws in your area about charging up a system without repair you know has a leak?
Thats a touchy subject.
The laws are federal and not state by state.
Your not supposed to and there is no reason to try to charge one with an obvious leak.
It's the smaller leaks that are a pain to find. Thats why I use dye and I personally own(and bought myself) well over $1000 in leak finding devices.
Sometimes all we can do is to charge it and have em come back in a week or so. Long enough for the dye to show up.
What are the laws in your area about charging up a system without repair you know has a leak?
Thats a touchy subject.
The laws are federal and not state by state.
Your not supposed to and there is no reason to try to charge one with an obvious leak.
It's the smaller leaks that are a pain to find. Thats why I use dye and I personally own(and bought myself) well over $1000 in leak finding devices.
Sometimes all we can do is to charge it and have em come back in a week or so. Long enough for the dye to show up.
I have to point out that you can indeed overcharge a system by putting in only one can.
Of course you can.
Easily.
Of course you can.
Easily.
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: XS650
Chris,
The only way to properly charge a R134a system is to remove whats still in it, evacuate and charge. Not doing it this way is more trouble than it's worth. ....
Thanks Chris, if I lived about 400 miles closer I would pay your shop a visit.
One more question, how do you tell if the drier needs replacing?
The system I'm asking about is in a 2005 Jetta and works but is marginal on a 95F+ day.
Originally Posted By: XS650
Chris,
- Is there any reason to not put dye in a car AC. Seems like it would be nice to have it already there if there is a problem in the future.
- If your system is acting weak and needs freon, should you always get it evacuated?
The only way to properly charge a R134a system is to remove whats still in it, evacuate and charge. Not doing it this way is more trouble than it's worth. ....
Thanks Chris, if I lived about 400 miles closer I would pay your shop a visit.
One more question, how do you tell if the drier needs replacing?
The system I'm asking about is in a 2005 Jetta and works but is marginal on a 95F+ day.
Originally Posted By: XS650
One more question, how do you tell if the drier needs replacing?
Always replace the dryer when replacing the compressor.
Technically you are supposed to replace the dryer any time the system is opened. Also many AC books say to replace it every 3-4 years but nobody does that.
If say I'm replacing an O-Ring and I only had the line off a minute or 2 I wont replace the dryer. I will vacuum it longer than normal and even heat the dryer up to help evaporate any moisture in it.
One more question, how do you tell if the drier needs replacing?
Always replace the dryer when replacing the compressor.
Technically you are supposed to replace the dryer any time the system is opened. Also many AC books say to replace it every 3-4 years but nobody does that.
If say I'm replacing an O-Ring and I only had the line off a minute or 2 I wont replace the dryer. I will vacuum it longer than normal and even heat the dryer up to help evaporate any moisture in it.
I was charged $100 to vacuum the old system and recharge with fresh freon and a 1 year warranty by a licensed pro. The concern is, why was it leaking? and usually something is busted and should be replaced. For my 2 cars that had AC problems, it was the condenser and pressure pipe burst.
Diagnostic extra.
Diagnostic extra.
Originally Posted By: JakeR22
I didn't replace the drier.
You may get away with that if the old compressor was just a leaker. If it blew up or was noisey then your headed for trouble.
Think of it as replacing your engine after it blew up with a brand new one then dumping the oil oil back into the new engine.
I didn't replace the drier.
You may get away with that if the old compressor was just a leaker. If it blew up or was noisey then your headed for trouble.
Think of it as replacing your engine after it blew up with a brand new one then dumping the oil oil back into the new engine.
Originally Posted By: The Critic
I had the A/C recharged today for $40.
The system was 1/2 pound low. The system's capacity is 1.5 lbs and I evacuated about 1.07 lbs.
I vacuumed the system for 15 minutes and the gauge was showing about 25 degrees of vaccuum.
Then, I pumped 1.5 pounds of R134A in, started the car, equalized the pressures (which pumps any refrigerant left in the lines back into the car), then ran the system for 10 minutes on MAX recirculate.
The vent temperature, taken by an infared thermometer, showed between 31-33F.
It was 75F today and the A/C was barely blowing cool air. So, I went to O'Reilly's and bought a can of this stuff:
http://www.autobarn.net/interdynamics-350.html
Also purchased an adapter/hose for the can for $15. I added about 1/2 can to the low-pressure side of the system and now the vent temperature is cold. I did not measure the vent temperature, but it seems OK.
I guess I have a leak somewhere?
I had the A/C recharged today for $40.
The system was 1/2 pound low. The system's capacity is 1.5 lbs and I evacuated about 1.07 lbs.
I vacuumed the system for 15 minutes and the gauge was showing about 25 degrees of vaccuum.
Then, I pumped 1.5 pounds of R134A in, started the car, equalized the pressures (which pumps any refrigerant left in the lines back into the car), then ran the system for 10 minutes on MAX recirculate.
The vent temperature, taken by an infared thermometer, showed between 31-33F.
It was 75F today and the A/C was barely blowing cool air. So, I went to O'Reilly's and bought a can of this stuff:
http://www.autobarn.net/interdynamics-350.html
Also purchased an adapter/hose for the can for $15. I added about 1/2 can to the low-pressure side of the system and now the vent temperature is cold. I did not measure the vent temperature, but it seems OK.
I guess I have a leak somewhere?
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