adding freon just for the season?

[The motor guy]

How often do you guys just add freon to the system? They added some to mine and it lasted about a year. Wasn't expecting that honestly. How common is it to just be able to recharge the system every spring to make it through the warm season if you don't feel like paying the money to fix the leak? Usually it's the evaporator core which leaks and they want to pull the dash out along with a $1500 dollar bill.

 

[Snagglefoot]

A lot do, especially in older vehicles. However with 134A you’re not supposed to accept it leaking into the atmosphere. Having said that I don’t think the AC police will show up at your door.

 

[Burt]

Need more information. Make model age of car. What kind of Freon we talking about?.

I don’t think it’s common or advisable to keep recharging unless you’re going to trade in. It’s only going to get more frequent and push out the inevitable.

Would be worth getting a diagnosis. Could be less expensive.

 

[The motor guy]

A lot do, especially in older vehicles. However with 134A you’re not supposed to accept it leaking into the atmosphere. Having said that I don’t think the AC police will show up at your door.

It seems you only get about 8 years out of the system before it gets a leak

 

[JimPghPA]

The bottom of the condenser in the frontal most area is a very common area for leaks. Probably more often than the evaporator (epically if the roads are salted in your area). The compressor shaft seal can also leak enough to cause enough loss to require a charge. Hoses and hose junctions are not common leak areas, but they can leak.

 

[The motor guy]

Need more information. Make model age of car. What kind of Freon we talking about?.

I don’t think it’s common or advisable to keep recharging unless you’re going to trade in. It’s only going to get more frequent and push out the inevitable.

Would be worth getting a diagnosis. Could be less expensive.

They usually add a dye to the freon when they recharge it so they can find the exact leak the next time I bring it in, buts it's usually the evaporator core.

 

[Lubener]

Up to a can a year added is fine. If you are practically refilling the system with refridgerant every year, that needs attending to.

Look for an oily residue. Usually that's where a leak is present. Seals and condenser are your biggest culprits. I never had an evaporator leak. They are nestled in a nice safe place free from road thrown stones and corrosion.

 

[dogememe]

Up to a can a year added is fine. If you are practically refilling the system with refridgerant every year, that needs attending to.

Look for an oily residue. Usually that's where a leak is present. Seals and condenser are your biggest culprits. I never had an evaporator leak. They are nestled in a nice safe place free from road thrown stones and corrosion.

Meh, my coworker just had the evaporator replaced on his 2018 Equinox. $3K at the dealer. So evaporator is not impossible to fail.

 

[Snagglefoot]

This spring my Suburban would not blow cold. I still had some pressure ( as checked with AC gages.) I added one 6 oz can and the compressor kicked in. I added a second can and got my proper pressures and its blowing cold. This is on a dual ( front and back) AC system with a total volume of 48 oz. It has dye and I saw the leakage might be where the line bolts to the evaporator inlet. I also have a refrigerant sniffer. Note that the high side pressure varies with ambient pressure from 125 psi at 60 F to about 250 psi at closer to 90 F. A leak might only show up on the hottest days. Also it’s possible some seal leaks might only show up on freezing days. They can be really hard to find.

Suburbans are also notorious for corrosion caused leakage in the line to the back evaporator which runs underneath the vehicle and especially above the rear wheel well, both on the passenger side of the vehicle.

 

[Astro14]

I would leak check - run a UV light around, you might get lucky. It was clear on the XC-90 that an o-ring or two was leaking. Now, this is with the bumper off the car, so, it wasn’t easy, but I did find a leak.

So, I replaced the receiver/drier and those o-rings. Now, year later, I will check the charge. Perhaps there is another leak on this 20 year old car.

 

[himemsys]

It seems you only get about 8 years out of the system before it gets a leak

My 2003 Civic took 19.5 years before I needed to add freon in April 2023 for the first time in the car's life. The AC did great through last summer and over a year later, it's still working great. Even if I had to add once a year (which so far it's not looking like I'll have to), no big deal.

 

[demarpaint]

If you have to top up annually you have a leak. I would find the leak, it might be an easy fix. Cars w/o a leak can go several years, some a decade or more without topping up the system.

 

[atikovi]

Usually it's the evaporator core which leaks and they want to pull the dash out along with a $1500 dollar bill.

How much do they charge to add freon? Probably less than $100. You would have to own the car for another 15 years just to break even on the evaporator core job, by which time something else starts leaking or you got rid of or total the car. Same story with oil leaks/burning. Makes no sense to spend $1000-$3000 to repair or replace the engine when adding $5 of oil every month keeps you going.

 

[The motor guy]

How much do they charge to add freon? Probably less than $100. You would have to own the car for another 15 years just to break even on the evaporator core job, by which time something else starts leaking or you got rid of or total the car. Same story with oil leaks/burning. Makes no sense to spend $1000-$3000 to repair or replace the engine when adding $5 of oil every month keeps you going.

Like $75

 

[The motor guy]

My 2003 Civic took 19.5 years before I needed to add freon in April 2023 for the first time in the car's life. The AC did great through last summer and over a year later, it's still working great. Even if I had to add once a year (which so far it's not looking like I'll have to), no big deal.

My dodge only makes it about 8 years before it leaks. It's got that electronic engine fan that imo isn't the best. 07 model. Evaporator core has been done once already

 

[Capt W]

How often do you guys just add freon to the system?

Never. If you consistently need refrigerant, you have a leak. Fix it.

How common is it to just be able to recharge the system every spring to make it through the warm season if you don't feel like paying the money to fix the leak?

Depends on the size of the leak, I guess. Penny-wise and dollar-foolish band-aid approach which could stop working at any time - like a 100-degree day in a traffic jam.

Usually it's the evaporator core which leaks

Perhaps this is your experience, but a very subjective statement nonetheless. The evaporators on all three of my cars (1986, 2005, and 2008) are original and leak-free.

It seems you only get about 8 years out of the system before it gets a leak

It seems you might only get eight years out of a system; I suspect the majority of us are fine. The A/C on my 2008 Charger has never been touched - and the car was built in Oct 2007. Still icy-cold. In 2013 I did a complete overhaul of the system in my 1986 Daytona (R134a conversion with everything new except evaporator). Still 42 degrees at the outlets and leak-free (although it's not as cold as the OE R-12 system). Replaced one compressor and two condensers on my 2005 Caravan since new. System remains wonderful.

Air conditioning systems are not that hard to understand, diagnose, or even repair. Like carburetors, lots of people think they're some sort of witchcraft and run to a shop. For a few hundred bucks worth of tools (vacuum pump, manifold gauges, leak sniffer) and a bit of research you can service your own systems.

 

[zzyzzx]

The bottom of the condenser in the frontal most area is a very common area for leaks. Probably more often than the evaporator (epically if the roads are salted in your area). The compressor shaft seal can also leak enough to cause enough loss to require a charge. Hoses and hose junctions are not common leak areas, but they can leak.

I also often just blame the compressor shaft seal.

 

[Snagglefoot]

My 2005

Like $75

Or better yet, purchase the el Cheapo kit and do it yourself. I had an old R12 loader, but had to buy a R134A loader. They have different ports.

Having said that it’s best to purchase a set of AC gages and really understand what’s going on.

 

[someonesomewhere]

It seems you only get about 8 years out of the system before it gets a leak

My 07 Mazda3 has never been touched. Still on the factory charge at 17 years and counting. Still works as intended.

 

[The motor guy]

My 2005

Or better yet, purchase the el Cheapo kit and do it yourself. I had an old R12 loader, but had to buy a R134A loader. They have different ports.

Having said that it’s best to purchase a set of AC gages and really understand what’s going on.

View attachment 222108

That doesn't add back oil for the compressor, nor will it evacuate the system to evaporated any moisture.