Throw a $4 can of refrigerant in there and see what happens. Might be good for another 17 years.
Automotive AC troubleshooting 101 - help me get started?
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JHZR2
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You’re required by law to find the source of the leak.
It’s part of the reason why I sometimes like HC refrigerants as a stopgap in old cars. Makes for an easier check-out. Dyes are also your friend.
Gauges on high and low side are also important. A cheap gauge may show no pressure, but is it really the case? Is that true?
Refill IMO should be done by machine by mass in the end.
It’s part of the reason why I sometimes like HC refrigerants as a stopgap in old cars. Makes for an easier check-out. Dyes are also your friend.
Gauges on high and low side are also important. A cheap gauge may show no pressure, but is it really the case? Is that true?
Refill IMO should be done by machine by mass in the end.
So searching around I found this guy - that pressurized with air. I may try this. Its full of air already. Air is 78% nitrogen anyway 
A can of r134a has about the same global warming potential as the CO2 released from driving 1000 miles
I wish a Ford and a Chevy would still last ten years, like they should.
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Yes of course you need to recover the system and not vent refrigerant to the atmosphere.
My "shade tree" comment is just about how to pressurize an empty system without sourcing a bottle of nitrogen. In order to do a soap spray test.
Shade tree - how to do it with what most people have at home.
I don't know where you are but it's $18 for a can here + $10 can return charge... With tax over $30. Even my buying a 30 lb cylinder it's still $9 a pound
So searching around I found this guy - that pressurized with air. I may try this. Its full of air already. Air is 78% nitrogen anyway
That's acceptable only if you have a way to remove moisture from the air. Like a good filter like a paint shop would have.
I have painted a few cars - way back when. The fairly inexpensive oil/water separators do a pretty good job. Its empty now, so I am going to need to pull a vacuum on it for a long time before refilling anyway, so that should pull any remaining water out.
You're probably right. I bought some from a farm store going out of business last year. Grabbed a half a dozen cans.
I got a bunch for $4.88 from Walmart pre COVID. Now, I have two cars with r1234yf... $40 for 8 oz. So far they are working well though.
It's a sealed system and you have a leak. Bring it to a Pro.
Yes. I had to make a special adapter just for this. Highly recommend.
According to Rainman Ray, Schrader valve leaks are common. That's also my experience. Last time I had one I put blue nylog on the Schrader valve cap and screwed it back on. So far so good.
it seems like it’s the local municipality or states that dictate whether a leak needs to be found.
The EPA appears to have no such mandate for vehicles, at least according to this Google AI result.
JHZR2
Staff member
Why do I care what AI says?
Read section 609 of the Clean Air Act. The law.
Here’s the EPA’s synopsis on venting:
You can play sea lawyer all you want, but if you know you have a leak, and you refill (i.e. maintain or service) without repairing the leak, you are knowingly venting.
JHZR2
Staff member
The right approach is nitrogen with R22 blended in. I don’t have that, nor do most. I like to use HC refrigerant as a proxy for leak checking.
Using compressed air unless bone dry introduces more moisture into the system which is not good.
You still need to confirm everything. If it's the case then great, what if it's not the case?
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