A/C recharge

[New2Talon]

Did a search, but none of the threads came up with any shop names, just products to do it yourself (redtek/duracool).

Looking for a place to properly recharge my ac system. I read that it needs to be evacuated (vacuum/moisture out of lines) and the exact amount of refrigerant put back in to work properly (ie 3lbs 5 ounces).

System is R134a. Just looking for a cheap recommended shop, preferrably in the NE.

[CCM Pro]

autotemp air&sound??

[gpomp]

i want to know this too. i need my system vacuumed out.

[2BLUE]

how can you check how much is left? Before it does run out.

[SilverGS]

I believe you need a set of gauges to messure the pressure in the AC System. Each car maybe different but I think something like 1.5lbs of pressure is normal and pressure less then 1 is getting low.

Not sure if he is still there but MyTire had a guy that comes in and does recharges for a pretty good price

Edit Found the old thread

http://forums.beyond.ca/st/179807/ac-recharge/

[Zero102]

1.5lbs of pressure?.... not even close ;)
Typically you are looking for a low side pressure between 30 and 50psi depending on ambient temp. You can check the low and high side pressures to get an idea of the state of charge in the system, and the condition of the other A/C components, but you either need a set of gauges or need to know somebody with them, and every time you check it a small amount of refrigerant is lost.

[gpomp]

Originally posted by Zero102
1.5lbs of pressure?.... not even close ;)
Typically you are looking for a low side pressure between 30 and 50psi depending on ambient temp. You can check the low and high side pressures to get an idea of the state of charge in the system, and the condition of the other A/C components, but you either need a set of gauges or need to know somebody with them, and every time you check it a small amount of refrigerant is lost.
that's nice to know what where would do you go to get all that stuff done?

[Zero102]

I had a shop on 32nd ave beside allmakes (mastertune?) do my 944, and they used RedTek which IMO is the best R12 substitute out there, but honestly the guys there were nothing short of complete dicks, and they were borderline incompetent when working on my car. I would never return.

I honestly don't know anywhere that would be good to go in Calgary. Sorry.

[New2Talon]

Does anyone have any exp with autotemp?

[gpomp]

i called canadian tire today. they charge about $100 for inspection and $150 to fill it. so about $250.

[SilverGS]

Originally posted by Zero102
1.5lbs of pressure?.... not even close ;)
Typically you are looking for a low side pressure between 30 and 50psi depending on ambient temp. You can check the low and high side pressures to get an idea of the state of charge in the system, and the condition of the other A/C components, but you either need a set of gauges or need to know somebody with them, and every time you check it a small amount of refrigerant is lost.

My apologies I was quoting what the machine was saying. Normal is 25-40psi on the low side and 225-250 psi or so for the high side with a normal gauge.

The auto recharge machine that the guy was using needed to go up to 1.5 to indicate a full charge. Amount of refrigerant for a BMW maybe.

When I was looking though the guy through Mytires was the best price I found. I believe it was $130 or so.

[New2Talon]

Well I called a few places from the yellow pages today and depending on amount of fluid needed it was ~120-150 just for refill. That did not include cost to inspect the system for leaks. That was another 50-70.

Autotemp a/s was 50 to inspect the system, but if you had any work done by them within 30 days they will credit your money back (or if you get is inspected/filled by them they dont charge for inspection). They charge 160 for fill.

I believe I have a leak that needs to be looked at, as I have a filmy splatter along the bottom of my windshield (where the defrost vents are), so I'm guessing that the fluid along my windhield is a/c fluid...

[BokCh0y]

BUMP rather than starting a new thread.

AC blows cold but it takes a while, so guessing I am in need of a recharge soon. Even after it blows cold, it isn't freezing like in my RX, so looking for a shop to do this.

Any suggestions should I just go to the dealership and have it done?

Thanks.

[RickDaTuner]

BUMP rather than starting a new thread.

AC blows cold but it takes a while, so guessing I am in need of a recharge soon. Even after it blows cold, it isn't freezing like in my RX, so looking for a shop to do this.

Any suggestions should I just go to the dealership and have it done?

Thanks.

Lack of cool could be due to a few things like a faulty TXV Valve (a type of thermostat) or low charge, if it starts off cold, then it gets warm then it could be due to contaminates in the system or a clogged condenser.


Reading back through on this thread , the term A/C recharge is about the most miss used automotive term out there, along with 'Exhaust Back pressure'
A properly functioning A/C will never have to be recharged, its a sealed system and the refrigerant does not loose its cooling efficiency over time, it is not a battery, or like engine oil, it works more like engine coolant, transferring heat from one place to another with some pixie magic inbetween.

If your A/C systems starts to under perform, its due to a leak, or a mechanical component fault, and it needs to be inspected before you 'Charge' (if even needed)it with new refrigerant
Shops that offer a A/C recharge with no questions asked, are doing nothing more than taking your money.

My advice is to take it to the dealership, as there are too many private shops that buy a/c machines and become HVAC service centers overnight... that's not how that works.

[tonytiger55]

Im AC stopped working on my 2002 Honda three years ago.. The milage is so high..Im just too scared to get it working again in case the damn thing blows up...

[firebane]

Lack of cool could be due to a few things like a faulty TXV Valve (a type of thermostat) or low charge, if it starts off cold, then it gets warm then it could be due to contaminates in the system or a clogged condenser.


Read back on this thread through, the term A/C recharge is about the most miss used automotive term out there, along with 'Exhaust Back pressure'
A properly functioning A/C will never have to be recharged, its a sealed system and the refrigerant does not loose its cooling efficiency over time, it is not a battery, or like engine oil.

If your A/C systems starts to under perform, its due to a leak, or a mechanical component fault, and it needs to be inspected before you 'Charge' it with new refrigerant
Shops that offer a A/C recharge with no questions asked, are doing nothing more than taking your money.

My advice is to take it to the dealership, as there are too many private shops that buy a/c machines and become HVAC service centers overnight... that's not how that works.

Girlfriends Nissan Sentra seems to blow the compressor coil every couple of years :\ No idea why but its a cheap fix but a giant pain in the ass.

[BokCh0y]

Lack of cool could be due to a few things like a faulty TXV Valve (a type of thermostat) or low charge, if it starts off cold, then it gets warm then it could be due to contaminates in the system or a clogged condenser.


Reading back through on this thread , the term A/C recharge is about the most miss used automotive term out there, along with 'Exhaust Back pressure'
A properly functioning A/C will never have to be recharged, its a sealed system and the refrigerant does not loose its cooling efficiency over time, it is not a battery, or like engine oil, it works more like engine coolant, transferring heat from one place to another with some pixie magic inbetween.

If your A/C systems starts to under perform, its due to a leak, or a mechanical component fault, and it needs to be inspected before you 'Charge' (if even needed)it with new refrigerant
Shops that offer a A/C recharge with no questions asked, are doing nothing more than taking your money.

My advice is to take it to the dealership, as there are too many private shops that buy a/c machines and become HVAC service centers overnight... that's not how that works.

Thanks for this info RDT, much appreciated.

Mine takes a while to blow cold but it does eventually get there, but i'll have it checked out.

[RickDaTuner]

Girlfriends Nissan Sentra seems to blow the compressor coil every couple of years :\ No idea why but its a cheap fix but a giant pain in the ass.

Thats Kinda an odd one, because its just a big electromagnet. Could be a bad bearing on one of the pullys of the ACC belt system, or vibration from the a/c compressor itself causing the winding to vibrate and short out. Other than that it may be the charging system running a higher than normal voltage. I have also noticed on some vehicle that there is a Dissipating diode in the A/c clutch circuit to prevent voltage spike from the coil collapsing when its commanded off.
But sometimes its just manufactures being cheap and not adding enough windings to the coil to save money, which in the end causes too much current through the circuit

[g-m]

So what if you vented the R12 when swapping engines? Can someone recharge a replacement? And who is that someone?

[RickDaTuner]

R12 is best left in the past, you can do a R134a conversion for low money, it's basically just an oil flush and new fittings.
R12 is some ways pretty inefficient, and also causes global warming. :-)

There is a DIY kits at Canadian tire for R12, but as mentioned it's
Very susceptible to contamination making it inefficient in anything but a lab grade clean room a/c system. Being that the CT self charge kits don't do vacuum, you are mixing the charge with other gasses, which lower the boiling temp and reduce thransfer efficiency.

If you DAGF then go pick up a kit, $60 last time
I checked.

What ever anyone reading this decides to do, do not for the love of all things good; use a a/c sealer in a can. The moment you charge your system with that its a guaranteed full a/c system rebuild, and that's if a deligent shop will even touch it.
A/C sealing kits are like herpes, one car can contaminate every car serviced by the same a/c machine that touched it.

[G-ZUS]

A&M mobile mechanic

[revelations]

I've used Jonathan Sniezek ....Cell - (403) 921-8529.... good mobile mechanic who operates out of his van.

Young guy but very good at what he does. In addition to other work, he recharged my Civic's AC last fall at my request. Turns out there is a failed part (evaporator I think) so I will be calling him again for a charge once the part is replaced.

[g-m]

The fittings in those kits do not thread onto mine so I wanted to let a shop deal with it. I have no idea why not but every R12 adaptor I've used does not work

No shop suggestions?

Edit will call Jonathan

[legendboy]

you can buy the quick connect adapters at refrigeration supply but i think they are around $100

[ExtraSlow]

Old thread bump. Savage Honda fit isn't blowing cold like it used to. Compressor is definetly cycling, and air is cool-ish, but not cold enough. Being the cheapskate I am, should I just get the recharge kit and go to town or pay someone to inspect?

[revelations]

Old thread bump. Savage Honda fit isn't blowing cold like it used to. Compressor is definetly cycling, and air is cool-ish, but not cold enough. Being the cheapskate I am, should I just get the recharge kit and go to town or pay someone to inspect?

I got an AC recharge done for 80$ at - Calgary Auto Repair Services. Very prompt and very kind. Added leak test to check for future issues if need be.

https://goo.gl/maps/BT5w4pWKN6u

[Kjonus]

I just had the wife's VW Golf tested for leaks and recharged at Budget Auto Repairs over in the NE. Place was a what you think for the area it is in (just off of 52nd and 17th ave) but no appointment needed, guys were great and $100 cash.

[J-hop]

Old thread bump. Savage Honda fit isn't blowing cold like it used to. Compressor is definetly cycling, and air is cool-ish, but not cold enough. Being the cheapskate I am, should I just get the recharge kit and go to town or pay someone to inspect?

Those kits are the worst. They often contain stopleak which is just a horrible idea for anything (coolant system, tires, oil, A/C). The “gauge” they have is equivalent to a narrowband O2 when you really need a wideband. They also don’t give you any way of testing if the compressor is functioning properly which a shop will no doubt do (meausuring high and low side).

I vote no on the Canuck tire DIY kits

[firebane]

Old thread bump. Savage Honda fit isn't blowing cold like it used to. Compressor is definetly cycling, and air is cool-ish, but not cold enough. Being the cheapskate I am, should I just get the recharge kit and go to town or pay someone to inspect?

Inspect. You have a leak which will mean repairs. If you don't care about your car or the AC then use a recharge system.

[tonytiger55]

I just recharged my Zonda last week. After four years I finally have AC again!!! :love:
I bought one of those DIY kits from Auto Value ($57). It was not working at first, then after youtubing I got someone to hold the throttle at 2500 rpm while I recharged.
I have cold air!!! No more sweaty balls..

[Disoblige]

I just recharged my Zonda last week. After four years I finally have AC again!!! :love:
I bought one of those DIY kits from Auto Value ($57). It was not working at first, then after youtubing I got someone to hold the throttle at 2500 rpm while I recharged.
I have cold air!!! No more sweaty balls..
You have a Zonda?

[tonytiger55]

You have a Zonda?

Hell yeah. Zonda CRV...baby.
2002, 346,00km,.. 2.4 Litres of Samurai Engineering, fully manual, cruise control, Sheek 90's style plastic interior and it even comes with a picnic table...I shit you not.
If your even in the SE, I'l take you for a spin.

[firebane]

Hell yeah. Zonda CRV...baby.
2002, 346,00km,.. 2.4 Litres of Samurai Engineering, fully manual, cruise control, Sheek 90's style plastic interior and it even comes with a picnic table...I shit you not.
If your even in the SE, I'l take you for a spin.

The picnic table is the best part!

[jacky4566]

BUMP. Its getting hot and my X5 is even hotter. Need a recharge from someone that knows BMW. Recommendations?

[rage2]

In researching repairing my R12 AC in the Miata, I've come to realize that pretty much every shop does R134 pressure test, seal replacements, vacuum and recharges. Integra Tire was going to do mine until I got my R12 system fixed.

[Clever]

Found a 2003 LS 430 that needs the AC repaired, does not blow cold air at all. I’m assuming AC compressor is shot or maybe it’s an easier fix? Any recommendations for a shop?

[Sentry]

Usually a leak, and the leak is usually just o rings on the connections. Less common is a leak from a hose or the condenser took a rock. Even less common than that would be a bad compressor. Wiring problems can also pop up in older cars AC systems.

[Clever]

I spoke to the sellers and Lexus diagnosed it as a failed compressor. So I think I’m going to have to pass on this car.

[mr2mike]

BUMP. Its getting hot and my X5 is even hotter. Need a recharge from someone that knows BMW. Recommendations?

Did my X and it's relatively straight forward with diy kit.
Mine has a slow leak and I'm too lazy to replace seals, I just recharge it every spring. Works for summer and all good.

[pheoxs]

I spoke to the sellers and Lexus diagnosed it as a failed compressor. So I think I’m going to have to pass on this car.

Can you just get a replacement from rock auto for cheap, swap it and get it recharged? Depends on the car I guess but some it's just pop the belt of, 2 bolts, 1 electrical connection, and the 2 hoses. Not the worst, though the Lexus may be a cluster fuck of stuff in the way i guess

[Asian_defender]

Most Toyota's and Honda's you have to remove the alternator and go through the passenger wheel well. It's a pretty big job. I'd say very similar to a timing belt so I don't blame the guy for walking away for something like that

[Darell_n]

You should also replace the condenser, drier and expansion valve if you want it to last. Possibly the evaporator inside the dash too, if it’s leaking. Probably around $1000 for parts.