Submitted by: Levi Quinn

There are several reasons you should consider DIY or do-it-yourself AC recharging. The greatest reason is that you will save a lot of money. You will avoid unscrupulous mechanics who remove some parts when you take the car in for repairs. Insurance rates and/or auto warranty rates change depending on how often you take the car in for repairs you will not have this problem if you replace the AC yourself. To do DIY air conditioner replacement, you need practical knowledge. You also need eye protection and the right gear for your safety because skin or eye contact with the refrigerant can cause frostbite. You will also need a charging kit and a refrigerant. The most common refrigerant in new models is R134. The charging kits are readily available online and from department stores and auto parts shops. The kits come with pressure gauges for troubleshooting.

It is important that you note the refrigerant that your car uses. Most cars that were manufactured before 1995 use R12 which is no longer available in the market. To recharge such A/C systems, you can use recycled refrigerants from older cars check the local junk yard. You can also make modifications to use R134A. You should never mix different types of refrigerants and you should avoid the use of flammable refrigerants such as propane and flammable hydrocarbons, which are actually illegal in most states. When recharging the AC, the first step is to connect the recharge service hose and the valve to the can of refrigerant all these are contained in the recharge kit. Next, turn the valve on the service hose until it punctures the top of the can containing the refrigerant. Turn the valve back to its original position slowly. This will release a small amount of refrigerant into the hose and it is done to remove air from the hose. Your car has a low pressure charging port. This will be on the refrigerant line of your vehicle near the accumulator. After locating this port, connect the quick coupling.

You should never connect the refrigerant to the high side of the charging port since the pressure inside the air conditioning system may burst the can when you run the engine. However, there is a low risk of this happening because the service hose is designed in such a way that it will not fit the high pressure charging port. After this, hold the refrigerant can upright to prevent refrigerant entering the service hose since only vapor should be pulled into the AC system. Note that if compressor sucks large quantities of liquid, it may be damaged. You should have a gauge for monitoring the process. Although this is not necessary, it will make the whole process more accurate, meaning there will be no risk of overcharging or undercharging the system. Next, start the engine of your car. Turn the AC to MAX/HIGH, or high cool, high fan. Open the valve so that the refrigerant can pass through the hose this will take anything from 2 to 5 minutes. Finally, check whether the can is still cold and if it is not, close the valve and disconnect the hose. Make sure there are no leaks on the charging port and replace the cap. Run the AC system to find out whether you have been successful.

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