[cwestpain]

Hi- Anyone that can give me a shout out on this I would appreciate it very much-

I have a 1999 Taurus 3.0 6cyl and I want to do the a/c injection myself. I bought the kind that has the hose already on it and ready for injection. I want to know if it's true about dipping the cans in warm water before injecting and also shaking the can while injecting, are these good options? I also heard that I should have a/c turned on to full/high while doing this. If there is anything left in can how should it be stored? (other than capped I mean) I live in AZ and it's 112 degrees right now so don't want to keep it around if it's not necessary. Some advice would be great, thanks.

 

[KhanTyranitar]

Its obvious you do not already know about an AC system and its working. Go get yourself a manual on the subject. This forum is great for tips and ideas, but I fear you are going to get a lot of subjective opinions.

You cannot reliably add refrigerant without a manifold gauge set, you need to know the pressures. And you cannot add new refrigerant until you get all the air out. Getting the air out requires a vacuum pump, a good one can cost at least $60, forget about the cheaper air powered ones unless you have at least a 50 gallon compressor with a high CFM rating.

If you take a good vacuum pump and a manifold gauge set, you are talking about $120 to $200 in tools alone, for a job that if done right will only be done once. I'll bet that once you get it put together, that a shop will pull a vacuum and refill the system with the proper amount of refrigerant and oil for a lot less.

 

[firespirit]

CWest - The can you bought, does it have a gauge already on it? If not, take it back and buy the one with the gauge. (My favorite is

) You plug your hose to the port that is located on your firewall on the passenger side of the vehicle. (The hose will only fit on one end anyway since they are two different sizes) ... Have the vehicle running and your a/c on MAX/HIGH... Your clutch should engage, and the gauge should tell you where your at before you pull the trigger. Do NOT over-fill the system either.

I've never heard of dipping the can in warm water, so I would not recommend this procedure. It is true, however that you rock the can from side to side while the vehicle is sucking in the refrigerant. There are also instructions on the cans.

This video is on a ranger, but same basic concept :

This video is for a 2001 Taurus

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[ricer333]

The only reason some of us on the forums recommend putting the can in hot/warm water WHILE it is hooked up is to prevent the can from freezing. I hate to go into this again, because I have posted on it numerous times.

The basic idea is two-fold.

1) your A/C compressor is designed to compress GAS not liquid
2) when you shake the can, at the 3 oclock position (can horizontal) the refrigerant coming out is liquid. This can be visually seen if you have an A/C gauge manifold set (sold at Autozone or Harbor Freight).

putting the can in hot/warm water prevents the can from freezing and allows the user to keep the can upright thus allowing ONLY refrigerant gas coming out. Basic chem101. When something goes from HOT to COLD what happens? It goes from a gas state to a liquid state. The same is true for R134a (aka refrigerant).

It does sound like you need to brush up on the A/C stuff. You may not need any refrigerant at all. Too much refrigerant means the system is OVERCHARGED and will not cool properly as well.

** You really need to get a gauge set (easily rented from AZ) and see what the pressures on the HIGH and LOW sides are when your A/C is running. **

** You also need to see if the A/C clutch is engaging for long periods of time, if at all. If not, then the clutch could be bad - if the pressures are good. **

I hope this helps and doesn't sound snide. But it is that time of the year (just like it will be for winter and 'my car has no heat' issues) for similar questions to pop up. The search and Wiki are great resources to look at.

good luck! :salute:
~Matt

 

[KhanTyranitar]

Ok, while these guys seem they want to be helpful, two big problems.

One, you must get all the air out of the system before you attempt to add refrigerant. If you have air in there, it will interfere with the refrigerants ability to do its job. Do you have a vacuum pump?

Secondly, do those little cans have a high side gauge? What they don't. Well, you don't fill AC systems till the AC reaches a certain low side pressure, you fill it till you reach a target high side pressure. You also monitor the high and low side pressures to make sure that nothing is wrong and that it is behaving properly.

I really like those little cans at the part stores, especially the ones with the gauges on them, mechanics get to fix them all the time after customers have screwed them up by overcharging them, happens all the time.

You need three tools before you attempt your own AC work. These are a manifold gauge set ($65), a vacuum pump ($65), and a thermometer ($7). Thats a minimal set of tools worth $135 for cheaper versions. To refill a system that a DIYer has repair, basically to evac and recharge, usually runs between $75 to $100 depending on the system and amount of refrigerant it takes.

Furthermore, if you do it wrong, and air or moisture gets trapped in the system, it can cause internal damage over time, costing you expensive parts, like compressors, and other stuff you just replaced.

 

[soundu]

Ok, while these guys seem they want to be helpful, two big problems.


You need three tools before you attempt your own AC work. These are a manifold gauge set ($65), a vacuum pump ($65), and a thermometer ($7). Thats a minimal set of tools worth $135 for cheaper versions. To refill a system that a DIYer has repair, basically to evac and recharge, usually runs between $75 to $100 depending on the system and amount of refrigerant it takes.

Furthermore, if you do it wrong, and air or moisture gets trapped in the system, it can cause internal damage over time, costing you expensive parts, like compressors, and other stuff you just replaced.

Too many people think you can just add refrigerant to an empty system.
that's a recipe for failure. and if its empty, there is a reason why it was.
I just helped a friend with a S10 that was very low. we pumped it down
and filled it up. air ran great for a month then it was dead. Put dye 134
in it and looked at all the connections which looked good. so did the condenser.
I was confused on that one. We waited until dark and got the
IR light back out. Turns out the V5 compressor was leaking where the
two half's come together! never seen that before.

If you shop around, harbor freight has had R134 gauges as low as $29.95.
most of the time there around $50 or so on sale.
$65 seems cheap for a good vacuum pump. those air powered ones are
not worth a darn and require tons of air to work. Harbor freight has some
imported electric vacuum pumps now, but i think there more around $100.
I bought a used robinaire for $125 or so years back i use.

 

[firespirit]

Why are you people all full of doom and gloom? If it's low on a charge you just refill.

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[soundu]

Why are you people all full of doom and gloom? If it's low on a charge you just refill.

If you are so low on charge that the compressor does not run, you refill it
and its empty in a few weeks, you have a leak that needs to be serviced.

The first place to start is the O ring seals on the hoses. To replace them,
the system has to be empty. Once there replaced, you then HAVE to pump
down the system to boil the air out of it. If you don't, it will work marginally
for a short period of time if at all. If its been empty for a LONG time,
its good practice to change the accumulator.

The way to find a leak is to buy a can of UV dye refrigerant, and add it in
and run the system for awhile. You can they use a UV flashlight and goggles,
and see where the Dye is leaking out of the system.

Most AAC shop charge an arm and a leg for anything more than a simple fill.
So buying your own gauges and vacuum pump (if you have the chops to do it)
is a long term cost savings.

A word to the wise, do your research and learn about how the AC systems
works and how to service them before diving into serious AC work.

Bob

 

[firespirit]

If you are so low on charge that the compressor does not run, you refill it
and its empty in a few weeks, you have a leak that needs to be serviced.

The first place to start is the O ring seals on the hoses. To replace them,
the system has to be empty. Once there replaced, you then HAVE to pump
down the system to boil the air out of it. If you don't, it will work marginally
for a short period of time if at all. If its been empty for a LONG time,
its good practice to change the accumulator.

The way to find a leak is to buy a can of UV dye refrigerant, and add it in
and run the system for awhile. You can they use a UV flashlight and goggles,
and see where the Dye is leaking out of the system.

Most AAC shop charge an arm and a leg for anything more than a simple fill.
So buying your own gauges and vacuum pump (if you have the chops to do it)
is a long term cost savings.

A word to the wise, do your research and learn about how the AC systems
works and how to service them before diving into serious AC work.

Bob

When did the O/P say that the compressor does not run and they have filled it up and it has run low again? They only asked how to recharge an a/c system.

FYI - I finally got my a/c working in my 97 about a month ago from 10 years of non-service. I replaced my a/c cycle switch and refilled the system with about 24 oz of refrigerant. The cans I bought at my work... No professional tools, just cans. Still works perfectly.

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[soundu]

When did the O/P say that the compressor does not run and they have filled it up and it has run low again? They only asked how to recharge an a/c system.

FYI - I finally got my a/c working in my 97 about a month ago from 10 years of non-service. I replaced my a/c cycle switch and refilled the system with about 24 oz of refrigerant. The cans I bought at my work... No professional tools, just cans. Still works perfectly.

A system that is NOT empty can be refilled with over the counter cans.
A systems that is completely empty, it would be bad practice to do so
without sucking it down for an hour or two with a vacuum pump.
WHY? in the accumulator, is a bag of desiccant that takes the moisture
out of the system. Once this desiccant fills up, it can burst the bag its
in. Then little parts spread out through the system and can clog up
the orfice tubes or even shell the compressor. Then its big bucks to flush
out the system and replace every major part.

When i changed the motor in my 97, it was full prior to the motor change,
and then i just evacuated it for 2 hours rather than change the accumulator. Mine is still working under those conditions, but its a roll of the dice.

In any system that is leaking, it would be good practice to put a can of the UV dye into it so you know where the problem areas are if it all leaks
back out.

All of this may not apply to the original OP, but its good practice for anyone looking at doing AC work.

If you want to roll the dice, more power to you.

 

[firespirit]

A system that is NOT empty can be refilled with over the counter cans.
A systems that is completely empty, it would be bad practice to do so
without sucking it down for an hour or two with a vacuum pump.
WHY? in the accumulator, is a bag of desiccant that takes the moisture
out of the system. Once this desiccant fills up, it can burst the bag its
in. Then little parts spread out through the system and can clog up
the orfice tubes or even shell the compressor. Then its big bucks to flush
out the system and replace every major part.

When i changed the motor in my 97, it was full prior to the motor change,
and then i just evacuated it for 2 hours rather than change the accumulator. Mine is still working under those conditions, but its a roll of the dice.

In any system that is leaking, it would be good practice to put a can of the UV dye into it so you know where the problem areas are if it all leaks
back out.

All of this may not apply to the original OP, but its good practice for anyone looking at doing AC work.

If you want to roll the dice, more power to you.

I understand how A/C systems work, I've had to study them in the past. I just don't understand why you and other people in this thread have been jamming it down the o/p's throat about it when they never stated the car was completely void of refrigerant.

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[millermagic]

I understand how A/C systems work, I've had to study them in the past. I just don't understand why you and other people in this thread have been jamming it down the o/p's throat about it when they never stated the car was completely void of refrigerant.

Ash it's just part of AC apparently. The second video you posted is one I made and uploaded to youtube. I got at least 20 nasty mesages in my inbox (in addition to the bad comments) about how I'm having people destroy their AC system.

If the compressor engages that means there is at least some refrigerant in there and that it's safe to fill.

 

[soundu]

I understand how A/C systems work, I've had to study them in the past. I just don't understand why you and other people in this thread have been jamming it down the o/p's throat about it when they never stated the car was completely void of refrigerant.

he really did not say either way. He just asked how to refill. One must assume
worst case. Other people read these post for information. Hopefully, they will
get some from it. I also stated that if it had enough gas to run the compressor,
that he could probably refill it without pulling it down

When i do my own work on my bull, i try to get all the information i can
to make the right decision on how and why to fix it. I have kept 6 alive
doing this. I try to keep them alive, my wife kills them.

 

[cwestpain]

Well, thank you for being helpful. Yes, it was recommended by my step-dad, he's a chevy tech. We put in a new compressor and the car hasn't had any freon since 2007 so it was on his recommendation to add refridgerant. Yes, I have purchased the cans with pressure gauge attached. It was a bit more but I feel worth the money. I opted not to use the dye method as I understood that I would be replacing everything from heater core to hoses. It is not my car, my father died a few years back and the car came to me. I ride motorcycles and well, the car was utilizing space and I thought to sell it I would have to make sure it was in good running order. Hence, the reason for all the repairs etc. Thank you all for the advice and helpful tips.

 

[cwestpain]

Thank you for the advice. I actually have the manual but wanted to get feedback on the tips I was given. I have the tools, or rather my step-dad does, as he's a service tech for 32 years. The car came to me via the death of my father and I just want to make sure it is in perfect running order before I let it go. It has a new compressor hoses radiator all the plugs, coil, wiring, overflow tank and heater hoses and a new heater core, plus other minor things, and yes I have a new water pump and tensioner kit on it. I just hear things from guys about "technique" and when I heard about dipping freon cans in warm water etc, I was curious. Some things work and others don't I guess, but thanks for your advice.

 

[cwestpain]

Thank you Matt for the Wiki info. My step-dad has been great but I hate always asking him to check on what I'm doing and if it works. I am learning as much about the Taurus as I can and sometimes I just read the manual to make some sense of things! I'm a motorcycle girl and Chevy S-10 so those are what I know. The Ford is a new animal to me but I think I am learning and this forum has been helpful. Thanks again

 

[lcplpunk]

Did you try adding the refrigerant yet? My AC was only blowing hot air a few days ago and I added a few cans of refrigerant and it's been blowing cold since.

 

[whinton471]

Hi- Anyone that can give me a shout out on this I would appreciate it very much-

I have a 1999 Taurus 3.0 6cyl and I want to do the a/c injection myself. I bought the kind that has the hose already on it and ready for injection. I want to know if it's true about dipping the cans in warm water before injecting and also shaking the can while injecting, are these good options? I also heard that I should have a/c turned on to full/high while doing this. If there is anything left in can how should it be stored? (other than capped I mean) I live in AZ and it's 112 degrees right now so don't want to keep it around if it's not necessary. Some advice would be great, thanks.

 

[whinton471]

Best thing to do is put your AC gauges and you want the coil above freezing just a little at or below in a car as I do it with gauges