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http://www.instructables.com/id/Adding-Freon-to-your-automobiles-Air-Condtioning-/
Author:Gort
Making or fixing things is how I relax.
Image Notes 1. Freon 134A. There are different types of freon and number is how you tell the difference. In an older car Freon 12 was used but good luck finding it and you need a license to buy it and it is pricy. I'm not getting into conversion here so we all assume your car needs 134A . A bit later you will find out how to know what your car uses. 2. The charging hose adapter you can buy where you buy the freon. They still sell the adapters for freon 12 so if your not sure ask before you buy this as they are not interchangeable.
Image Notes 1. The little point sticking up is what opens the can. This should not be visible when you screw this on the freon can. if you see it back out the silver colored lever on the bottom until the point is down in the rubber grommet in the can adapter
Image Notes
Image Notes
http://www.instructables.com/id/Adding-Freon-to-your-automobiles-Air-Condtioning-/
1. This end snaps onto the fitting on the freon SUCTION SIDE LINE. I am holding the sliding collar back so it can be installed or removed from the fitting welded on the freon SUCTION SIDE LINE.
1. my 20 year old fancy smancy digital temperature probe. I paid 70 bucks for this back in the mid 1980's today they are much nicer and cheaper
Image Notes 1. The outside temperature is 87.4 degrees 2. Note on the hose it tells you what number freon you can use in this hose. Not all freons are alike chemically and can attack hose compounds. 134A is on this hose.
Image Notes 1. This is what the tool looks like when your adding freon 134A to your system. Notice the can is upright and NOT UPSIDE DOWN. Note that as the freon level drops in the can you can usually see a line of dampness on the can.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Adding-Freon-to-your-automobiles-Air-Condtioning-/
Image Notes 1. As you can see the can has a threaded boss the tool screws on to. You just screw it on until it is tight. tight does not mean as tight as you possibly can it means so the rubber grommet seats to the can. spin on the can until it contacts the rubber and go a 1/3 to 1/2 turn more.
Image Notes 1. I have screwed the needle down into the can. Just tighten this until it seats and is finger tight. Now the can is punctured and you NEVER SCREW THE TOOL OFF THE CAN NOW UNTIL AFTER THE CAN IS EMPTY. If you don't use all the freon then leave the tool on the can with the needle screwed down in and put it in a safe cool childproof place.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Adding-Freon-to-your-automobiles-Air-Condtioning-/
Image Notes 1. My id tag for freon. If its gone look in owners manual, call a dealer or trusted shop who will tell you what you need. Pretty much anything mid 1990's and up is all 134A. If you call have the make model VIN and year. You can also look at the fittings to see if they look like those pictured here. Freon 12 fittings are much smaller and have external threads not a snap on connector.
Image Notes 1. Freon compressor electromagetic clutch which turns on when you turn on the AC system. Yes the freon is always there but not in the correct pressure / temperature/ state until this locks up and drives the compressor 2. The engine drive belt 3. the freon compressor. They can look very different than this and be almost anywhere under the hood. You don't need to know where this is
Image Notes 1. The back of the freon compressor. 2. The SUCTION SIDE LINE OR LOW PRESSURE SIDE LINE. This takes the cold gas back to the compressor to be recompressed. 3. Yes the high pressure side has hose in it but its high pressure hose to be sure
Image Notes 1. Note the high pressure side is SMALLER DIAMETER TUBING than the low pressure side
http://www.instructables.com/id/Adding-Freon-to-your-automobiles-Air-Condtioning-/
Image Notes 1. This is the low pressure service fitting. Notice how large the pipe is and hose is compared to the High side Smaller diameter tubing. On my car this port happens to be right where the tubing exits the evaporator 2. heater / evaporator housing on firewall 3. windshield
Image Notes 1. This end snaps onto the fitting on the freon SUCTION SIDE LINE. I am holding the sliding collar back so it can be installed or removed from the fitting welded on the freon SUCTION SIDE LINE.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Adding-Freon-to-your-automobiles-Air-Condtioning-/
Image Notes 1. The quick connect is slid back and the hose pushed on quickly and then let go of the slide or push it up towords the SUCTION SIDE port so it locks. The tool hose should not come off now but can swivel.
Image Notes 1. I now seated the puncture pin so the can is opened but before i open the fitting and allow freon to enter the hose i must bleed the atmospheric air out of the hose.. Humm how .. 2. To vent the non freon air out of the hose just slightly loosen this fitting until you hear what sounds like a tire air leak. You only need to do this a couple of seconds. The freon in the cars system will purge out the air. Then retighten this fitting with your fingers only. You purge air as freon systems can have NO MOISTURE IN THEM.
Image Notes 1. Stick your thermometer or digital temp gage in the vent. Or hold up your hand and say this is not cold enough...
http://www.instructables.com/id/Adding-Freon-to-your-automobiles-Air-Condtioning-/
Image Notes 1. fan on high mode = AC Max Temp control on max cold
Image Notes 1. This is what the tool looks like when your adding freon 134A to your system. Notice the can is upright and NOT UPSIDE DOWN. Note that as the freon level drops in the can you can usually see a line of dampness on the can.
Image Notes 1. Again the suction line . It runs around the engine compartment to the accumulator which can seen in the next photo.
Image Notes 1. This sort of hidden can is the accumulator. It will get very cold and even have water droplets on it when you have enough freon in your system. The Big brass nut hooks the can to the back of the freon compressor inlet through a pipe 2. NOTICE THE ENGINE FAN HERE. IT RUNS WHEN IT WANTS TOO AND IT DOES NOT CARE IF IT TAKES OFF ALL YOUR FINGERS SO STAY CLEAR OF THIS EVEN IF IT IS NOT TURNING. 3. HEAT SHIELD OVER THE SCREAMING HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Adding-Freon-to-your-automobiles-Air-Condtioning-/
Image Notes 1. A close up of the accumulator can. When freon is low it is warm and dry. When you have enough freon the can gets very cold and starts to sweat or has water condensation form on it. That condensation is the tip off you have enough freon and you should stop putting in freon. Of course the car engine is running all the time your putting in freon.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Adding-Freon-to-your-automobiles-Air-Condtioning-/
Image Notes 1. Stick your thermometer or digital temp gage in the vent. Or hold up your hand and say this is not cold enough...
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Comments
12 comments Add Comment
Derin says:
How would I be able to remove A/C from a car?
skunkbait says:
Aug 3, 2008. 8:49 PM REPLY Hey, you did a gret job on this ible. Five Stars! I was intimidated by A/C systems until a couple of years ago. I had to make a trip to New Orleans (in August!) and my Suburban's A/C had just crashed (compressor). I had one day to figure it out or burn up. Necessity is the mother of A/C repair!
Gort says:
Thanks. Good for you for not giving up and figuring it out. Don't things just pick the worst time to break?..lol
Derin says:
Dec 26, 2008. 12:16 PM REPLY I know...the brakes on our VW failed right when we were about to go home which was 50m away...had to take it to two service stations because one didnt have the part.
Derin says:
NEVER;EVER touch the fan if its not unplugged.I have seen cars that are off and still have the fan running full blast.
Gort says:
Aug 10, 2008. 11:17 AM REPLY As a side note you can dust talcum or baby powder onto the accumulator and then easily watch for moisture accumulation on it.
PATSY001 says:
Aug 4, 2008. 4:03 PM REPLY Not trying to be petty, however "Freon" was just a brand name used by the DuPont corporation. The appropriate term to call such substance would be "Refrigerant". The term refrigerant can refer to all the different types such as R-12, R-22, R-134a etc.(and many more). But most importantly true Freon is composed of chlorofluorocarbons.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Adding-Freon-to-your-automobiles-Air-Condtioning-/
Gort says:
Aug 4, 2008. 5:08 PM REPLY Your right. My intended audience for this was folks who wanted to get their system going but really did not understand what was going on behind the scenes. Nine times out of ten if you walk into a parts store and ask the counter guy "I need some of that stuff that makes your AC cold" The guy will say "you mean freon and its over there." Freon is the accepted street name if you will and most people recognize That name. Take a look at this big chain auto parts seller's web page and see how they identify refrigerant on their web site http://www.autozone.com/N,101308/shopping/accessoriesLanding.htm
PATSY001 says:
Aug 4, 2008. 8:50 PM REPLY Yes, I see your point, but that is not right. Not even for large corporations, unless it is manufactured by DuPont, but even they don't call it that anymore. Not picking on you, but maybe someone could make a buck or two by letting DuPont know someone is "ripping off" (using without permission) their trade name. Like for example if you invented the "Gort" recharger, and someone else marketed a similar product, and called it a "Gort" ... you should get millions due to inventors rights and copyrights... but maybe now I'm just being silly. But someone out there should offer their legal services to DuPont against "un-named big name auto parts store" hint hint... if anyone does this, keep Patsy001 in mind for compensation of his idea.
Gort says:
It's your idea ..have at it
thematthatter says:
Is there a concern about accidentally putting moisture in the system when you recharge it?
Gort says:
Aug 3, 2008. 4:47 PM REPLY Moisture will cause freezing of your system. Usually at the expansion valve which is where the freon escapes high pressure into low pressure through a tiny orifice. Moisture likes to freeze that orifice closed. It will unfreeze in about 10 minutes and your ac will work again. 134A boils around -15 degrees F. So its very cold at the expansion valve and that is why you don't want moisture. The oil in the compressor also likes to absorb the moisture and this can cause it to go acid over time.All AC systems have a "drier" in them. That is a powerful chemical that absorbs and holds any moisture. If you accidentally allow moisture in your system most likely there will be absolutely no problem because the drier will immediately grab it. But I wanted everyone to know the correct procedure. The quick answer to your question is don't lose any sleep over it. In my summary you noticed I stated that if after you charge your system it goes from cold to warm over and over its probably moisture. Remember that when an AC system is recharged by non pros they have no way of knowing if their system is moisture saturated or not. On older cars there was a little view window on top of the receiver / drier and if it was blue you were good if it turned pink you were moisture saturated. If you have a leak and lose ALL your freon then the drier will actually pull" outside of the system" moisture in through the leak path and saturate itself. Then when you Recharge it there is moisture mixed with freon and that is a major problem in terms of it working as it should.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Adding-Freon-to-your-automobiles-Air-Condtioning-/