Has your a/c system lost its cool? It might be time for a recharge. Luckily, you can learn how to easily do it yourself on this episode of Autoblog Wrenched.
Watch all of our Autoblog Wrenched videos for more tips on how to diagnose, fix, and modify cars from professional detailer Larry Kosilla. While you’re at it, check out Larry’s other car cleaning and maintenance video series Autoblog Details!
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[00:00:00] [Voiceover] If your AC system has lost it’s cool, it might be time to give it a recharge, but did you know you can easily do it yourself? Here’s everything you’ll need to do the job. Gloves, safety glasses, thermometer, and AC recharge kit. I’m Larry Kosilla, pro-detailer and trainer for the last 15 years, but when it comes to what’s under the hood, I’m the student. Follow me as experts teach me how to diagnose, fix, and modify cars on Autoblog’s Wrenched. Automobile air conditioning has been around
[00:00:30] for over 75 years and there are three main parts to the system. The compressor, condenser, and evaporator. Alright Matt, I’m one of those guys who loves my car like a meat locker. Right now, it’s blowing warm air. Is this something I can fix myself? – Actually Larry, it is something you can fix yourself. It’s easy to do, it’s cheap, and you don’t have to go to a shop to get it done. – [Larry] Due to the overwhelming concerns of damage to the ozone, R12 use was discontinued in the mid 1990s and it was replaced with a less damaging R134a.
[00:01:00] First, determine if your car uses R134a or R12 refrigerant. Most cars use R134a, but you need to confirm by looking at the sticker under the hood or checking your owner’s manual. Go to a parts store or order an AC recharge kit online for your type of cooling. Make sure you get a complete kit, not just the refrigerant. You’ll also need a gauge and a hose. Try to get a kit with a longer hose, ’cause it makes the job much easier. Once you have the recharge kit, open the hood and start the car.
[00:01:30] Next, put the AC on it’s coldest setting and stick the thermometer probe in one of the vents so you can get a baseline temp. Let it run for a few minutes and take a look at the temperature. Likewise, it’s a good idea while you’re waiting for it to cool down, take a look at your AC condenser to make sure the pulley is running. If it reads 60 degrees or even warmer, the new AC kit will give a significant decrease in temperature after discharging the refrigerant in the next step. Now that we have a baseline, turn your car off, but leave the thermometer in the vent.
[00:02:00] Go back to the engine compartment and trace the AC lines under the hood to find the pressure ports, especially if they’re not clearly marked. However, in our case, they’re extremely obvious. There should always be two ports. One marked H for high and the other marked L for low. You want the L port, but don’t worry. The recharge kit only fits on the correct port, so you can’t screw this one up. If it doesn’t fit, you have the wrong port. Make sure you’re wearing gloves and safety glasses as a precaution. You don’t wanna get refrigerant on your hands
[00:02:30] and definitely, not in your eyes. Find out what the current ambient temperature is in the room and rotate the outer ring to set the gauge on the recharge kit to that temperature. In our case, the room was 68 degrees and the closest number on the gauge was 70. So, 70 it was. This gauge helps indicate your target pressure for the system prior to discharging. Screw the gauge top down to puncture the seal on the canister. By the way, this is the point of no return. Make extra sure you tighten down the top completely to avoid refrigerant leaking out.
[00:03:00] Now that the AC kit is ready to go, go back and start the car and make sure the AC is on full at it’s lowest temperature. The fan is on full and the AC button is of course, on. Make sure to keep the thermometer in the vent as well. Next, unscrew the cap off the L port and keep it in a safe place. You don’t wanna lose it ’cause you’ll need it later. Now attach the connector to the end of the recharge kit hose on the L port. Push down until you hear a click. Before you pull the trigger, look at the gauge on the recharge bottle
[00:03:30] to see what the pressure reading is. It will probably be in the white zone. The goal however, is to get the pressure in the green zone. If you’re in the red zone, do not recharge as you’ll overpressurize the system. Now it’s time to pull the trigger to start the flow of refrigerant into the system. Constantly rotate the canister back and forth to keep the gas flowing smoothly. Periodically release the trigger and check the gauge to see if you’ve reached the green zone. Once in the green, release the trigger and remove the connector from the port
[00:04:00] and screw the cap back on. Go back inside the car and check the thermometer after five minutes. It should be significantly colder than when you started. Recharging your AC system is easy to do if you follow these steps and you and your passengers will appreciate on the next sweltering day. So, drive safe and stay cool. For more how-to car repair videos, visit autoblog.com/wrenched. I’m Larry Kosilla from AmmoNYC.com. As always, thanks for watching.
