I need Help Recharging my AC, or im a dead man

D-BOI

Member
Mar 26, 2009
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Metro Detro
It is soooo hot here today, and my jeep has no ac but i know that it has a bad compressor for sure and the mustang has no ac either. I really want to recharge it and see if it will hold, even if its for one day lol. I cant stand this heat its nuts. Anyone got any tips on which recharge kit i should buy and how to recharge it, ive never done this myself so im a total newbster.

thannk you all, and all you that have workin ac :hail2::nice:
 
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Is the Mustang completely empty off Freon? If so, the system will need to be vacuum purged before re-filling.

If there is some Freon still in the system, your local Autoparts store will have a budget refill kit.

A set of AC manifold guages should be considered if doing a lot of work on AC systems. Remember not to use anything previously used for R12/R22 on a R134a system.
 
in all honesty just take it to a shop....there are tons of shops that do like 60-70 dollar refills and they will do it properly by drawing it into a vacuum to get all the moisture out, and putting a dye in it so you or they can see where it's leaking if and when it leaks. we charge 69.95 at my shop. you will spend damn near 30 dollars in freon alone doing it yourself. just sayin
 
First figure out if you have a problem w/the system holding Freon, then you need to start testing to see what your pressures are on the Hot and Cold side. Is your AC just blowing out hot air, or is it trying to cool, is your A/C pressure switch activating w/ the A/c clutch. Start doing some research on your own, Mustang A/c's are not the difficult to diagnose, I just don't want you to go to someone and have the refill or retreave and recharge and your A/C dosn't work, then you've gotta shell out more mod coins:nonono:. + 1 on gettin' you some pressure gauges. Oh a black light pen will tell if you have a leak anywhere in your AC system from the dye.
 
I just recharged mine the other day and it was about $30 for the kit with two bottles. I probably could've used just one bottle but I wasn't sure so I got the kit with 2. It was pretty easy, only took a few minutes to do and now my A/C blows ice cold again. And I got a cool blacklight pen out of the deal :D

However, my A/C was still working to some degree and I was 99% sure I didn't have a serious leak or other major problem and I was 99% sure that I was just low on refrigerant. If I'd had any doubts, I'd have taken it to the shop and let someone who knows what they're doing check it out and fix it.
 
Hmm, mine doesn't blow any cold air it all, I mean air blows perfectly fine when its on AC butits hott, so my best bet would be to get some dye, how do I know if my compressor is engaging or not? I seriously don't want to spend 150 on a compressor another 100 to find out where its leaking and another 70 to refill it, I'd ratheer buy myself a new clutch kit which I desperately need, just sucks big time not havin some cold air this is my 3rd summer with no ac and I told myself last winter it would be the last lol.
 
If it hasn't worked in three years then you probably need to have it looked at. There's an excellent chance the seals are dried up and a recharge is going to do nothing but leak right out.

To see if the compressor is running, turn the A/C on full blast and watch the front of the wheel on the front if thr compressor pully. If the front of the wheel is spinning then the compressor is turning. Normally it will cycle on and off with demand so you'll see the wheel stop and start.
 
cool, if the compressor is working then i need to get the dye and see if it leaks with a black light

you know whats horrible is that it got so cold here tonight when i was cruzing i had to turn the heat on lol, michigan weather just amazes me, there has been days here where it has snowed in the morning and ive had my top down wearing a t shirt in the afternoon
 
ok....seriously. i'll explain how you should go about this if you want to do it yourself. first off if there is no freon in the system the clutch WILL NOT engage period. that is a safty feature so you dont burn it up. the freon carries the oil around the system to lubricate the pump. take a mini screw driver and push in one of the ports. if nothing comes out you have a leak.....something probably needs to be repaired. go ahead and put the right amount of freon in. this is an important step. too much freon and your pressures will spike causing damage to the condensor, evaporator, etc. i do believe they sell freon with dye in it already. put in the freon and let the ac run for about 10-15 min. you really need to put the system into a vacuum to get all the moisture out, but you dont have the right equipment for that. next get a black light and look for dye anywhere where ac would run. all the lines, condenser, compressor, evaportor(watch the water drip hose for dye), etc. i'm really trying to help you when i say find a place that will fill and check for leaks for like 60 bucks. at the very least your ac will be cold for awhile and you'll know what to fix.
 
ok so should i just buy a couple cans of freeon and pressure test the system and then fill it, or does it also require oil, if so does the oil come when you buy a kit or can i buy it separate because my neighboor already has the pressure tester and the connection hoses for filling with freeon.

Update: I took of the black cap thats on the drivers side next to the firewall and pressed the little bb thing down and very little pressure came out and then nothing else. Obviously the compressor isnt going to kick on after there is no pressure in there. So i removed the plug from the low pressure switch and i bypassed and and voila the compressor kicked on, but i only left it on for like 5 seconds i didnt want to burn the thing up. At least my compressor isnt the issue.

So again can i just throw freeon in there or oil as well? if i accomplish the ac deal today im going to be one happy camper even if it lasts for one day lol i just want to feel cold air coming out of the vent as i never have before in this mustang
 
if the compressor kicks on its pretty easy and cheap to do it yourself...but if its leaking it may hold 1 day it may hold a few months....I would get the freon with the dye in it that way if it goes out again you can take it to a shop and they "should" be able to see where its leaking.

As far as what kit to buy they all do the same thing, I have a couple hoses I have collected over the years but dont buy one that is made with the can attached to it (you cant reuse the hose). get 2-3 cans. Turn the a/c on high or Max and attach the hose to the low pressure (It wont fit on the high pressure) and check the gauge...if its low take the hose off and attach a can of freon, and then attach the hose again...I always leave the vehicle off while attaching the hose. If its really low it may take 3 cans. The whole process takes about 5 mins. and if your still not sure goto youtube...I'm sure their is a how to video on their.

If you take it to a shop basically the first time they will charge the a/c and put dye in with it...and charge you about $60-$100...then when it leaks out you have to bring it back to them and they will search for a leak...so why pay them to do such an easy job when you could probably do it for less than $30 including the hose, just make sure you get the freon with the dye in it most a/c charge kits include it.