30 year Master HVACR service tech here, I would like to point out a few things to anyone watching this. First, if you notice the red, yellow, and blue hoses that are screwed onto the manifold gauge set, his hoses are on backwards, the bent metal end goes toward the unit you are working on, these ends have service core depressors which should be removed for Automotive use allowing for free flow and no restrictions, the metal quick connects have manual service core depressors. The straight ends should be placed at your manifold gauge set these ends will not have service core depressors. Also most importantly when you pierce your R134a can and charge your yellow charge hose you need to purge the air out of that hose up by the manifold set, by just cracking the fitting slightly to release the air and a slight amount of freon( R134a) and then tighten it back up. This ensures that you now have nothing but R134a in your charge hose and are not pumping in air with your charge. The most accurate way to get an exact factory charge is to weigh in your freon charge with a digital scale, not all cans have the same amount of freon in them. So if your system says 1.3Lbs of R134a you convert that to ounces which is 20.8 oz. and weight that mount in. I always add a small amount to compensate for what is left in the hose and would charge to 20.9 Oz. But all in all this guy did pretty good, just remember moisture is our enemy, and ambient air has a lot of moisture. PS: the smoke you see coming off of the vacuum pump is moisture boiling off and being taken out of the system and removing it from the descent charge in the receiver/dryer, this is normal. :)
I have a question- when swapping between cans(my truck takes 36 oz so 3 cans) do I add the can, once empty, close off the low side at the gauges, attach second can, pierce, and bleed line, then open back up low side at gauge to continue filling the system? You didn’t show swapping cans in the video. And I don’t wanna do this wrong.
@@precisionbay6899 No. A recovery machine can weigh how much was in it but you can't reuse it if there was a leak. Moisture and air will have contaminated the recovered material. There is a sticker under the hood that says how much the system should have. Best way is to vacuum the system to empty then add in the correct weight. You can top off using the cheap low pressure gauge but even a single time can lead to degrading the ac system. Cold today busted tomorrow unless filled precisely with no leaks.
THANKS for posting! I just performed this operation on my car (2004 Mercury Sable). I watched your video at least a dozen times, wrote down the steps so as to have them handy during the procedure. The equipment & freon set me back about $250 (I bought a 2-stage vacuum pump). My beloved wife passed away right at 5 years ago, I've let a LOT of "upkeep" of the infrastructure in my life just "slide". Decided it's time to get my ass in gear. Your procedure worked like a CHARM! Dropped my car vent output temps from 104 degrees to 41 degrees!! I am very grateful!!!
Excellent job done. Very simple, clear and understandable. Wish there be more people like him who could explain in very simple easy understandable and visually presentable language. Thanks a lot.
Great video. So easy to follow and very informative. Just one thing; You should purge the refrigerant line from the charge can to the manifold to remove the air. Otherwise, it is pushed into the system.
Thanks a lot. This was one of my first videos so it’s kinda rough. But the info is good. Just a goofy delivery. Thanks for watching!! Glad I could help!
Just a suggestion for a cheap bit of insurance. Get your high and low side valves swapped out if you've recovered your A/C already. Reason is that if you have leaky valves, it's possible to have good vacuum and your needles won't move because your shrader valves are bypassed with the quick connection but when the system is pressurized and the connection fittings are removed it can slowly leak out of your valves. Mine had a leaking high pressure valve. Replacement valves are cheap. You can spray soapy water inside the valve and watch for bubbles when there's pressure in the system.
Good presentation, enjoyed watching. Everything is spot on except that while charging the system, the recharge (yellow) hose was not purged of the trapped air. The manifold connector for the yellow hose had to be loosened a bit until you could see freon oozing out.
For anyone watching thats planning to do this, this is a good video but there’s a few steps to add. 1. Once you have the can attached to the yellow line and the can is punctured, bleed the yellow line at the manifold to purge the air out. That way you only get refrigerant and not air. 2. Keep the can upside down so the liquid refrigerant gets sucked in. 3. Not so much a step but a tip. If you are recharging your system and didn’t replace a major component like a compressor, condenser( where you pre-oiled before installing), etc., you can pour the oil into the yellow line, then attach the can so it sucks in the oil as well as the refrigerant.
How do you bleed the yellow line when you put oil in there or do you fill it up with oil and this takes the air out? I'm not sure how much oil is needed for my 1960 Oldsmobile.
@@fleadoggreen9062 once he punctures the can and the freon is free to come out, before opening up the low side to start allowing refrigerant into the system, loosen the other end of the yellow line where it connects to the gauges. At first, just air will whistle out but eventually you will see refrigerant come out. Be sure to were gloves for protection as you can get burns on your hands from the refrigerant. Tighten the line and you should be good to go.
Thank you so much for your video. I was able to replace my compressor, accumulator, a busted line, evacuate and recharge the system. No I have have cold air flowing again.
JOE, Now you forgot to purge the line before adding the refrigerant to the system to purge the line just listen the yellow hose by the manifold gauge just crack it open,i ok till a little bit of refrigerant comes out, once a must or some such is very little comes out your good tighten the yellow line and your good to go yes that will keep any moisture out of the system THANK YOU KEN VALENCIA
@Rawson Harmon hi from what i saw on line the pump will not suck out the oil only moisture . the oil is too heavy to suck out of the lines only moisture.
hi after looking at your video i am going to follow your steps I replaced the ac line the high side and now have to put a vacum to it. I did not add peg oil since i did that one year ago into the condenser hope my repair line is done right and no leaks . I was going to take it to the shop they want 400. to do the vacuum on it and recharge the line. i order the gauges AND Pump
I wish I can rank this higher. You explain the process very well and to the point. The free Autozone vacuum rental is priceless. Common DIYers dont have these specialized tools. The vacuumn pressure hold to detect leak detectio
Thanks Joe!!!..when I win power ball or my roadside service business doing well you WILL be invited on expense trip with me and all TH-cam mechanics and techs that have taught me something!! Excellent video and instructions
Really liked this video. Very simple & to the point on most parts. The only thing is that the way I have learned it, making sense, was to purge the yellow line with opening the yellow valve core there to let the air out WHILE ALSO turning the can UPSIDE DOWN while shaking it at the same time so the freon can be ready to come out 1st & the whole can empties completely. Then stop pressing valve once you start seeing freon sprinkling out the valve. Noticing that the can will start getting cold while you're shaking it & it's draining through. But for sure this video was great man. I've used it several times to go back & remember what to do next at certain points of the process. Thank you 👍
Good job, the only thing wrong with this , is you did NOT bleed the yellow line BEFORE you put R134a in the system. That means that after you vacuumed it. the yellow hose is full of air. It went right straight into the system BEFORE the R134a went in . It now has air in the system.
This is the best video i have seen explaining how to safely and properly use a vacuum pump and fill using gauges. This should be the only video allowed on TH-cam for this service.
Pretty good job explaining process... one suggestion though... purge the air from the yellow supply line before opening the blue (Low) side of the manifold. You can purge all three lines of air (topping off the system) if you read my comments and think it through. If just topping off the system the hi and low hoses can be purged of air using the yellow Freon supply line which should be cleared of air as well by cracking open the brass knurled nuts at the end of the blu and red hoses before opening the Schrader valve ports (if you are not pulling a vacuum after a parts replacement). Afterwards it is IMPERATIVE to close the Red side of the the manifold before opening the High Side Schrader valve so pressure cannot flow into the can of Freon and cause an explosion. If you don’t understand why then get help. Also, gloves and eye protection is a must. Freon can burn you badly and cause blindness.
is it necessary to attach red colored connector on hi pressure line to pull vacuum on car ac system? seems like we can bypass the risk of any mishap by avoiding going anywhere near high pressure line since we can use low pressure line for pulling vacuum and using the same port to refill gas. right? would appreciate if you can give your opinion on this
@@lordjaashin it helps the process of the vac and pulling down to the microns that you need. Then you can add into low side with high side port on the gauges closed. Start running the AC it will pull that Freon in and open and close the txv. Typically on a house AC I start with high side and let Freon in because either way it’s gotta start from a liquid to a vapor and the same process back and forth. But if you’re just adding send it throw the low side while the systems on so it doesn’t try to back feed to the can.
Thanks for video easy to under stand. 1 thing I did learn is before you introduce the freon to the system hit that Schrader valve to fill the yellow hose with freon cause there is some air in line and you want no air at all
You forgot to purge your yellow hose of air and may have introduced air along with moisture into your system. If you think about it, when you remove your yellow hose from the vacuum pump, it is under a vacuum and as you unscrew from the pump, you may have sucked moist air into the hose. That really should be purged out before flowing your refrigerant into the system.
One thing I loved about my old Dodge Neon was that it had the exact same ac system as the Caravan so it took 2.8lbs of freon, I always rounded it up to 3lbs even and it would get so cold little pieces of ice would fly out of the vents and after a few minutes I would to turn it down to medium and this is on a 112 degree day in Tucson, aside from being a quick little car it wasn't that great but man the AC is still the gold standard for me and I have literally driven every car made at the auto auction.
Hey, great presentation, your easy to watch, and listen to. I have watched alot of these videos, I have some experience with home HVAC. #1 I agree w/ a previous comment, purge yellow hose with refrigerant before you send to system by cracking hose at gauge before opening low side. #2 mechanics on this subject have said oil 9n compressor is "shipping oil", the right stuff, but almost a flush for any contaminants from factory, it's a 15 min job, so I hope it's worth it, I did it, you have to turn clutch by hand to get all oil out....if anything you know the compressor is fully lubed when you fire it up. Not criticism, just alternative opinions I've seen, and sharing. Like I said awesome presentation 5 star in info Thank you
Thanks! I'm not too familiar with A/Cs besides regular freon fill. I never used the vacuum and the manifold and was always a little apprehensive about it. Seeing this mad me realize how easy it was. My AC lost all its pressure and I had to do this to get a good vacuum. I was able to find the leak, it was on the high side valve Thanks!
Hi Joe, I'm doing this for the first time, I want to learn to service my cars on my own. Do I have to evacuate the system if I'm replacing a compressor? Or just replace the compressor and pull a vacuum later? Also, how do I know if I need to put oil in the system so the compressor is properly lubricated? Thank you for this video by the way!
I bought the manifold gauge from hf and all the refrigerant and adapter from az. You can get it from O'Reilly also. That must be a special vacuum pump because it looks and sounds just like a tire inflator 😆
Yes I like the way you think, i think that way as well, it so hard to give someone money and trust, that they even did any work or did it right, educate oneself, and leave your money in your pocket, and know it was done right, by doing it yourself. So I didn't see no one asking, but how much does it cost to take it to a AC shop to have the system evacuated?
The red or high side isn’t connected to the yellow hose at all. It’s only used for diagnostic purposes. It serves zero purposes for recharging. Only thing you could possibly get from hooking it up to recharge your system is maybe make the valve start leaking. So if your just recharging your system do not hook up the red hose.
What does it mean when you start pulling a vacuum and it start at +10psi. I replaced my condenser/pump/drier so I would expect to start out a 0. After 30 minutes its now sitting at 0. High and low sides are open as well as the yellow going to the new robinair vacuum pump. Are my snapon (old) guages reading wrong? Is there another condition that would cause this?
My jeep isn't blowing cold air anymore, after recharging it. So I've narrowed it down to either ac compressor or a leak somewhere. Im gonna try this too
@@JustJeep_It everytime I used to press the ac button id feel it kick on, now I dont feel or hear anything. I checked the fuse, looked ok and not burnt out
Man you rock! I needed to refill my car after doing a bunch of work on it. I was about to buy one of these pumps and had no clue that Autozone rents them out. Thanks for the video! I'm going to rent one early tomorrow.
ORielly does it too. No rental fee, just deposit when you take it and you get it back upon return. They also have gauges and a flush canister if you need.
Excellent video, although, it wasn't very clear about where you put the oil in the system. Other than that one question, it was very informative. thanks, Ken
Ken R.B. Sorry about that. The compressor was pre oiled so I didn’t add any additional oil. This was one of my first videos. Glad you found it helpful. Let me know if you need anything! Good luck with your repairs
i follow your sets and got my ac working . was nice and cold till later after letting it sit for 3 hrs. my ac condenser got a leak was not leaking hold vacuum .... i replaced the ac condenser 4 years ago and now it got a leak. i have two of my Nissan trucks d21 the other one got a leak in the same spot. I am thinking its poor cheap design. so now i have to look for another one for both of my trucks I had already order one for the first truck, but it can bent . but when i got my ac working again it was nice and cold. thank you for your steps. not hard at all ... now i will have to do this repair cause of he leak , I have one question can pressure make a pin hole on the condenser.
You should purge the yellow line of any residual air in it. Now you have introduced some moisture into your AC system. I like " certified you tube mechanic"
Like the explanation and the visual but aren’t you supposed to have everything on full blast like max cold air, max AC, max fan and recirculating on? Because you didn’t have the recirculating in nor the fan till after Freon was being added and how do you know when to add the second can? Thank you.
If you replace the condenser and all refrigerant escaped (through pressure- bad I know), do you still need oil? If so, how much? I know it varies from car to car and compressor to compressor, but if the system had a violent leak and the entire condenser was replaced (only the condenser), how do you gauge how much PAG oil to put back in? The full amount?
Hello friend. Great vid. I just wanna know, after the system is pressured, what is the process to disconnect everything. The low pressure was still opened and the can was connected. Please and thank you
My first car (back in the mid-1970's) was WAY ahead of it's time. These modern cars that shut the engine off at stoplights? Mine had it back then! However, I had to do the "restart" personally!
@@jasonrodgers9063 I can relate!! I remember cranking my engine for like 2 minutes just to get it to start - especially when it was freezing out! I used to stick an ice scraper in the carburetor choke plate to hold it open. That worked sometimes. The ultimate fix was to shoot a blast of starter fluid down the carb - then run around the giant boat and hit the ignition before it dissipates! Hahahaha! Honestly, the troubles I had with my cars led me to a career of turning wrenches!
Not a bad job ( but one thing you forgot to do) you didn't prebleed the yellow hose with refrigerant and the small amount of air in the yellow hose just got into the system - other than that good job
Part 1 Vacuum Pump selection and usage also called Evacuation Effective accurate vacuum is read in microns not from the low gauge Pump selection is 4--10cfm for automotive use 4--6cfm is the economy choices 1 or 2 stage pumps 2 stage are used exclusively by the trades = stronger and lower vacuum done quicker 500 Micron level is the level that most moisture wil be removed . Once at this level vehicle needs to be done a further 60 minutes for a system that had refrigerant . HOWEVER A CONTAMINATED SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE 24HRS . A good setup will pull500 microns under 5 ---20minutes An economy setup takes 1--5hours to pull 500 microns
You have to close the valve on the manifold. Unscrew the can and then add a new one. He missed that you need to purge the yellow line each time. Otherwise you’re pulling in air that is in the line. And on a humid day that will be a good bit of moisture.
So, after replacing the compressor with a remanufactured, vacuum checked the system, I didn’t read everything I should have here and I believe I did everything right… up to the point of NOT BLEEDING my lines before opening the valve on the 134a and now my gauges show 40 on low side gauge and 200 on high side gauge and the system is not blowing cold air! Could have used that information in the video… critical piece of information… so I guess it’s back to the total evacuation of the system and start the purchase and process all over again. Any suggestions on being able to avoid starting all over?
Awesome video. Very informative. I am starting this process as well (2002 Jeep Liberty Sport). When i was using my 3 CFM 1/4HP Air Vacuum Pump i noticed that there was a cap with a sticker on it that said to REMOVE EXHAUST CAP before operating. Is this very important? Asking because in every 3 CFM 1/4HP Air Vacuum Pump video so far, no one has removed the cap when operating the pump, :(
Parts 2 To achieve good vacuum under 500 microns needs a good set of gauges . How to achieve is by applying silicon grease [ di-lectric grease ] to all threads and o rings Flush gauges with liquid refrigerant NB most new gauges will not pull lower than 500 microns until they are greased
thank you for great video you explain step by step now i know how to work on car ac now . i watch the another people video i do not understand until i watch you video. love the video
30 year Master HVACR service tech here, I would like to point out a few things to anyone watching this. First, if you notice the red, yellow, and blue hoses that are screwed onto the manifold gauge set, his hoses are on backwards, the bent metal end goes toward the unit you are working on, these ends have service core depressors which should be removed for Automotive use allowing for free flow and no restrictions, the metal quick connects have manual service core depressors. The straight ends should be placed at your manifold gauge set these ends will not have service core depressors. Also most importantly when you pierce your R134a can and charge your yellow charge hose you need to purge the air out of that hose up by the manifold set, by just cracking the fitting slightly to release the air and a slight amount of freon( R134a) and then tighten it back up. This ensures that you now have nothing but R134a in your charge hose and are not pumping in air with your charge. The most accurate way to get an exact factory charge is to weigh in your freon charge with a digital scale, not all cans have the same amount of freon in them. So if your system says 1.3Lbs of R134a you convert that to ounces which is 20.8 oz. and weight that mount in. I always add a small amount to compensate for what is left in the hose and would charge to 20.9 Oz. But all in all this guy did pretty good, just remember moisture is our enemy, and ambient air has a lot of moisture. PS: the smoke you see coming off of the vacuum pump is moisture boiling off and being taken out of the system and removing it from the descent charge in the receiver/dryer, this is normal. :)
Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge. It’s all about sharing knowledge and helping each other! Thanks for watching too!!! Cheers!!!!
I have a question- when swapping between cans(my truck takes 36 oz so 3 cans) do I add the can, once empty, close off the low side at the gauges, attach second can, pierce, and bleed line, then open back up low side at gauge to continue filling the system? You didn’t show swapping cans in the video. And I don’t wanna do this wrong.
@@67bradenlee YES that would be the correct way to do it using small cans.
@@tracysellman1562 I just read your post, very nice. So is there a way to see how much existing freon is in a car that just needs to be "topped off"?
@@precisionbay6899 No. A recovery machine can weigh how much was in it but you can't reuse it if there was a leak. Moisture and air will have contaminated the recovered material. There is a sticker under the hood that says how much the system should have. Best way is to vacuum the system to empty then add in the correct weight. You can top off using the cheap low pressure gauge but even a single time can lead to degrading the ac system. Cold today busted tomorrow unless filled precisely with no leaks.
THANKS for posting! I just performed this operation on my car (2004 Mercury Sable). I watched your video at least a dozen times, wrote down the steps so as to have them handy during the procedure.
The equipment & freon set me back about $250 (I bought a 2-stage vacuum pump). My beloved wife passed away right at 5 years ago, I've let a LOT of "upkeep" of the infrastructure in my life just "slide". Decided it's time to get my ass in gear. Your procedure worked like a CHARM! Dropped my car vent output temps from 104 degrees to 41 degrees!!
I am very grateful!!!
Thanks a lot..I appreciate it!! Just trying to help folks and save you guys a little money!!
Excellent job done. Very simple, clear and understandable. Wish there be more people like him who could explain in very simple easy understandable and visually presentable language. Thanks a lot.
Great video. So easy to follow and very informative. Just one thing; You should purge the refrigerant line from the charge can to the manifold to remove the air. Otherwise, it is pushed into the system.
Very efficient video. Just the right amount of information. Not too chatty and didn't leave me wondering anything. You the man
Thanks a lot. This was one of my first videos so it’s kinda rough. But the info is good. Just a goofy delivery. Thanks for watching!! Glad I could help!
I agree 💯 getting ready to buy the pump and guages and do a recharge on my magnum.
Last time i worked on a car a/c system was a 70s r-12 system. thanks for the update.
Thx bro.. hadnt done this in 20 yrs.. recently swapped motors on my ecoboost.. you helped me safely get the ac charged..
Just a suggestion for a cheap bit of insurance. Get your high and low side valves swapped out if you've recovered your A/C already. Reason is that if you have leaky valves, it's possible to have good vacuum and your needles won't move because your shrader valves are bypassed with the quick connection but when the system is pressurized and the connection fittings are removed it can slowly leak out of your valves. Mine had a leaking high pressure valve. Replacement valves are cheap. You can spray soapy water inside the valve and watch for bubbles when there's pressure in the system.
Good presentation, enjoyed watching. Everything is spot on except that while charging the system, the recharge (yellow) hose was not purged of the trapped air. The manifold connector for the yellow hose had to be loosened a bit until you could see freon oozing out.
3 years late, but great video. Bought the equipment last year before the winter, and now I am ready to try it out, thanks to your video!
Thanks a lot..I appreciate it!! Just trying to help folks and save you guys a little money!!
For anyone watching thats planning to do this, this is a good video but there’s a few steps to add.
1. Once you have the can attached to the yellow line and the can is punctured, bleed the yellow line at the manifold to purge the air out. That way you only get refrigerant and not air.
2. Keep the can upside down so the liquid refrigerant gets sucked in.
3. Not so much a step but a tip. If you are recharging your system and didn’t replace a major component like a compressor, condenser( where you pre-oiled before installing), etc., you can pour the oil into the yellow line, then attach the can so it sucks in the oil as well as the refrigerant.
How do you bleed the yellow line when you put oil in there or do you fill it up with oil and this takes the air out? I'm not sure how much oil is needed for my 1960 Oldsmobile.
What kind of oil is used in the AC?
Pag46 is what I got from the guy at Autozone.
How do you bleed the line at the manifold
@@fleadoggreen9062 once he punctures the can and the freon is free to come out, before opening up the low side to start allowing refrigerant into the system, loosen the other end of the yellow line where it connects to the gauges. At first, just air will whistle out but eventually you will see refrigerant come out. Be sure to were gloves for protection as you can get burns on your hands from the refrigerant. Tighten the line and you should be good to go.
Great video. Easy to understand.. no rocket science, just make it work!
Thank you. Glad the video was useful to you.
Thank you so much for your video. I was able to replace my compressor, accumulator, a busted line, evacuate and recharge the system. No I have have cold air flowing again.
JOE, Now you forgot to purge the line before adding the refrigerant to the system to purge the line just listen the yellow hose by the manifold gauge just crack it open,i ok till a little bit of refrigerant comes out, once a must or some such is very little comes out your good tighten the yellow line and your good to go yes that will keep any moisture out of the system THANK YOU KEN VALENCIA
Thanks for the details. I’ll try that next time. I have to charge another ac system. I’ll try it.
I really like this video as you focus on operating the manifold gauges and hoses properly.
Good job on this video... thorough, clear & easy to follow w/ no complications. Nicely done, thank you
Thanks a lot..I appreciate it!! Just trying to help folks and save you guys a little money!!
@Rawson Harmon hi from what i saw on line the pump will not suck out the oil only moisture . the oil is too heavy to suck out of the lines only moisture.
hi after looking at your video i am going to follow your steps I replaced the ac line the high side and now have to put a vacum to it. I did not add peg oil since i did that one year ago into the condenser hope my repair line is done right and no leaks . I was going to take it to the shop they want 400. to do the vacuum on it and recharge the line. i order the gauges AND Pump
I wish I can rank this higher. You explain the process very well and to the point. The free Autozone vacuum rental is priceless. Common DIYers dont have these specialized tools. The vacuumn pressure hold to detect leak detectio
Thanks a lot..I appreciate it!! Just trying to help folks and save you guys a little money!!
Thanks Joe!!!..when I win power ball or my roadside service business doing well you WILL be invited on expense trip with me and all TH-cam mechanics and techs that have taught me something!! Excellent video and instructions
Appreciate the video. Our local shops are so backed up they can't get anyone in for a couple of weeks. Going to DIY.
Glad to help. Good luck!!!
Good of explaining step by step on how to pull a vacuum on the ac system
Thanks. I’m not an expert but after some good research, this is how I accomplished the task. Glad to help you!
I'm doing an ac condenser on my 2002 grand cherokee inline 6 so this was very very helpful
Thanks a lot..I appreciate it!! Just trying to help folks and save you guys a little money!!
Really liked this video. Very simple & to the point on most parts. The only thing is that the way I have learned it, making sense, was to purge the yellow line with opening the yellow valve core there to let the air out WHILE ALSO turning the can UPSIDE DOWN while shaking it at the same time so the freon can be ready to come out 1st & the whole can empties completely. Then stop pressing valve once you start seeing freon sprinkling out the valve. Noticing that the can will start getting cold while you're shaking it & it's draining through. But for sure this video was great man. I've used it several times to go back & remember what to do next at certain points of the process. Thank you 👍
1:39 i love harbour freight its nice quality and acurate.
Good job, the only thing wrong with this , is you did NOT bleed the yellow line BEFORE you put R134a in the system. That means that after you vacuumed it. the yellow hose is full of air. It went right straight into the system BEFORE the R134a went in . It now has air in the system.
Yeah..I get that a lot..But it fortunately didn't effect things too much..now long term..maybe. But for the time I had it, no issues..
Finally someone who explains things step by step !!!
Excellent video! Made my AC system servicing a lot easier
"Oh that's cold...oh ho ho ho hooooooyea." 😆 great video, thanks for the help!
This is the best video i have seen explaining how to safely and properly use a vacuum pump and fill using gauges. This should be the only video allowed on TH-cam for this service.
Thanks a lot..I appreciate it!! Just trying to help folks and save you guys a little money!!
Pretty good job explaining process... one suggestion though... purge the air from the yellow supply line before opening the blue (Low) side of the manifold. You can purge all three lines of air (topping off the system) if you read my comments and think it through.
If just topping off the system the hi and low hoses can be purged of air using the yellow Freon supply line which should be cleared of air as well by cracking open the brass knurled nuts at the end of the blu and red hoses before opening the Schrader valve ports (if you are not pulling a vacuum after a parts replacement).
Afterwards it is IMPERATIVE to close the Red side of the the manifold before opening the High Side Schrader valve so pressure cannot flow into the can of Freon and cause an explosion. If you don’t understand why then get help. Also, gloves and eye protection is a must. Freon can burn you badly and cause blindness.
is it necessary to attach red colored connector on hi pressure line to pull vacuum on car ac system? seems like we can bypass the risk of any mishap by avoiding going anywhere near high pressure line since we can use low pressure line for pulling vacuum and using the same port to refill gas. right? would appreciate if you can give your opinion on this
@@lordjaashin it helps the process of the vac and pulling down to the microns that you need. Then you can add into low side with high side port on the gauges closed. Start running the AC it will pull that Freon in and open and close the txv. Typically on a house AC I start with high side and let Freon in because either way it’s gotta start from a liquid to a vapor and the same process back and forth. But if you’re just adding send it throw the low side while the systems on so it doesn’t try to back feed to the can.
Thanks for taking the time to put this together. Very informative and straightforward - easy to duplicate. Excellent job!
Thanks for video easy to under stand. 1 thing I did learn is before you introduce the freon to the system hit that Schrader valve to fill the yellow hose with freon cause there is some air in line and you want no air at all
Good job. To the point, informative, clear, and easy to follow.
Awesome video. Appreciate your explanation of this process. I've got a 1992 camry LE 4-cylinder not sure what type refrigerant it'll take.
You forgot to purge your yellow hose of air and may have introduced air along with moisture into your system. If you think about it, when you remove your yellow hose from the vacuum pump, it is under a vacuum and as you unscrew from the pump, you may have sucked moist air into the hose. That really should be purged out before flowing your refrigerant into the system.
How are you supposed to purge it correctly without getting air back into the house when you hook it up again?
@@axtonclonts2897 Pop the vacuum schrader valve at the gauges to release air in the yellow line. Let up when you see refrigerant come through.
Okay I’ve got a problem. My low side is reading 120-130 and high side is stuck on 0. What all could cause that or what is most likely
@@axtonclonts2897 are you sure you got your high side valve open so thst it will read on the meter
@@axtonclonts2897 You have a restriction/blockage in the system. Most likely in the orifice tube condensor or accumulator
One thing I loved about my old Dodge Neon was that it had the exact same ac system as the Caravan so it took 2.8lbs of freon, I always rounded it up to 3lbs even and it would get so cold little pieces of ice would fly out of the vents and after a few minutes I would to turn it down to medium and this is on a 112 degree day in Tucson, aside from being a quick little car it wasn't that great but man the AC is still the gold standard for me and I have literally driven every car made at the auto auction.
Nothing beats ice cold AC on a hot day!!!!!
Hey, great presentation, your easy to watch, and listen to.
I have watched alot of these videos, I have some experience with home HVAC.
#1 I agree w/ a previous comment, purge yellow hose with refrigerant before you send to system by cracking hose at gauge before opening low side.
#2 mechanics on this subject have said oil 9n compressor is "shipping oil", the right stuff, but almost a flush for any contaminants from factory, it's a 15 min job, so I hope it's worth it, I did it, you have to turn clutch by hand to get all oil out....if anything you know the compressor is fully lubed when you fire it up.
Not criticism, just alternative opinions I've seen, and sharing.
Like I said awesome presentation 5 star in info
Thank you
Exactly. Always check oil level. The "pre-oiled" compressor I just received yesterday only had 1.5 ounces of oil in it.
@@sweeptheleg6852 Very good point....Thanks for the contribution...
Thanks a lot..I appreciate it!! Just trying to help folks and save you guys a little money!!
Good demonstration. Will be a good reference for those new to dual gauges.
Thanks a lot..I appreciate it!! Just trying to help folks and save you guys a little money!!
One of the easier to follow, step by step videos. Excellent.
Raymond Smith thanks!! It’s a lot of steps so I tried to keep easy and clear. Enjoy!!!
Thanks! I'm not too familiar with A/Cs besides regular freon fill. I never used the vacuum and the manifold and was always a little apprehensive about it. Seeing this mad me realize how easy it was. My AC lost all its pressure and I had to do this to get a good vacuum. I was able to find the leak, it was on the high side valve Thanks!
Great video. Explained what valves to open and close very well.
Thanks a lot..I appreciate it!! Just trying to help folks and save you guys a little money!!
Literally cutting the lawn as suggested while waiting on the vacuum.
Hi Joe, I'm doing this for the first time, I want to learn to service my cars on my own. Do I have to evacuate the system if I'm replacing a compressor? Or just replace the compressor and pull a vacuum later? Also, how do I know if I need to put oil in the system so the compressor is properly lubricated? Thank you for this video by the way!
Awesome thank you. I always wonder how to do this. Thanks to you I understand. Great learning video
Rob Watkins Thank you for your kind words! Glad it helped you get the job done. Save some money and diy!! Keep up the good work!
I bought the manifold gauge from hf and all the refrigerant and adapter from az. You can get it from O'Reilly also. That must be a special vacuum pump because it looks and sounds just like a tire inflator 😆
Very good thank you for the quick explanation and simplicity. I worked on a shop long ago and you did explain it all well and easy
Thanks a lot..I appreciate it!! Just trying to help folks and save you guys a little money!!
My 2017 Durango making some odd whining sound… might try vacuum & recharge before I start trying to replace things.
Coincidence or glitch in the matrix? 211k and Memorial Day weekend watching your video to fix my ac
haha..It's definitely the matrix..or SkyNet...
Yes I like the way you think, i think that way as well, it so hard to give someone money and trust, that they even did any work or did it right, educate oneself, and leave your money in your pocket, and know it was done right, by doing it yourself.
So I didn't see no one asking, but how much does it cost to take it to a AC shop to have the system evacuated?
I called around and 2nd place I called does it for free
@@SPAZWIK82 so how much was the first place wanting to charge?
The red or high side isn’t connected to the yellow hose at all. It’s only used for diagnostic purposes. It serves zero purposes for recharging. Only thing you could possibly get from hooking it up to recharge your system is maybe make the valve start leaking. So if your just recharging your system do not hook up the red hose.
best explanation on TH-cam 👌 thanks for the details. now I can do it myself.
Thank you for the nice words. I’m glad this video was able to help you and save you a few bucks.
Just bought some of the items. Pretty much the cost has doubled.
Excellent good job. Very simple, clear and understandable and good view close up.
Great video, just used this to plan recharging after replacing 2014 Silverado notorious condenser. Not quite sure how to add the PAG oil though.
Thanks a lot..I appreciate it!! Just trying to help folks and save you guys a little money!!
Very good explicacion, that really works
Fast &Easy 2 the point
What does it mean when you start pulling a vacuum and it start at +10psi. I replaced my condenser/pump/drier so I would expect to start out a 0. After 30 minutes its now sitting at 0. High and low sides are open as well as the yellow going to the new robinair vacuum pump. Are my snapon (old) guages reading wrong? Is there another condition that would cause this?
Best video I have seen yet thank you.
Thank you. It’s not my best work for sure but the AC on this a Jeep was ice cold. 🥶
Be aware to flush the trapped air (with moisture) in the 3 hoses (yellow, blue & red) before charging the system.
Yeah..I did miss that step...thanks for watching..Hope it was helpful to you.
My jeep isn't blowing cold air anymore, after recharging it. So I've narrowed it down to either ac compressor or a leak somewhere. Im gonna try this too
Chasing issues is a pain. Check the fuse too. Put a gauge set on the high/low side and see if you have any pressure. Is the AC clutch engaging?
@@JustJeep_It everytime I used to press the ac button id feel it kick on, now I dont feel or hear anything. I checked the fuse, looked ok and not burnt out
Man you rock! I needed to refill my car after doing a bunch of work on it. I was about to buy one of these pumps and had no clue that Autozone rents them out. Thanks for the video! I'm going to rent one early tomorrow.
Glad I could help. It's a lot of little steps but I'm glad this was helpful to you!!!!
They also have gauges and a flush canister if you have compressor that grenaded.
ORielly does it too. No rental fee, just deposit when you take it and you get it back upon return. They also have gauges and a flush canister if you need.
Thanks a Million ..I am confident I will be able to get mine done after watching your video
That’s awesome!!! I hope it all works out for you. Glad you found this info helpful!!!! Keep me posted.
Thank you for taking the time to teach us! Awesome attention to detail 👏👌🙌
Excellent video, although, it wasn't very clear about where you put the oil in the system. Other than that one question, it was very informative.
thanks, Ken
Ken R.B. Sorry about that. The compressor was pre oiled so I didn’t add any additional oil. This was one of my first videos. Glad you found it helpful. Let me know if you need anything! Good luck with your repairs
Best video by far showed everything there was to know👌🏾
Thank you. Glad you found it helpful.
Outstanding tutorial! Thank you!
i follow your sets and got my ac working . was nice and cold till later after letting it sit for 3 hrs. my ac condenser got a leak was not leaking hold vacuum .... i replaced the ac condenser 4 years ago and now it got a leak. i have two of my Nissan trucks d21 the other one got a leak in the same spot. I am thinking its poor cheap design. so now i have to look for another one for both of my trucks I had already order one for the first truck, but it can bent . but when i got my ac working again it was nice and cold. thank you for your steps. not hard at all ... now i will have to do this repair cause of he leak , I have one question can pressure make a pin hole on the condenser.
You should purge the yellow line of any residual air in it. Now you have introduced some moisture into your AC system. I like " certified you tube mechanic"
Like the explanation and the visual but aren’t you supposed to have everything on full blast like max cold air, max AC, max fan and recirculating on? Because you didn’t have the recirculating in nor the fan till after Freon was being added and how do you know when to add the second can?
Thank you.
If you replace the condenser and all refrigerant escaped (through pressure- bad I know), do you still need oil? If so, how much? I know it varies from car to car and compressor to compressor, but if the system had a violent leak and the entire condenser was replaced (only the condenser), how do you gauge how much PAG oil to put back in? The full amount?
Hello friend. Great vid. I just wanna know, after the system is pressured, what is the process to disconnect everything. The low pressure was still opened and the can was connected. Please and thank you
How do I know how much pag oil is removed when vacuuming?
Excellent video and good explanation 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Awesome!!!! Thank you!!!!!
My cars AC has a special self-depressurizing feature...when the compressor blows up, the system automatically depressurizes! No hassle - no fuss! 😂 😫
Mines has an engine auto stop feature. Cuts on, goes boom, engine dies.😂
Nice
My first car (back in the mid-1970's) was WAY ahead of it's time. These modern cars that shut the engine off at stoplights? Mine had it back then! However, I had to do the "restart" personally!
@@jasonrodgers9063 I can relate!! I remember cranking my engine for like 2 minutes just to get it to start - especially when it was freezing out! I used to stick an ice scraper in the carburetor choke plate to hold it open. That worked sometimes. The ultimate fix was to shoot a blast of starter fluid down the carb - then run around the giant boat and hit the ignition before it dissipates! Hahahaha! Honestly, the troubles I had with my cars led me to a career of turning wrenches!
🤣🤣🤣🤣 heck ya best way to evac just keep running it til it's about to lock up
Ironic I got curious about this and it’s now Memorial Day weekend 2021
Same here im charging my new ac com0ressr now
Same!!
Not a bad job ( but one thing you forgot to do) you didn't prebleed the yellow hose with refrigerant and the small amount of air in the yellow hose just got into the system - other than that good job
Love the “so it pulled a 30.......vacuum” 🤣 units are arbitrary. Great vid! Thanks!
Oh yeah...we talk in broad term in my garage...yeah...30 something or others...that's the ticket...hahahaha
Nice One !!! Thank you very much. :)
Regarding the vacuum pump
So it’s pullin a vacuum
But where is it holding the stuff it vacuums?
Idk maybe I have to learn more
Thanks for the video
Not sure..there isn't a holding tank on the vacuum..but probably just pulling a vacuum thru some sort of "exhaust" port on the pump itself.
@@JustJeep_It thanks man, I think u right
Awesome video . Nice voice easy to understand. Well done thank you .
Part 1
Vacuum Pump selection and usage also called Evacuation
Effective accurate vacuum is read in microns not from the low gauge
Pump selection is 4--10cfm for automotive use 4--6cfm is the economy choices
1 or 2 stage pumps 2 stage are used exclusively by the trades = stronger and lower vacuum done quicker
500 Micron level is the level that most moisture wil be removed . Once at this level vehicle needs to be done a further 60 minutes for a system that had refrigerant . HOWEVER A CONTAMINATED SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE 24HRS .
A good setup will pull500 microns under 5 ---20minutes
An economy setup takes 1--5hours to pull 500 microns
Helo. Thanks for explanation. One question: Is the vacuum same as one we use to pump tyres?
Well done!!
Pull yellow hose off vacuum pump before turning it off. The vacuum pump will not hold a vacuum when off. Or purge the yellow line.
The manifold holds the vaccume when you turn the valves off.
Did you purge out the air from your line before filling up? 🤔 no micron gauge?
Do you have a video replacing the AC compressor, orifice, and drier/accumulator? I thought you need to vacuum the refrigerant before replacing those?
Thanks for the video, my vechicle need a few cans, what do I need to do before unscrewing the old can and putting on a new can
You have to close the valve on the manifold. Unscrew the can and then add a new one. He missed that you need to purge the yellow line each time. Otherwise you’re pulling in air that is in the line. And on a humid day that will be a good bit of moisture.
@@jonathanmurray2186 thank you
Excellent video
So, after replacing the compressor with a remanufactured, vacuum checked the system, I didn’t read everything I should have here and I believe I did everything right… up to the point of NOT BLEEDING my lines before opening the valve on the 134a and now my gauges show 40 on low side gauge and 200 on high side gauge and the system is not blowing cold air!
Could have used that information in the video… critical piece of information… so I guess it’s back to the total evacuation of the system and start the purchase and process all over again. Any suggestions on being able to avoid starting all over?
TH-cam certified 😂😂😂!!! Good video! 👍
Haha. That’s me for sure!
😆😆
Awesome video. Very informative. I am starting this process as well (2002 Jeep Liberty Sport). When i was using my 3 CFM 1/4HP Air Vacuum Pump i noticed that there was a cap with a sticker on it that said to REMOVE EXHAUST CAP before operating. Is this very important? Asking because in every 3 CFM 1/4HP Air Vacuum Pump video so far, no one has removed the cap when operating the pump, :(
Yes this is what exhausts the moisture and whatever else out the system
Parts 2
To achieve good vacuum under 500 microns needs a good set of gauges .
How to achieve is by applying silicon grease [ di-lectric grease ] to all threads and o rings
Flush gauges with liquid refrigerant
NB most new gauges will not pull lower than 500 microns until they are greased
fast forward 2 years and ac recharging for new systems are running about $1000.00 🤦🏽♂️ going to give it a shot tomorrow.
What that valve called in front of the yellow hose called? Is it to bleed air from the line before it goes into the AC unit?
You should be able to draw a negative vacuum via a venturi setup on a typical high power shop compressor.
So the proper reading for vacuum and way to say it is 30 atmospheres at least that’s what I was told oh I may be wrong but sounded good to me lol
Very good video! Thank you!
Glad you liked it! Thank you!
thank you for great video you explain step by step now i know how to work on car ac now . i watch the another people video i do not understand until i watch you video. love the video
Thank you for the kind words. Glad I could help you
Tank you well explain. God bless