How to recharge AC system with gauges properly and evacuate
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ค. 2020
- How to recharge AC system properly and evacuate. The vehicle in this video is a Honda civic. The air conditioning is very similar on most cars. The difference is you just have to adjust the amount of refrigerant you are using and find the low and high side ports. In this vehicle I used RedTek 12a refrigerant. It is compatible with R12 and R134a. Make sure you are using the right type of refrigerant.
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This is a replacement for 134a, it's a different product and does work, as I have used it.
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If you are doing this to a 2016 or newer civic you need 1234yf refrigerant, the connector is different.
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If you do not feel comfortable do not attempt, please take your vehicle to a professional mechanic. You assume all risks when attempting this procedure on your vehicle.
#garageking - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
The little bit of refrigerant you let out to purge your charge line with refrigerant is perfectly legal. It is referred to as a "de minimis" amount. This is the
Latin term used by the EPA to describe a very small amount of discharge.
Hey Thanks for the comment and I learned something new, I have never heard of the term "de minimis" so thanks for that. Appreciated :)
I have a Honda Civic and was looking for an AC video with a Honda civic in it. This is great, thanks!!
Glad it was helpful!
I need to up my game and be more knowledgeable about my car you were very clear and informative 😊
Thanks soo much for stopping by, I do appreciate it ;)
You are very good instructor, you always explain thing very clear to detail love it.. Many thanks
Thank you for the great comment, I do appreciate it and do my best !!!! Thanks again and hope your week is going well :)
No wonder you have a good following your instructions are so clear and precise. Although I'm not a car person I know loads of people who are so will share the link as always. Still watch till the end really interesting information. I reckon I could.answer a few online pub quiz questions now👍 anyway keep it up looking forward to your next TH-cam tutorial type clip. 💞 from.uk
As always you are awesome, really don't know how to thank you more, but really, thanks :) I believe good things come to good people so I really wish the best for your channel and will continue to support you along the way. Checked out your about tab and you upload on Thursdays', same day as me :) See you are in the UK, very nice there. I have been to London a few times, expensive, but I love the history :)
Here in the Toronto area of Canada we are going through a heat wave (that's why I did the air conditioning vid) You are getting near to the special one thousand mark so you are making great progress!!!
Interesting the way this worked for you. I have watched a number of other videos that talk about the system not taking refrigerant. I did purchase a manifold set (cheap) as It would never fully get to -30. I thought the system was leaking, but then drew a vacuum with the gauges closed to the vehicle, and it didn't change anything so I knew the gauge was just inaccurate. Just mentioning this for people who buy a Chinese set off of Amazon or something. Don't expect them to be perfectly accurate. Anyway, the compressor will not come on if the pressure is too low. The Haynes manual talks about jumping the switch to the accumulator. Alternatively I guess you can pull the relay out and jump the connections there, but the compressor has to be running to draw in refrigerant. Second thing is if you're using the cans, If you screw the valve either all the way in or all the way out you will get nothing. Somewhere in the middle is where you want to be. I could not figure out what the heck was going on. How could both fully open and fully closed both be closed? Well, That's the way it works.
My system, a 6 L Chevy V8 Holds 28.8 ounces. I had to laugh at the 4 oz you're using. I did manage to get 24 oz in, but the system pretty much stopped at that point. I just can't seem to get it to draw the last four plus ounces. The compressor was cycling on and off, but still drawing nothing. Not everything goes by the book! I've hooked it up on three separate occasions, and In each case it just would not take any more refrigerant. I did manage to get into the low 50s for output temp, so It's definitely working, but i'm guessing if I could get the last 4 oz in I'd probably get an extra 5° of cooling.
So far I haven't jumped the relay, but I did try jumping the switch to the accumulator, and apparently it wasn't making good contact or something else was going on. I still cannot get the compressor to engage fully and stay on, and I'm sure that's part of the problem. I assume if the compressor stays on too long that could be an issue too. I'm not sure what the max high pressure could or should be, but I gather it should not be over 300 and probably closer to the 200 range. Overall I felt better not manually engaging it.
Anyway, I'm just a novice so thrilled I got as far as I did, but just want to let people know it's not quite a straightforward as you would expect. Even getting the system to take the first few bottles took a very long time. I still don't know what the secret was on the second bottle, but at one point it just started taking in the refrigerant and it was very quick. I must have spent 20 plus minutes waiting for it to do that though, and the compressor was cycling during that time so I still don't get it. Only thing I can figure is I didn't have the refrigerant bottle fully open. Again it needs to be about midway between open and closed (or what you think is open and closed) --lol. I kept playing with things and it just magically started working. Not exactly scientific, but that's the way it worked for me.
I think there's also a method where you can test the static pressure based on temperature and perhaps you could talk about that? I think this will let you know if the system is under or overcharged. I think that may require some extra gauges though, but If there's a way to do it with the standard manifold gauges let me know. I'd still like to know if this system is fully charged or not. According to the specs it should take another four plus ounces.
Hey There and thanks for the comment. First congratulations on your work, and second, I appreciate the time you took to write this so I'm going to give you a detailed answer !!! OK, so first, the 4 or 5oz that I put in. If you look at 6:38min mark. 6oz of Red Tech 12a is equivalent to 1lb or 16oz of R134a. So I actually overfilled a bit as I put in about 4-5oz, and then I emptied the hoses which were a few oz and that would have put me at about 7oz of R12a which is equivalent to just over 1lb of r134a which is what the Honda Civic took. Your Chevy takes a lot more that this Civic LOL :) To answer your question about how to get more refrigerant in, well....... the ambient temperature has a HUGE bearing on how well you can get the stuff in. Sometimes at the shop we would heat the tank to get more out of it, but it sounds like you are close enough, and its better to be short then over !! If you go to the 9:00min mark I show the gauges and how much it takes to trigger the compressor and its only about an ounce. I show the scale afterwards to show how little came out of the tank, and then you can see the gauges running very low and the system will run on an ounce but your are not going to get cooling.
Your system should trigger with 2-4oz and start cooling with about 6oz. I find that once the system gets filled about 1/2 way it actually cools very well, at 3/4 its very cold and above that its diminishing values so you don't get much more for the last 1/4 fill. That's why when people bring in their AC system for service its pretty much empty. No one brings there car in when its 1/2 full, as its still cold (plus no one wants to see the mechanic haha) So I really don't think you are going to get any lower temp by squeezing in those last few ounce. Also once the compressor cycles its operating at max capacity as the compressor is cutting out not to drive the high side any higher.
As for pressures you are right, high side should be around 200, but can be 250 on a hot day and can push 300 on a really hot day, but should not be over 300. If you try to fill by pressure you can get an idea, but it's not accurate as there are too many variables. It's not just the ambient temp (which plays a big role) its also the heat generated under the hood, so the most accurate way to fill a system is to weight the charge in. Also when I was vacuuming I never get to 30, no one does as that's a perfect vacuum, but we get close and the better equipment you have the close you get. Also I leave the equipment on for a good 15-30min, and then HOLD to check for leaks - lost vacuum indicates a leak. I was using a SnapOn so its got a really good commercial pump and can draw down fast. You are also 100% correct about cheap gauges, they are what they are.
Thanks again for the comment and glad you tackled this job, well done !!!
Thank you very much for the reply. I learned a whole lot through this process. I just filled a mini-split yesterday for an RV, and that had its own set of challenges. Overall though, I saved a ton of money doing things myself, and just like knowing how to do this kind of stuff. All the best, and good luck with the channel. Great content!
Thanks so much for the follow up and positive comment, appreciate that !!
Wonderful video!! I hope you keep sharing for us!!! Left my big support!!! Have a nice day!
Thank you! You too! Appreciate you coming by!!!! Many thanks!!
Hey bro! Yet another great video! Love love your editing! Absolutely on point! Am learning a lot about cars 🚗☺️👍💯 thanks for sharing ❤️
Thanks soo much, learning more is always good so you will be a pro when you take your car in :) Thanks for coming by :)
GarageKing Absolutely bro🥰👍🏽 and you’re always welcome ❤️🙏
Nice explanation info video! Evac & Recharge money making from May-August here in Mississippi
Thanks so much for the comment, do appreciate it, and yup those hot months mean cha ching !!!! Thanks !!!
Hello my friend! Very helpful video. Thank you! Watched til the end👍
Thanks for visiting!! Always nice to hear from a friend, much appreciated :)
Thanks! Helped a lot!
Thanks soo much for stopping by my friend, I do appreciate it :)
Great video, loved the intro, it's cool how you showed the temperature changing as you put the refrigerant via the lines!
Thanks Nish of All Trades!!!! Much appreciated my friend :)
Still here watching sir untill the end
Me too, I did watch the whole fashion show, was quite entertaining and left a great comment and like for you :) Always here for you :)
Awesome vid, i have a special adapter on my yellow hose and holds the vacuum on it even when I disconnected so I don't have to purge it idk how is called but it works awesome
Thanks for the great comment !!! I have not heard of that adaptor but it sounds cool, and would definitely make things easier!!! I know the 134a adaptors allow the hose to hold vacuum or pressure when you disconnect the connector from the car, but on those you still have to vent the line before you put the refrigerant in because when you first connect it, you have regular air in the hose, from the can/tank to the adaptor on the car, so normally you vent that out. Thanks again for the great comment and happy Sat to you !!!
Congrats sir you got fences now, long time friend came to show support.
You are great!!!!! Thanks soo much, I really appreciate do appreciate it :) Thanks again :)
Well explained d.i.y recharge tips.
Thanks a lot Shielah!!!! I can always count on you :)
Very helpful
Thanks soo much my friend!!!! Soo appreciate you coming back :)
good content!
Glad you enjoyed it and thank you for stopping by!!!
Great video sir.
Thank you for the great comment and Happy Sunday to you :)
Wow that's so useful sir, AC is in demand with this hot hot hot season
You know it and thank you for the great comment :)
God bless you with a wonderful weekend my friend.
Wonderful sharing :)
Thank you! You too! Just seeing your comment now!!!! Thanks soo much for stopping by :)
@@GarageKing You are most welcome Sir.
You are a great source of inspiration Sir.
I will follow up tomorrow.
Sorry, it is 3 am in the morning in Singapore.
God bless you and your family too my friend 😊😊😊
@@ThewayforwardSG No problem at all my friend :) I find sometimes comments are slow to come through, sometimes they take 12hrs. Thank you again for everything :)
@@GarageKing Thank you very much for your kind words of encouragement my friend.
Sorry Sir that my computer stopped working hence my replies will be even slower.
God bless you and your family too Sir
Good video
Thank you good Sir !!!
Best video i found! Many 12a manufactures, RedTek or Ultra Cool, state on their cans DO NOT ADD ON VACUUMED SYSTEM. Would you have an explanation why they would put that? Another manufacturer, Duracool say can be added to fully vacuumed.
This video is a keeper!
Hey There and thanks for the comment. I really have no idea why they would say that. Its quite strange and maybe there is a reason for it, but I can let you know I have done a lot or repairs, vacuumed the system, and then used 12a and they are all fine. It really does not make any sense because that would mean you can't use a 12a after a repair, because you always vacuum after a repair to get moisture out. I never noticed that warning from them, but I probably wasn't looking close enough LOL :)
Great video! I love ur content! Keep grinding.
Thanks soo much!!!!! Appreciate it!!!
GarageKing do u wanna do a playlist swap?
@@Sophia-ht2dd I can't, sorry I am monetized and that is against TH-cam Policy, they could take my monetization away and cancel my account.
GarageKing oh I didn’t know it was against the rules of yt I’m glad u told me that. What is the best way to get monetized besides that?
GarageKing I just went through the rules it said nothing about watching each other’s videos. What part is it in?
For some reason I read the title as how to recharge the ac system properly with gages and run away 😂😂😂😂
That is fully LOL, you could run away, but you better run back quick to watch those gauges !!
Your editing game is on point! What do you use again? Here till the end! Great video☺️
Thanks for popping by :) I use Final Cut Pro and I have used Apple Motion, but I find Apple Motion takes a long long long...... time.... to do. Very professional, but too time consuming for me. It makes great custom intros, but a lot of work. Did I say A LOT of work!!!!! So now I just stick to Final Cut Pro. Also if you notice in this vid I think I look horrible hahahaha, I just went out and shot it without shaving or anything, I needed a vid fast so I thought air conditioning, its hot, lets do this ;) Thanks for watching till the end :)
@@GarageKing hahaha we all worry about our isolation look buddy you looked fine don't watch that 😂
@@JustmefeefeUniquefee Thanks soo much, As you can see I didn't shave or anything LOL :) Its the COVID look!!!!!
237 Like great video this is Class room teaching here can not get any better than this, great video to watch again and learn fully watch adds and all no skipping. I be back my friend thanks for always share and bring value content to You Tube and not junk, value content peoples will watch because they can learn from it. 👍👍
Thank you so much, you can see in this video I should have shaved before I filmed haha !!!! I plan to do more air conditioning videos this summer. Also I'm going to do rear drum brakes for you this summer as many people have asked for it, and I don't have drum brakes on the channel, so I will do a good drum brake video. Thank you again :)
Great video, thanks. If you replace a component, condenser for example and measure the quantity of oil removed from that component.
Do you then replace that oil directly into the component? Or is the oil just fed into the low pressure (blue) line?
It’s best to put it back in the component UNLESS it’s the compressor. Also if the condenser has an oil stain on it (most condensers do if there replaced) you can add a little more as some oil would have been lost.
Can you purge/empty the line from the high side after charging the AC system like you did with the middle hose from the keg? There is also some refrigerant left as I assume?
Hey there, no not with the high side, there is way too much pressure and if you open the valve with the car running you will just let high side liquid go into the low side. Best to keep it closed. After the car is done and you disconnect the high side there will usually be a little "pop" as there is soo much pressure on that side. Then when you put the gauges away some refrigerant stays in the high side line as its trapped between the gauge valve that was turned off and the one way valve that clipped to the car. The only way to release that is to open the high pressure valve and the refrigerant will come out of the fill line if it's disconnected, but no reason to do that. Eventually it leaks down.
I'm using r290-r600 mix hydrocarbon gas 👍
Good stuff, I haven’t heard of r290-r600 mix so thanks for sharing with me !!
Very good job 👍
Thank you! Cheers!
Great step-by-step video
My Altima’s a/c only gets cool (not cold) on high RPM. Comp engaged. Cond fans on. Pressures good.
Your thoughts?
Thanks 🙏
Hey there, and thanks for the comment :) Most likely you are low on refrigerant. The pressure will still show as good until you are really low. So if you are full or 1/2, the pressure will remain the same on the gauges. The pressure in the gauges is not an indication of how much there is in there, the only way to know is to reclaim and weight. Typically a compressor will turn on with an oz or two. It does not take much for the compressor to kick in. Hope this helps !!!
@@GarageKing it’s been very useful and helpful indeed. Thanks for giving me such time and attention and that tip as well 🙂
Anytime !!!
I'm going to be filling my AC system (nissan altima 2.5L 2005) before I do, I'm replacing the low side hose and the clutch bearing and clutch hub. My question is when you vacuum the line in the beginning of this video how do you not drain the PAG oil? My compressor takes about 150ml of PAG 46 oil. I was going to replace that while I'm servicing the compressor but will that not suck out when doing the vacuum?
Hey there and thanks for the question, most excellent one today. When you vacuum a car's AC system you are sucking from the top (where the fittings are) and the oil collects at the bottom, so the oil stays in the system and is never pulled out when vacuuming. I was taught whenever changing a part to remove the part and hold it over a measure cup, so you measure what comes out, and replace with the same amount. In your case with a low side hose you probably wont get anything. The oil is spread out through the internals in the AC system so there is no way to get it all out. Most of the time I find oil when I replace a compressor, or a condenser, and put back what comes out. If your compressor is leaking oil, then those are the times you can add a little oil as you are loosing it to the outside, and eventually your system would be dry. Good question !!
Took my car to AAA Auto Repair Center on Tully Rd in San Jose to repair the air conditioning. They told me that the compressor was bad (which I had already figured out since it had a frozen clutch..couldn't push it in by hand while engine was off). I know compressors cost about $300 but they were going to charge me over $1500 to replace it. Then, later, they called me and said they would have to also replace the receiver drier and that would cost another $400 or so. So, after I went back to pick up the car, I looked under the hood and saw a nice shiny new compressor but couldn't see the receiver drier until I got home. Turns out that the receiver drier is like welded to the side of the condenser and has a plug on the bottom that needs to be removed in order to insert a cloth-like cylindrical shaped tampon-looking "drier" that takes moisture out of the system. That's all they did...and they charged me over $1900. The drier "tampon" can be bought at auto stores for from $15 to $35. And the compressor can be bought for about $300. My car is a 2014 Hyundai Tucson. Once you take off the splash panel under the engine of the car and look up at the bottom of the "condenser", on the driver's side of the vehicle, you can see and access the "receiver drier" plug to remove an then to insert the "tampon". I couldn't drain the coolant into a collector before removing those parts so I had to have all this work done by "professionals". Funny, not, how the government will fine you big bucks if you let the coolant escape which helps contribute to global warming but they have no problem sabotaging gas pipelines like the Nordstream pipeline which belched tons of gas into the atmosphere for many days! It's no wonder we are having high, record, temperatures. Wars don't help either. Same thing happened after WWI and WWII..record high temperatures worldwide! Thanks a lot Putin...you son of a b...!!! Putin needs a "b" to the head!!!
Hey Thanks for the reply, and I appreciate the time you took to write this. Sorry you had to pay $1500 to get that thing fixed. The one thing about AC is not a lot of people understand it, and are afraid to touch it, so the shops get away with charging crazy prices because the consumer doesn't know what really happened. I'm glad you poked around under the hood and looked around to see what was involved, you are one of the consumers that is educating himself and we need more like you !!
Its not putin but murica that sabotaged gas pipeline.
Hi ! i will like to know if i can use the same PSI chart ( R134a to R12a) with the gauges to add freon on my car ? Thank's for your help !
No the pressures are different. I'm wondering if you mean R12a or R12. R12 is very old, but there is still some of it kicking around. It's really bad for the ozone. You should not use R12, old R12 systems were converted to 134a. R12a is a replacement that is environmentally friendly, but it has different density and pressure.
Ok question, so what if I didn’t do the last step where you put the excess refrigerant into the system? I basically just closed the lines, disconnected the feed hose and had refrigerant left over in the feed line with some being in the sight glass. How do I get rid of the excess refrigerant and moisture in the gauges and sight glass?
Hey there and thanks for the question. If you didn’t do the last step no big deal at all. The refrigerant will stay in the line for a bit and you can use it on the next job. If you don’t have a job in the next little while it will just bleed out on its own. After a little while it will be gone as the gauges don’t seal 100%. You don’t have to worry about any moisture as the refrigerant is under pressure when it’s liquid state so there is no way for moisture to get it. You are totally fine with what you did and just put the gauges aside. Merry Christmas to you :)
what about the refrigerant left in the high pressure line? Also, wasn't there also air in the high and low lines when they were originally hooked up?
Hey there and thanks for the comment. There was no air in the high and low sides when they were hooked up. The valves on the gauges were both closed and the high and low side connectors have one way valves. There is always refrigerant left in the high side line as you can't get that out (pressure is too high). You saw for the low side line you can close the feed tank off, then open the low line and the car will pull it down to about 40psi which is really not much pressure (think a car tire) then you close the valve and disconnect the fitting. The only way to get the refrigerant out of the high side line is too put in on the car and evacuate the system (like I did in the video) this way you draw a vacuum not only on the car, but also on every line. This is not practical after a fill, so that is why the lines have one way valves on the ends of them so when the gauge valves are closed, and hoses are popped off, like I said earlier, that refrigerant will remain trapped in the line. Hope you are having a good Saturday :)
You mentioned that you never touched the red knobe on the guage but I noticed when you vacuum the system you opened it , is it only used when vacuuming the system and not when charging the system???
Yes very good eye, i meant to say when charging I don't touch the red/high side. When I vacuum you want them both open as it helps to pull from both sides. Great comment and thanks
Nice video, thanks for posting. A question: when you evacuate the system, does the compressor oil stay in the system? Thanks.
Thanks for the comment :) and yup the compressor oil stays in. Now I should say the only time you can loose some oil is if you have a charged system and take the low or high side port valve out. This would discharge the system very quickly and could pull some oil out due to the escape velocity of the gas. Not recommended and dangerous. Normally the oil will always stay in there, and if you are changing a part, once the part is removed put it on its side to see how much oil comes out of it. The oil is everywhere in the system. Measure that amount and add the same amount of new oil to the new part, and you should be ok. If you have any other questions just let me know, thanks !!!!
Awesome video, nice explaining the order of connecting / disconnecting the connectors. I wonder how much refrigerant you would lose by just removing the connectors after done charging? I want to measure my car's pressure but I'm afraid I might lose some refrigerant.
if your gauges have quick connectors (which you should for 134a) then the loss is next to nothing. When you connect the gauges make sure both valves are CLOSED. it will read the pressure. DON"T OPEN THE VALES on the gauges.
@@GarageKing Thanks, I meant the gas inside the hoses before the gauges, those will have some gas in them, right? I assume it is really trivial
@@aumpalosa I know but on quick connect gages there is a one way valve so the gas is trapped between the gage and the connector, so all you loose that tiny bit in the connector which is really nothing. On the older R12 systems it was a schrader valve so you screwed the line on, and you lost what was in the line from the gage to the connector. That does not happen with 134a. Hope that helps. Now on those quick connect gages that you use with the can you will loose the part that is in the hose, as they are not like the gages. Its a very small amount.
Partially purged.
The red/high line was full of gas and instead of purging it into the system at the end you purged it into the environment. But to do this, you need a coupler with a valve at the end of the red/high hose.
Hey Thanks for the comment, there is a coupler at the end of the lines. There are two red lines, the far line on the right is the high side, that is the liquid side, and there is the centre feed line from the tank. There are one way valves on the end of both the blue line and the red line at the end. Those are the lines that are connected to the car and they have one way valves so they are never purged to the atmosphere, ever. The line I purged in the middle at 5:39 was because I hooked up a new tank of refrigerant. That has to happen when you hook up a brand new tank because the line going to the tank has air in it, regular air. If you just hook it up to the tank and open it, you will push that air thats in the line into your car - not good as we just evacuated the car. So I cracked the line and let the air out, and as soon as I saw the refrigerant I closed the line. The line I purged was the feed line from the tank. Not the high or low side from the car. This will never happen again until you have to change the tank again. Thanks for you comment and good catch, I should have been more clear on that point !!!
@@GarageKing
You are right. I am sorry. I thoght you have opened the red valve on the manifold after connecting to the tank.
@@shihabshihabi Hey no worries, and good eye !!! I love comments like these as it means you are really watching the video :) Have a great week :)
Nice Video! If I want to hook up the AC manifold to your car to do some measurements for the pressure, should I purge the blue and read lines from air once I connect them or no need as the air will not get into the system? please clarify thx
Hi There, if you are just hooking them up for pressure measurements then no need to purge as the pressure from your car will fill the lines, so the lines will be full of refrigerant and air, but that's ok as its in the lines and not your car. Also make sure the valves are CLOSED tight when you do this and DON'T open them. The gauges will read when you connect them.
@@GarageKing Thank you so much but if the two gases air and refrigerant are mixed in the hoses, will the air get into the lines after a while? thx much
@@zofa300 Simply put yes, but .... If you are only using the gauges to measure then it does not matter at all. You can use them 100 times and its all good. If you add to your system then you should purge, and you really only need to purge two lines. The yellow fill line once you connect to a source, and the low (blue) line as you pretty much always fill on the low side. The high side line is used for taking measurements and evacuating (both low and high for evacuation). If you are planning to add and don't have a scale, and a tank, I would recommend using a can with a small single line on the low side. The reason is those lines can wind up holding quite a bit when you add it up, and the gauges are really designed to be used with a tank. I do it in this video th-cam.com/video/-7NqYbDLeMM/w-d-xo.html "how to charge Honda Civic AC with a can" If you have any other questions just let me know. I'll be off line for the rest of the night, but I'll check back tomorrow. Good Luck !!
The temp gauge in the vent is supposed to read 40 degrees when ac is fully charged correct?
Hey There, the temp gauge that is in the car will vary depending on what temp it is outside when you are doing the job. 40 is really cold, its just above freezing, and if you have a temp gauge in the vent I don't know if you can get it down to 40 on a hot day, and I would not use that as a guide to how full the system is. Now the pressure gauges hooked up to the car are a better indicator of how full the system is. When the system is barely cooling the low pressure side will read low, like 10psi (when compressor is running) you can add to get to 30psi or so, sometimes 35 or even 40psi, but it depends on the ambient temperature. Keep in mind this method IS NOT accurate. It just means you are going to wind up with somewhere between %50-%100. The only true way to get it correct is to evacuate/reclaim the system and then weigh in the new charge. FYI - once you are in the %50-%100 the dash temp is going to be cold.
After you change the compressor would it still be refrigerant in the lines? If so how do you know how much to add?
Hey there, after you open the AC system to replace any part there is 0 refrigerant left in the system. Refrigerant is under pressure at room temp (in your vehicle) so if you replaced any part there is nothing in it. Please keep in mind before you open your system you should get it evacuated. If there is any left in the system is will come out as it's under pressure. You can check with gauges if it's empty. Put the gauges on and see what they read.
What will cause my manifold gauge set to not Purge? After tightening down the adapter to the refrigerant can, I tried to purge the air out of the hose but nothing sprays out other than a slight hiss. I also don't see any refrigerant moving through the sight glass.
Hey There, I'm assuming you have your manifold gauge hooked up to a can? If the can is upright then gas will come out, so that's why you don't get the same purge. The tanks are designed to expel liquid when vertical and some tanks (R123a replacements) are even put upside down when filling the car. The only way you will see refrigerant in the sight glass is if you have liquid coming in. You most likely have gas coming from the can. If its a disposable can flip it upside down and then try.
nice video. If I want to connect the AC manifold just to measure the pressure at the low and high side, should i purge these lines? how to do so? I have not seen anyone do that but it make sense as these lines are filled with air? thx
Hey there and thanks for the comment. If you just want to check the pressure no need to purge at all. Just make sure that both valves on the gauges are closed. It does not matter if there is air in the lines going to gauges. Pressure will be released from your AC system, and pressurize the line and the gauge will read accordingly. Don't purge as you will remove valuable refrigerant. You are not filling so once you connect the gauges a bit will come out to pressurize the line. Just close both valves and connect the gauges and you are good.
@@GarageKing Thanks Much appreciate it!
@@johnibrahim7283 Anytime, and good luck with your project !!
What would cause the psi on the high pressure gauge to go really high (400-500)? The high pressure side was closed when I was adding the refrigerant and the psi got really high.
That can happen if there is a restriction in the system. The whole ac system (doesn't matter who makes it) is based on a high side/low side operation. The compressor pumps the system up raising the high side and the refrigerant flows back to the low side through a metered orifice tube/valve. When the refrigerant crosses back to the low side there is a cooling effect as the liquid expands to gas. There is a certain point where the compressor stops running (high side too high) and the refrigerant keeps trying to balance out to the low side, and once the pressure differential is too close the compressor starts pumping again and the cycle goes on. When you shut off your car both the high side and low side equalize and there is no ac as there is no pressure differential. That's why is so important to make sure the compressor cuts in. OK now that we know how the system works we can say if the high side gets too high there is a restriction (clog) in there somewhere. Also remember that on a hot summer day the high side will run quite high. I have seen 350 to 400 on a hot day. What you can do to test is is run the car with the gauges on and then spray the condenser (its in front of the radiator with a garden hose. The pressure should drop quite a bit, like over 100 degrees. Also make sure the cooling fans are running.
So how do your purge air if you were using 134a
Hey thanks for the comment, if you are using 134a then you should not crack the line to purge. The machine should reclaim, hold the vehicle under vacuum, and then charge. I doubt anyone watching this video has a commercial size tank of 134a which is what the machine needs to avoid a manual purge. I did the purge as I was using a replacement. This is what most people have access to. So I have to change the tank while the machine was holding vacuum. What this did was let air into the lines so when I hooked up the replacement tank I purged the line, and it was fine to do that to get the air out as I was using an environmentally friendly replacement.
0:35 You said if we don’t have a full unit, how do I recycle with only the refrigerant, gauges and vacuum?
Hey There and thanks for the comment, what I meant by that, and I should have been more clear is you need a vacuum pump and scale to do the job properly if you have lost you refrigerant. So you have nothing left in your system due to a leak, and then do the repair. Now you can just use the vacuum pump to draw as much vacuum to boil away the refrigerant and vent it to the air (as there is no refrigerant). Then use the gauges and scale to weigh it in. Sorry about that, I should have been more clear. If you still have refrigerant in the system, there is no way to recycle it, without having a recycler. Sometimes the leak is so fast that it leaks right out, say within a leak. Then its fixed it, so all they need is the vacuum pump, gauges and scale. Thanks for the comment and hope I cleared it up a bit for you.
Question...have both ends connected to the vehicle...loosen the low side and pressure is hovering around 40-45. Then open high side and high side is reading about 250ish. Problem is when I opened the high side, it made the low side needle peg out at max. Would this mean my ac manifold is faulty? Couldn't I just measure them individually?
No No No........ You must keep both valves CLOSED the gauges will read what pressures they see in the lines. When you connect the high and low leave the valves closed and they will read the same. Then start the engine and when the compressor comes on you will see the pressure different. They both stay closed the entire time. When you opened both valves what you did was let the high side go to the low side. I hope you just closed both valves once you realized that. The only valve you should ever really open is the LOW side for filling. If you are evacuating then you open both valves otherwise they stay closed. Hope this helps you out.
@GarageKing crap! Yes that helps. I had those valves open for a bit. Today noticed the ac cooling and not cooling off and on. I think I may have screwed it up.
@@HWoodCreations No you didn't , you just balanced the sides out. As long as there was something like a tank attached to the middle fill line (usually yellow) then you are ok, nothing would have escaped, you just moved it around. If you had nothing connected to the middle line then gas would have escaped through the yellow line but I don't think that happed as you said the low gauge line went up when you opened the high side. If the yellow fill line was open that should not have happened. I think you are ok. There is a high side and a low side, you just equalized them out, That happens ever time the car is shut off, so I think you are ok. Worst case scenario some escaped and you just have to charge a bit through the low side.
@@GarageKing I gotcha. Thank you! I appreciate the info and help.
@@HWoodCreations Anytime :)
Since you did work, there was no refrigerant in the system that needed reclaiming first? Does evacuating only pull moisture and air or does it suck out old refrigerant (hence requiring proper disposal? None of these TH-cams seem to address this.
Hey Thanks for the comment. When I worked on this there was nothing left in it, so nothing to reclaim. I still did a vacuum, and all that did was draw out any moisture that was in the system from when I had it open to install the condenser. Whenever a part is replaced, there is no refrigerant left, as the system has been opened. All refrigerants (that I know of) boil at room temperature, so the minute the system is taken apart it boils away. If nothing is getting replaced and your system is cool, but not cold, then you are low. FYI - most systems will still engage the compressor with only an oz or two, so if the compressor is not running then its pretty empty. There are compatible products that can be used to top up a leaking system that don't damage the ozone layer, I used one of those products in this video.
To check your system you could always buy one of those fill kits amzn.to/35WbEWv and DON"T pierce the can, just screw the can on so when you put the gauge on nothing will leak out. This way you can see if there is any pressure in the system.
Here's a tip. Use R-152A or canned computer duster.
I just did some research on R-152a and computer dusters, very interesting, and I would have never known that. Thanks for sharing that with me !!!!!
@@GarageKing Near straight drop in for R134A. You use 64% of your factory R134A charge. So say your car takes 1lb of R134a. You use 0.64 of a pound for R-152A.
@@jimdavidson5208 Ya, I was reading how they can be mixed. I did learn something from you, so thanks for that !!
great video; I WONDER IF THERE IS A "HOW TO BOOK" on this subject you would recommend?? "HOW TO RECHARGE YOUR CAR,S A/C FOR DUMMIES?? I refuse to pay $450-500.00 to have someone do it; much appreciated PATRICK P
Thanks for the great comment buddy!!! I don't think there is any book available that I know of, but it would be a great idea for sure!!! Probably the best book would be a college automotive learning book. You might have to attend a college bookstore that has an automotive program to get one? That's how I learned when I was in college to become a mechanic. I know many shops just overcharge people with AC because not many people know how to do it, or are afraid to tackle it as you do need some special equipment (gauges and a vacuum pump) The thing is those can be used on all the cars, as they are pretty much all universal so your set of gauges can be used on a Ford or a Ferrari, doesn't matter, and you can use over and over again if you wish. I hear what you are saying about 450-500, its highway robbery at some shops, and unfortunately some people just pay it, that's why they keep charging it. Thanks again for the comment :)
A like your video, but I hope you have or will reduce your channel sign in the future
Hey There and thanks for the comment. If you mean that introduction before the video starts then yes, that is done. This was one of my earlier videos where I was trying different things out. Hope you will have a great day today !!!
@@GarageKing thanks for the reply, what I meant was the blue GK on the video itself, I personally would like it smaller, it kept catching my eye.
I repeat, I found your video very helpful, thankyou
@@jo300hn ahh, ok thanks for the clarification. It’s good to know. Yes I think on this video it was a little big. I always put the symbol in just in case someone downloads the video so it will always have my mark on it. Thanks for the follow up and kind words :)
i think its important to state that when you pulled a vacuum you could only open up both lines because the pressure on the high side WAS LOW..if it was high it would have been dangerous to open up the high side and pull a vacuum on it....if there was pressure on the high side then you would have had to pull a vacuum only through the LOW SIDE. AND BASICALLY NEVER EVER OPEN THE HIGH PRESSURE SIDE.
PLUS IF you need 16 oz then it is 1 full can and then 4 oz from a second can...this can be calculated by weighing the can
Hey Thanks for the comment and you are right, never thought of that. but yes, I opened both sides to vacuum as the high side was low so there was no risk, but yup, could have been more clear there. Thanks for that, and also the tip regarding the can. Hope you had a good weekend !!!
I open the high side(red) by mistake when adding freon but I don’t see nothing wrong with my ac do i need to worry about something?
No, as long and you closed it right away. By opening the RED (high side) you just let liquid go to the gas side (LOW side). This happens automatically when your vehicle is shut off. The sides equalize. But when you are filling avoid doing that as the compressor is on the LOW side so if you open the high (RED) side and let in enough liquid, that liquid may make it to the compressor, and well you know, we can't compress liquids............
@@GarageKing i closet like second away but keep u update
@@jangonzalez5627 Sounds good, I think you should be OK :)
I have a yellow jacket manifold with knob on the side. So its clockwise to close and counter clockwise to open.For some reason when i open the low pressure side, refrigerant are not being added. Any ideas?
Have you checked the pressure that is actually in the system to ensure that you need refrigerant and it’s not just an electrical problem. Also if it’s hot outside then sometimes it does not want to flow in.
@@GarageKing i have checked when manifold was hooked up, low pressure was at 25psi and high was at close to 200 with outside being 80 degrees.it seems im low on refrigerant but it doesnt want to add
Hey there, sorry for the late reply, I just got back from vacation in BC, I was doing my best to answer during that time. When your vehicle is running does the compressor run constantly? When the AC is full the compressor will cycle (with 134a) so what happens is the compressor draws down the low side and pushes the high side higher, and then shuts off, the pressures start to equalize, but before they do the compressor cuts back in and the cycle repeats. The problem with AC is if you are 1/2 full and full the pressures will remain about the same. If its warm most likely you are low. Its easiest to put the refrigerant in when the compressor is running, also MAKE SURE you are putting the refrigerant in through the LOW side. Your can has to have a pressure of more than 25 or it wont go it. Thats why there is no way to totally open a can, it will only go as low as whats in the system.
@@GarageKing Thanks for the reply, compressor is coming on for a minute or two and sometimes less before cycling off. Refrigerant is being added to the low side but the car just not taking refrigerant in. I have yellow jacket manifold with knob on the side. If clockwise is to close and counter clockwise is to open then could it be ac system pressure is too low for it to take in refrigerant? I saw a video on youtube unpluging the low pressure switch and using paper clip to connect it to keep compressor continuously running in order to add refrigerant. Im not sure if its my solution to my issue.
@@winkawak I was thinking if you have both gauges, with BOTH manifold gauges CLOSED, you can hook up both the high and low side in the morning. They should both read the same. Then start the car with the climate control OFF. Have someone go in the car and turn on the AC or defrost. Then watch the gauges and see how fast the high side goes up, and the low side goes down. If it happens too fast you may have a restriction somewhere (orifice) and in that case no matter how much you put in, the flow will never be enough to make the evaporator cold. I have never heard of jumping the compressor to force it on to put refrigerant in, and I have never done that. If it's not running long enough, then putting in more usually wont help, it's just not going to run anyway when you put more in. The compressor only requires about 1-2oz to run so not much (its just not cool with 1-2oz) so it requires more. The other thing you could think of is running a product like Duracool, or R12a. Its a substitute for 134A and works fine with existing seals. It actually runs colder, and runs at less pressure so it may solve your problem. Something like this. amzn.to/36bfJrM
Hi, I believe that low side is smaller than the high side. Can you confirm?
Hi There, Low side is always bigger, and the reason for this is that low side is for suction, so you need more volume. High side can be considered liquid side so its smaller.
The low side line is larger than the high side line. The low side service port is smaller than the high side service port.
That should be 39’ computer of the vent? No? Mine is and the temperature outside was about 90’
Thanks for the comment, I'm assuming you meant 39 degrees Fahrenheit. If your vents are at 39 you are doing very well as that is just above freezing !!!
You didnt explain how and why to open up the valves on the quick cinnect couplings.
Hi There, around the 5min mark I get into it, I know its a bit of a longer video and it can't really be explained in 3 min. Essentially I put both connectors on, and then hooked them up to a vacuum machine, open both vales and let the machine draw a vacuum. Then close the vales and attach your refrigerant, purge the fill line, start the car, and fill through the low side. That's the quickest way I can describe it.
To disconnect.... EVERYONE else says to disconnect the high side first, on homes and automotive because the running AC creates a vacuum that draws the refrigerant out of the hoses through the gauges and into the low side. Once they equalize, you remove the low side. Your method results in nothing pulling the refrigerant out of the hoses.
Hey there and thanks for the comment. You may be right on HVAC for homes that use r22 etc. but on automotive with 134a there are valves built into the connectors that connect to the fittings in the car, so once you are done filling you close the low side of the gauges. Remember the high side was NEVER opened, and HIGH and LOW DON'T pass through the gauge block to tank, only the low side passes to tank.
Once tank is closed now you have a problem, you have refrigerant in the line running from the tank to the gauges. The line from the gauges from the car is fine as there is a one way valve on the fitting, but what do you do with the refrigerant in the line to the tank? With tank CLOSED you open low side and suck what you can out of that line, then close low side. Now you can remove the tank line and you will lose a bit, but not much as the low side sucked most out. OK, now to disconnect from the car. We have BOTH high and low closed so nothing gets transferred from any side, it can't happen as gauges closed. So you take the low side off with the engine running? Why? Well because with the engine running the low side line has less refrigerant in it, once you stop the car its going to go up so take it off while its low. OK, now high side. Its up 150-250 PSI and if you take it off the line remains pressurized with 150-250, remember valve has to be closed. If you wait and let the system equalize you, low goes down as car draw some of the refrigerant back in as the sides equalize so you can wait and take high side off when it lowers. But low should come off first with engine running as that EMPTIES the line as much as you can.
In summary if you just shut the car off and wait both will equalize and you and have same amount in each line. If you take off low when car running there is not much left in that line as its sucked out, then shut off car and wait for high side to go back down and then take off, at least this way you got one line mostly emptied. In the grand scheme of things it really does not make a big difference with automotive 134a as there are one way valves in the line, and remember the high side valve is never opened (not normally) during filling.
If your AC system gets above 300 on the high side that system is shutting shutting down
Ya 300 is quite high and usually means that either the system is overcharged, there is a restriction somewhere, or its super hot outside !!!!
Nice.Im genuinely here to connect. Lets support each other and grow together. subbed done👍🏻💕thanks for the endless support.
Thanks for your support, I do appreciate it and visited you with love :)
you overcharged it
Thanks for the reply brother but I'm not sure how you come to that conclusion. I needed to put about 6oz in, so I started with 19lbs in the tank and ended with 18lbs12oz, so that's 4oz from the tank. Then I let what was in the hoses go into the car, remember not all from the hoses goes into the car as the hoses will equalize with the car (when the tank is shut off) so I had 4oz from the tank plus the hoses. I needed 6oz total, so a few oz from the hoses would put me right around 6oz. I do appreciate you comment, but wanted to clarify what I did.
15:57 where is the other video?
Hey Thanks for the comment, when the video was playing there was a mark in the top right corner and when you click on that there are more ac videos. I think this is the one you were after, its how to charge with a can th-cam.com/video/-7NqYbDLeMM/w-d-xo.html Thank you !
Great video. Thanks for the reply@@GarageKing
@@GarageKingIm actually looking for a video on how you refill a completely dry system. I have pulled a vacuum to -29 and it holds pressure. My question is, I purge the air out of the line with the first can. My question is at the start of the second can. Do I have to purge the air out of that one too? It seems to me when I disconnect the first can then air will rush into the charge (yellow hose)?
@@Dev_Everything anytime !!
@@Dev_Everything hey great question, so if you are doing the job with gauges no problem, you can close the gauges and then hook up the can, pierce the can and then crack the line to purge, then open the valve and you are good to go. Now if you are using a can with the single small hose you are going to get some air in the 1st time. The reason is the ac system is under vacuum so when you screw the can to the line and then connect the line to the car, the air that’s in the line with be sucked into the car. There is really no way around that. Now for the second can. Once the first can is done disconnect. Screw the second can on (don’t pierce) and hook up to car. You now have greater pressure in AC system that what’s in the line connected to the car so you can unscrew the can slightly to purge, then tighten the can and pierce the can and away you go. I hope that makes sense and good thinking. In a nutshell you can’t purge the 1st can as the car is under vacuum, but after that the car has some pressure so you can purge. That’s why for a top up it’s easy to purge as the car has pressure.
32 degrees centigrade. What
Ya, it was HOT !!!!
@@GarageKing I see. But its Celsius not centigrade
@@prtbone78 Ha Ha !!! I get you now, yup Celsius is the preferred way to say it, Centegrate is an old term that was used and means the same thing, its just not used anymore. To be honest I don't know why I said it. Good catch, and thanks :)
@@GarageKing lol. I don't think I've ever heard that before. But cool.... thanks.
@@prtbone78 Straight from wiki "The degree Celsius is the unit of temperature on the Celsius scale,[1] (originally known as the centigrade scale)", good catch on you though. It's an old term. When I was younger I remember hearing that term from teachers. To be honest I don't ever say centigrade, it just slipped out in the video haha! Thanks again, and have a good weekend bud.
How to evac with REFRIGERANT STILL IN. Pointless video. 🤦♂️
Hey there, sorry you didn't enjoy the video, there was no refrigerant in the system when I vacuumed it out, See the 2:15min mark, so I'm not too sure what you are saying. There was no refrigerant in the system when I vacuumed. If you still have refrigerant you must reclaim, but many times there is nothing left and that's why the AC does not work, there is no more refrigerant, and hence no pressure so the compressor will not cut in.