calticboy

Does anyone has DIY on Filling freon in A/C? And how many bottles of freon I should use to completely fill the tank?
Thank in advance

Lorider680

I don't know, but I was under the impression that the system had to be evacuated before filling. Do we use freon or is it the R12?
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salimshah

The proper way is to evacuate and then fill right amount of oil and gas. Auto AC shops have the setup to do that.

Before that, one needs to find out what is (or went) wrong with the system. If there are leaks or broken parts that needs to be fixed.

There are refill kits with gauges available. I found them a bit counter intuitive to use ... one has to tighten just enough to puncture the seal and then modulate the pin in and out to fill/stop.

If you dont know what you are doing, you may end up with damage that quickly runs in $$$$. I would suggest give $$ over the cost of material to a shop.

Salim

lexus114

Nah,Just to top up the system doesnt require a complete evacuation.

hypervish

x2, but I'm old fashioned and cheap. LoL

rickpark

R-134A is the correct refrigerant. This is what is sold OTC at auto parts stores. R-12 - technically, this is what is known as Freon - is used in systems in cars pre-dating the early 1990s. It is expensive and cannot be mixed with R-134A.

How much refrigerant depends on the state of the system. If completely empty due to a leak, the system must first be repaired so that there are no leaks. Once that is done, it must be evacuated using a vacuum pump and gauges, then allowed to sit evacuated to see if the system is indeed sealed.

Evacuation is a must to remove air and moisture which will cause internal corrosion.

If you do not know how to do this and/or are unwilling to acquire the proper tools like the vacuum pump and gauges, take it to a shop. Proper charge is very important as too much refrigerant will result in degraded coolant and possible damage from high pressure.

If the system is partially charged, if it is losing refrigerant at a very slow rate, you can add additional R134A through the low-pressure side valve but it is highly recommended to do this using gauges that monitor both the high and low sides. Otherwise, you are just guessing and can under or over charge.

In any case, do not use product that advertises a sealant. That is very likely to cause more problems in the future.

KayGee

If it needs to be "topped off" then it has a leak. I took my GS to the dealer to complain of warm AC and they first recharged the system but I took it back months later and they discovered that an "O" ring was leaking.

lexus114

They all will loose some freon over time anyway. Dont forget these systems live in a harsh environment under the hood.

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

Actually, that used to be my feeling, too but I've never had to top up an AC since 1992 when I started driving cars with R134. I keep my cars ~ 10 years/120,000 miles (My RX300 has almost 150,000) and have never had a leak in any of them.

salimshah

Same here.

Servo (external to ac closed loop), well that is another story

Salim

hypervish

I haven't had to fill the A/C on the RX, but have had to top it off on other cars none of which have a leak.

salimshah

maybe you meant they had fine leak.

Salim

lexus114

Then you have been very fortunate my friend. Blessed by the A/C God`s or something.

hypervish

You may be right, but if there were a leak that would mean than there was debris entering the system through the leak. But, I only had to fill the A/C every 3-4 years, and the A/C still worked even when I sent it off to the junkyard. (I was actually surprised about how well the compressor is made)

Lorider680

I agree that it shouldn't need a top off unless there is a leak. Same thing with modern day radiators, you never really have to refill them either. CHanging my cabin air filter made a huge difference. I don't think the guy before me ever changed it, it was very dirty.
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