I have searched the forum for posts on recharging A/C on my 2004 LS430, but I'm surprised to find nothing directly on the subject.

Basically, the system needs refrigerant, and I would like to do it myself. Any tips, warnings, heads up, special instructions, refrigerant types etc... I'd appreciate and knowledgeable input.

 

Get a can of the refrigerant WITHOUT any additives or sealers in it, just basic refrigerant. Then get a filler hose with a gauge. Should be about $8 for the refrigerant and $15 for the hose. Hook up the hose to the port by the compressor, start the car and put the AC on full blast. Then slowly open the can and watch the gauge needle rise. Plenty of youtube videos about the procedure too.

 

Why not without additives? I was thinking of using ezchill system

 

The additives and sealers foul up the compressor and other parts and will ruin your system.

 

The only other thing besides refrigerant that should be in the system is compressor oil which lubricates the compressor and keeps the o-rings and seals of the system from drying out.

 

I have noticed that when I turn on the A/C by voice activation it ALWAYS blows cold. Only when I turn it on manually is the hot air sporadic... How's that?

 

Just make sure you get pure R-134, it's actually hard to find sometimes, most of the stuff out there has all the additives and sealers in it.

The sealers can ruin components in the AC system and some shops won't touch your car's ac system if they find that stuff in there because it can mess up their expensive machines. There's also an inexpensive gauge you can buy that attaches to the can of R-134.

Personally, I'd recommend calling around and taking it to an AC shop and having them do it, because to do it right, you need expensive equipment that just isn't practical for the DIY'er to own. A professional will put it in the exact amount by weight and you'll get the best cooling performance. They can also find any leaks, which could be something as simple as an O ring. The entire service with refrigerant would probably be under $100. Buying a can or two of R-134 and a fill gauge and DIY will probably be around $40.

Grabbing a can of R-134 and guessing the amount to put in is something I'd do with an inexpensive car but a late model LS is something I'd have done right. At the end of the day though, if you're just putting pure R-134 in it, you can't really damage it, so it doesn't hurt if you just want to try it.

 

I recently took my 2002 LS430 UL (dual-A/C) to the dealer because the A/C needed recharging. This is the first occurence of an A/C problem with this car. The A/C was getting low over the past 2 years, causing the hissing noise discussed in https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...ith-video.html.

While the A/C was low, it still functioned perfectly fine until this spring, when refrigerant levels were too low to cool the air.

The dealer said there was a leak in the system from the rear A/C high pressure line. I was not able to independently verify this. http://lexus.sewellparts.com/images/...000/874332.jpg <- 88726A on the diagram, part #88716-50521.

1.3 hours of labor ($148.20) to diagnose/leaktest A/C
7 hours of labor ($798) to remove/replace part 88716-50521
$348.60 for part 88716-50521 + a few dollars for o-rings, washers, clamps, etc
1 hour of labor ($114) to recharge A/C
2 units of R-134a ($36), (spec is 950 grams for the dual-A/C system)

Total cost: $1508+13% HST

I see that part 88716-50521 is $104.55 at parts.com, $111.82 at Sewell, so even after express shipping from Sewell US to Canada, so I certainly paid a lot more than I should have. 7 hours of labor seems a bit high as well.


Lexus technical documents state that if the system recharge is solely based on the point at which the air bubbles disappear in the sight glass, the amount of refrigerant would be insufficient. A proper recharge of the A/C system involves complete evacuation and refilling to the specified weight (650g for single A/C, 950g for dual).

 

For a situation like that, I would just top it off once a year and live with it. That's an awfully hefty repair bill.

My wife's car had something similar on her 2004 GX with dual AC, it was a bit low on refrigerant and was not cooling great. The dealer said they couldn't find any leaks but it was definitely a bit low and it could be something in the evaporator which was big bucks to dig into.

Since it was just a little low, he said he would recommend just filling it up to spec and seeing what happened. It's been over a year and it still cooling great, if it happens again, I'll probably just top it off myself.

Even though AC systems are sealed, it's not really unusual to have some refrigerant escape after nearly 10 years.

 

Mine has a slow leak in the evaporator, which would cost four figures and require complete removal of the entire dashboard to fix. Screw that. I just top it off with an $8 can of pure R-134a from the auto parts store once every 9 months. Been fine for several years.

 

Any information on how to do this right, can I empty what’s already in the system out and fill her up with new gas or just fill it up till the gauge says stop?

 

To do it right you'd have to evacuate the entire system and recharge with new refrigerant.

This isn't always practical with these older cars, especially if you're unsure that the system is good.

What you need to do is first determine that your refrigerant is low... Turn the AC on max cool, open your hood, and check the AC sight glass located in front of the ac condenser. Looks like this:



If you see bubbles, you're low. Add refrigerant until you don't see any more bubbles THEN STOP. DO NOT ADD MORE, DO NOT GO BY THE GAUGE!

 

Thank you brother I see the bubbles and looks like beer foam I’m going to fill her up soon

 

Dumb question - did the coolant and reservoir get topped off too? That REALLY seems to help my car's AC system. Even though I went down this rabbit hole as well years back.

 

After recharging the ac system she’s way colder than before