A/C system servicing DIY
06-15-2015, 02:23 PM
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A/C system servicing DIY
I am in no way an expert on this system but this process worked for me on 2 vehicles so proceed at your own risk and don't expect the exact same results!!!
I was fed up with my A/C not blowing cold enough even after the re-program, so I played around last night with very good results. My system was blowing out around 70+ degrees Fahrenheit in max cold and is now setting at 52 degrees.
1. You're gonna need a multimeter with a thermocouple attachment, a can of R-134 with gauge of your choice and a punch or some type of tool like it.
2. Reprogram A/C system as decribed in other threads.
3. Start engine and set your Air to full cold with re-circ fan on, set your thermocouple in the center vents and put the meter on the dash so you can see it through the windshield.
4. Roll windows up and close the doors and watch the temp on the meter. If after about 5 minutes you get high 50s - low 60s Fahrenheit then this won't be worth your time to try. If you get mid 60s and above them proceed to the next step.
5. Attach the can of R-134 to the gauge and find the A/C system cap marked with a "L" ( passenger side above heater core connections ), unscrew the cap and attach the gauge to it. You should be reading somewhere around 45 - 55 psi.
6. Removed the gauge. Wrap a rag or couple paper towels around the punch and carefully push the punch inside the Low port to release some pressure. Reinstall gauge and read the pressure again. Repeat process until the psi reaches around 30 - 35 psi with the compressor running.
7. Remove the gauge and shake the crap out of the can. Follow instructions on can to service system small amounts at a time while monitoring the temperature through the windshield on the multimeter. Be careful not to over service the system or the temp will rise and damage to your system can occur. If this occurs just remove the gauge and release pressure again with the punch.
8. Take your time and monitor all readings frequently or you'll be taking your car to the shop for service. It was a struggle for me to get mine down to 52 degrees but 56 was very easy to reach with patience and a good bit of gas burning through the car. Haha When you reach your desired temp remove all tools and reinstall the Low port plastic cap.
After driving the car and running your A/C for a few days check the psi of the system again to be sure it's still serviced properly. Feel free to message me with any questions or concerns. Good luck!
I was fed up with my A/C not blowing cold enough even after the re-program, so I played around last night with very good results. My system was blowing out around 70+ degrees Fahrenheit in max cold and is now setting at 52 degrees.
1. You're gonna need a multimeter with a thermocouple attachment, a can of R-134 with gauge of your choice and a punch or some type of tool like it.
2. Reprogram A/C system as decribed in other threads.
3. Start engine and set your Air to full cold with re-circ fan on, set your thermocouple in the center vents and put the meter on the dash so you can see it through the windshield.
4. Roll windows up and close the doors and watch the temp on the meter. If after about 5 minutes you get high 50s - low 60s Fahrenheit then this won't be worth your time to try. If you get mid 60s and above them proceed to the next step.
5. Attach the can of R-134 to the gauge and find the A/C system cap marked with a "L" ( passenger side above heater core connections ), unscrew the cap and attach the gauge to it. You should be reading somewhere around 45 - 55 psi.
6. Removed the gauge. Wrap a rag or couple paper towels around the punch and carefully push the punch inside the Low port to release some pressure. Reinstall gauge and read the pressure again. Repeat process until the psi reaches around 30 - 35 psi with the compressor running.
7. Remove the gauge and shake the crap out of the can. Follow instructions on can to service system small amounts at a time while monitoring the temperature through the windshield on the multimeter. Be careful not to over service the system or the temp will rise and damage to your system can occur. If this occurs just remove the gauge and release pressure again with the punch.
8. Take your time and monitor all readings frequently or you'll be taking your car to the shop for service. It was a struggle for me to get mine down to 52 degrees but 56 was very easy to reach with patience and a good bit of gas burning through the car. Haha When you reach your desired temp remove all tools and reinstall the Low port plastic cap.
After driving the car and running your A/C for a few days check the psi of the system again to be sure it's still serviced properly. Feel free to message me with any questions or concerns. Good luck!
06-15-2015, 09:51 PM
#2
Driving my unreliable rx8
You're removing some 134A then putting more in?
You'd do much better getting a proper set of gauges and checking your pressures on both sides. Then referring to a pressure temp chart and making sure the system is working properly. When you remove the refrigerant you are also loosing Oil which you did not replace. That can be bad if you do it too much.
Normally when setting the ac you do it with recirc off, temp low, fan on high with the windows down. That way you're putting as much load on the system as possible.
You'd do much better getting a proper set of gauges and checking your pressures on both sides. Then referring to a pressure temp chart and making sure the system is working properly. When you remove the refrigerant you are also loosing Oil which you did not replace. That can be bad if you do it too much.
Normally when setting the ac you do it with recirc off, temp low, fan on high with the windows down. That way you're putting as much load on the system as possible.
06-15-2015, 11:29 PM
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A/C system servicing DIY
Very little oil escaped when intermittently releasing pressure instead of holding it down. I'm by no means an expert but I wanted to share something that worked for me. And I don't have a proper set of gauges so I made do with what I had. lol
06-15-2015, 11:47 PM
#4
Driving my unreliable rx8
I wasn't trying to criticize you, I was just giving a couple of suggestions and possibly a word of warning to people who don't know. If they did it a few times they might loose enough oil to cause a problem.
A cheap set of gauges is well worth the price. They can point toward other system problems. The outside temperature is very important in determine the correct system pressures. If you raise the pressure when it is cooler outside you could easily over pressure the system when it heats up even more. Or if you travel to someplace that is hotter.
Notice at 90F you should have about 270psi on the high pressure side and at 110F it goes up to 345 PSI. By increasing the pressure you increase the heat in the condenser and it is able to reject more heat. That will make it blow colder. If you bring it up too much then when the temps rise you can damage your compressor. That will cost a lot more then the set of gauges.
A cheap set of gauges is well worth the price. They can point toward other system problems. The outside temperature is very important in determine the correct system pressures. If you raise the pressure when it is cooler outside you could easily over pressure the system when it heats up even more. Or if you travel to someplace that is hotter.
Notice at 90F you should have about 270psi on the high pressure side and at 110F it goes up to 345 PSI. By increasing the pressure you increase the heat in the condenser and it is able to reject more heat. That will make it blow colder. If you bring it up too much then when the temps rise you can damage your compressor. That will cost a lot more then the set of gauges.
Last edited by logalinipoo; 06-15-2015 at 11:59 PM.
06-16-2015, 12:18 AM
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A/C system servicing DIY
That's a very nice chart to have, thank you for throwing it up. I had thought about renting a set of gauges from autozone this weekend just to get a comparison on the cheap gauge that comes with the servicing kit and also to measure the high side and verify what it's reading. Thanks again for the added info and I didn't mean to sound defensive in the last post I'm just an ******* by nature. haha
06-16-2015, 12:22 AM
#6
Driving my unreliable rx8
no offense. Most people call me an *******, but I prefer to think of myself as the whole ***.
If you also look up a standard pressure temp chart. It will tell you the temp of the air coming out of the vents based on the low side pressure. The lower it is the colder it will be, but you don't want to get near freezing. So 40PSI is about the lowest you want on the cold side.
If you also look up a standard pressure temp chart. It will tell you the temp of the air coming out of the vents based on the low side pressure. The lower it is the colder it will be, but you don't want to get near freezing. So 40PSI is about the lowest you want on the cold side.
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