Air conditioning questions about self charging it yourself

[1954 Belair-man]

I'am not asking advice for my Camaro, its my 07 F-150 51,000 miles, has anybody charged their own air conditioner with one of those kits you can buy off the shelf. Do they work? Or should i just take it in to a shop and have them recharge it?? Pro's & Con's Thanks Ron

[upflying]

AFAIK, you need pressure gauges to watch the low and high side while refilling the R134a.
An '07 F150 should not need a recharge unless you have a leak.
Maybe you should find the leak before you recharge?

[1954 Belair-man]

Thanks, well its blowing cold once you start driving the truck, if your just sitting in it idling it blows warm air. Yeah 51,000 mi it should'nt need charged.

[babytiger]

Originally Posted by 1954 Belair-man

Thanks, well its blowing cold once you start driving the truck, if your just sitting in it idling it blows warm air. Yeah 51,000 mi it should'nt need charged.

Your a/c condensor fan or the sensor/switch controlling the fan is most likely out. This fan pushes/pulls air through the condensor to keep the a/c air cool. Had one go out on a Dodge p/u I had.
Exact same symptom you describe. Relatively inexpensive if you go aftermarket.

[1954 Belair-man]

I may just take it to a local AC shop and have a professional have a look at it. Someone that knows more than me about AC.

[tomlink]

I've done it myself with no problems using the fill kit, but you have bigger problems. If you "just" need a recharge then you have a leak, and that needs to be fixed. @babytiger mentioned a few possibilities, and you probably need a pro to look at it.

Personally, I'd try the refill kit first. It just might last another 50K, or do nothing, or last 1 week or less if it is a big leak.

[Badbubba]

Buy the kit. There's a couple of different kinds. Get the one that has a hose with a female thread on one end, for screwing onto and piercing the can. On the other end will be a fitting to connect to the suction side of your a/c unit. The hose fitting will only fit on the low pressure side (suction side) and will not fit on the high pressure side, so you can't hook it up wrong, different sizes. You will need to locate the a/c hard line, it is usually bare aluminum. Unscrew the cap on the fitting, just like you tire valve cap. The low pressure line, the one you want, will be a bigger diameter. Push the fitting from the hose down onto the hard line fitting. You may need to slid back the fitting from the hose. Just like a quick connect on an air compressor hose. Wear a thin pair of leather gloves when you do it. There will be a simple gauge on the hose. Cheap but works OK. Pull the trigger, I really hate that phrase, and add the 134A to your system. Buy the 134A cans that have sealent and oil. If you have a leak, you most likely lost some oil from the system. Also, look around your a/c system for dirty/greasy areas. When you have a leak, the oil will exit through that leak as well. If you find an area as mentioned, you probably found the leak. If it is not excessive, thinking you have a very minor leak, it is cheaper to recharge your system every year or so, than to pay for a repair. Usually I add a can or two, the gauge usually will need to be on the higher side of green on the gauge scale, indicating the system is charged. When the aluminum hard line/accumulator begins to "sweat", you are close. When charging, hold the can upright, with the fitting on top. If you charge with the can upside down, you add 134A as a liquid to system, instead of a gas. If you add too much in the upside position, you could damage the compressor, unlikely, but a possibility. Just follow the manufacturer's directions, you'll be fine. Fairly simple.

[1954 Belair-man]

Originally Posted by Badbubba

Buy the kit. There's a couple of different kinds. Get the one that has a hose with a female thread on one end, for screwing onto and piercing the can. On the other end will be a fitting to connect to the suction side of your a/c unit. The hose fitting will only fit on the low pressure side (suction side) and will not fit on the high pressure side, so you can't hook it up wrong, different sizes. You will need to locate the a/c hard line, it is usually bare aluminum. Unscrew the cap on the fitting, just like you tire valve cap. The low pressure line, the one you want, will be a bigger diameter. Push the fitting from the hose down onto the hard line fitting. You may need to slid back the fitting from the hose. Just like a quick connect on an air compressor hose. Wear a thin pair of leather gloves when you do it. There will be a simple gauge on the hose. Cheap but works OK. Pull the trigger, I really hate that phrase, and add the 134A to your system. Buy the 134A cans that have sealent and oil. If you have a leak, you most likely lost some oil from the system. Also, look around your a/c system for dirty/greasy areas. When you have a leak, the oil will exit through that leak as well. If you find an area as mentioned, you probably found the leak. If it is not excessive, thinking you have a very minor leak, it is cheaper to recharge your system every year or so, than to pay for a repair. Usually I add a can or two, the gauge usually will need to be on the higher side of green on the gauge scale, indicating the system is charged. When the aluminum hard line/accumulator begins to "sweat", you are close. When charging, hold the can upright, with the fitting on top. If you charge with the can upside down, you add 134A as a liquid to system, instead of a gas. If you add too much in the upside position, you could damage the compressor, unlikely, but a possibility. Just follow the manufacturer's directions, you'll be fine. Fairly simple.

Thank you Badbubba for taking the time to help me with this ac, alot of good info there. I'll take a look around the fittings like you said and look for extra signs of dirt and oil and then go from there.