Jubane

My A/C is not cooling as well as it used too, I belive it needs a refill already. I have never done this before but from what I have read in the forums here it seems like a simple job to do. Questions are how much do I need to put in, when I measure the pressure what should I see and what should it be?? Where is the low pressure valve located where I need to measure the pressure and put the freon in??

Thanks

salimshah

You may need special equipment and generally the break even point is the 2nd or third use that the investment in the equipment pays off. You need set of gauges to measure the right pressure [how much to add].

It might be less costly to go to a mechanic who specializes in A/C (need not be the dealer).

I think RX does not use freon.

Wish you luck.

Salim

Jubane

It uses R134a refrigerant and they sell refill bottles with built in pressure guages at any auto parts store. I just wanted to verify where the low pressure valve is located and the amount that should be in there.

salimshah

The equipment you would need has 4 hoses, 2 gauges and set of valves. From what I have observed [never done it my self and also never watched it done to an RX], there is procedure to purge the hoses [novice with the equipment can introduce moisture laden air].

Other than giving caution, I am not of much help to you.

Salim.

vanguy

The low pressure valve is located at near the top of the radiator. It has a grey colored plastic screw cap with the letter "L" on it. The valve faces the engine. You just unscrew the cap and attach the hose to it. It is hard to know if the refill will work because you don't know what and how big is the leak. I tried to refill my wife's car with 3 cans and the AC worked for couple of days and it all leaked out. I took it to a Toyota dealer and they refilled it and for what ever reasons, the AC is now working good after weeks. Don't know if they put in some sort of sealant or what.

SilverSprt

Hi Guys,

I had a question about the A/C system in my vehicle I am hoping you all might be able to help with. I'm at about 85,000 miles and I've recently noticed that my car's A/C system is not as cold as it used to be. It still blows air out but I've recently noticed, it's not as cold as it used to be. Ever since I've owned my vehicle, I haven't taken it in for A/C service. I've done all the oil changes, but have neglected the A/C for the most part. I am wondering if recharging the A/C (ie. what i believe to be adding freon) should do the trick, however I literally have no clue how to do this. I've seen R-134a kits mentioned a few times on this forum with no real DIY detail. Is this something that I should leave up to the local auto shop/dealer or is this a DIY undertaking that's not too difficult. The last thing I want to do is take it to the dealership and realize it's something I could have done pretty easily (similar to cleaning your cabin A/C filter =P. Some dealerships charge $75 to clean it when it's a 5 minute task that's sitting in your glove compartment).

Is the procedure as simple as the posting above where you just hook up the hose on the recharge kit to the low pressure valve and fire away? Anyone try this before?

Thanks for your thoughts!

GoldenStateSilverSport

mschluns

try cleaning out the coils located in front of the radiator, mine was full of bugs and dirt,after a real good cleaning with my garden hose a/c worked real good again

salimshah

We have made a full circle from the first post to the one before.


To fix a problem the root cause has to be determined. Refrigerant leaking is only one possibility and just filling it up is only a temporary fix (provided that is the problem).


Salim

vanguy

The refill is very simple and all the instruction is in the refill kit. However, as the earlier post stated, a refill might not solve your A/C problem until you know what the problem is. If you have a small leak and some 134a leak out, a refill might do the trick, but if you have a large leak or something else is wrong with the AC systems like the compressor, a refill will not solve anything. I think it's worth to try to refill route because it's the cheapest and if does not work, you pretty well have to take it to the dealer or a mechanic.

toy4two

let me tell you I can fix just about anything on a car, I have yet to successfully do an A/C recharge with a variety of those kits. Failed on an MR2, a Previa, Ranger, you get the idea. I would seriously recommend taking it to the dealer for this one only because those kits gauges are not good enough and the slighest overcharge and you break your compressor. If you do take it on (its not like its hard, just never works for me) make sure you turn the can upside down! I thought the gas was all it needed my first time, only to learn you have to dump the liquid in.

From what I've heard its a closed system and if it needs to be refilled its leaking and those stop leak version kits not only don't work but can cause problems. I highly recommend a shop that has a real A/C recharge system.

Jubane

Well it has been a few weeks since I did the AC refill on the RX. The instructions that I used were on this page, http://www.id-usa.com/how_to_recharging.asp watch the video at the bottom of the page
It is a simple procedure. I did find my AC pressure was a little bit low but once refilled the AC is running a lot better.

This first picture is the location of the low pressure AC valve;

Jubane

This second picture is of the AC refill on the valve;
** watch your pressure you do not want to over fill and damage your AC system **

SilverSprt

Jubane,

I greatly appreciate the picture. I actually went out to my RX about 15 mins before I saw this post and saw what I thought to be the low pressure valve. Your pictures just confirmed this for me. I'm off to get some refrigerant. Will let you know of the outcome.

Francis

Thank you Jubane. I appreciate for the pictures. Now I know where to charge.

SilverSprt

Just wanted to let you guys know, I did the refill. Purchased the R-134 kit and refilled the system. A/C is cold as it used to be and is working perfectly. Special thanks to Jubane!