I noticed that air that coming out of my AC is not that cold. Decided to recharge it.
Checked that peep hole next to the high pressure port. Did see some gas vapor, but not a drop of liquid.
So I bought AC-Pro can and a hose with the gauge. Checked the pressure at the Lower pressure port first, it was under 40psi with outside temp around 82F.
Started charging it, constantly shaking and checking pressure. It sucked up all 14oz of 134a in about 15 min, but pressure did not go higher than 42psi. (Referencing their chart: normal pressure with outside temp of 80F should be around 45-50)
Now, while it was almost within normal range (on the lower end of the normal), I still wanted to bring it up a little more. Does it mean I need to add more refrigerant? I never re-charged it before, but still think 14oz would’ve solved it. What puzzles me is that pressure didn’t go up that much at all. I didn’t drive it since, but I think air gotten a little colder.
Not sure what to do. Don’t want to overcharge it.

Any advice?

Not really possible to recharge accurately based on pressure or site glass. My data says total charge on '02 T4R is 25 oz and you say you added 14 oz but not sure it was pure r134a. Either way, you added quite a bit compared to capacity if it was functional at all. Wouldn't add more based on pressure.

Buckaroo

Yeah, it was AC-Pro can that has some additives to seal possible leaks, lubricate the compressor etc. But main ingredient is r134a.
I hope.

And shouldn't have air gotten much cooler while I did that?

Did the same thing last week to mine, bought an A/C pro bottle 40 bucks, used it all up and the gauge didnt go up much either. The air temperature didnt seem to get colder either. let me know if you end up adding another bottle. I wouldnt personally though

Neither would I.

Did you check your sight glass? How did it look? What was your pressure before and after?

15 minutes to recharge 14oz? When you use the vehicle compressor to put those cans in your supposed to hold them in the proper position to allow liquid in only (either upside down or right side up) Then it should only take about 30 seconds max to put the refrigerant in. At this point you need to know your hi side pressure so you don't damage the system somehow and be able to further diagnose the problem. No matter what though, you definitely have a problem, which without the right tools, your not going to be able to diagnose it let alone fix it. Good luck!

You mean VAPOR ONLY? Not liquid. No way. And you supposed to hold it straight up, continually shaking between 12 and 3 o'clock to let ONLY VAPOR in. Liquid may damage the system.

i don't know what the recharge cans/kits cost($40 mentioned above?)

but, how much would it have cost taking it in and having done by someone who has the correct equipment? I know the local shop near me charges something like $80 for the hook up, and then however much for the Freon, based on how much the system takes.

that doesn't seem too expensive, considering you know it will work correctly when they are done....

The cans I think are $20-30 for the small ones. My local shop is $80 to evacuate and refill, check for leaks, and includes adding 1lb of Freon if necessary. Any Freon needed over that is $24.99/lb. To cheap to mess with.

Pretty good. I was just sort of curious to do it myself. We know what happened to the cat, hoping it's not the case with me.

I get it completely. There are just certain systems I won't mess with.

So it turns out it was overfilled. took it to my buddy's smog shop and he used his hose to measure and ended up taking out a good amount out by squeezing the gauge. I guess my issue was the hose that had came from the Walmart-bought AC pro didnt work well.

not saying this could be your situation too but damn, does my AC blow cold as ice now lol

Wow. What do you mean "by squeezing the gauge"? How do you take extra fluid or gas out of the system? Is there a bleeder?

He used the same hose that came with the AC pro but unattached to the bottle. he pressed the trigger and kept measuring with his gauge until the right amount came out, or in other words, he used it as a bleeder. it looked super easy, just gotta get a good gauge that actually measures i guess.

I think there is a lot FUD directed at those who DIY their A/C systems. It does require some specific equipment and a fair amount of time and effort to get up to speed on how to do this stuff. There are a couple of DIY forums around to help you out.

I own:

1) HF R134a leak detector ~$70
2) HF A/C gauge set ~$70
3) HF 2-stage vacuum pump ~$90
4) an electronic gram scale ~$30
5) a digital thermometer (borrowed from the kitchen as needed)

I also pay attention to the FSM chapter on A/C.

I get my r-134a on Amazon (pure, never with leak fixer additive) for $7 a 340g can, shipped. Most systems take between two and three cans from empty. The complex part is the oil (PAG-46 for our trucks) and figuring the amount needed requires a fair amount of study. Or yeah, get a $5000 machine, I know.

Amazon.com: Dupont Freon 134a for Mobile A/c Systems 12 Oz Can: Automotive

I take care of five cars with A/C, two of which have required major work. One of the others was a factory retrofit I did myself. All are blowing nice and cold as I type this.

The only thing I can't do is recover a charged system. That hasn't been a problem, as the systems that required major work were empty when I started (one hit a 'coon and busted the condenser and the other popped an O-ring and lost its charge. It cost me $15-$20 to evacuate and recharge an empty system. My equipment is more than paid for by this time compared to $100 at the shops with the $5000 machine they have to pay for.

Sure the $5000 machine is nice. But A/C systems have been around longer than those machines. Yes, you can get it wrong if you screw up. But I haven't yet and I'm going to keep doing my own work until I do. I will keep doing my homework.

A few links:

Automotive AC Information Forum - ACKITS.COM


Automotive Air Conditioning Bulletin Board ? Index page

Troubleshoot Automotive Air Conditioning Problems

http://www.autoacforum.com/speclisting.pdf

Automotive Air Conditioning Information Server: Home

For recharging systems I use this procedure:

Recharging Your Car's Air Conditioner

...but I know eventually I will have to find and fix the leak. Currently, one of the five cars has a leak I can't locate, but I'll get it. It only needs a charge in the spring, and then it's good until the following year.

I use this chart for checking pressure and outlet temp--it's way more specific than most out there. The ones on the Wal-Mart cans cans are obscenely simplified.

Attached Images

AC charging reference chart.pdf (100.2 KB, 117 views)