Car Air Conditioning and Refrigerant Question?

Question

This is a multi-part question. Thanks in advance for help.

Every now and then the A/C on my 2001 Hyundai Elantra with 70k makes a whirring or high-pitched whining noise. I'm told that this may be because of low r134 refrigerant. And I may be imagining but I think it used to blow colder.

So, here are my questions:

1) How are A/C systems supposed to be maintained? Do you dump (legally, at a mechanic, of course) and refill the refrigerant every few years or do you just top it off when it's low?
2) Is this something I should do myself? Most mechanics offer A/C recharges but if it's as simple as picking up a can and doing it yourself, who would pay to have it done?
3) How is it done? I know I need r134. Looking at the AutoZone site I see they have a 12lb and 37lb container. Do I need one of those? Or can I use one of those 1 lb cans?
4) Can I check if I'm low before I make an investment in the stuff?

Thanks and PLEASE ANSWER ALL 4 PARTS OF MY QUESTION.

Answer 1

1) AC Systems are sealed, service (system being evacuated) is only necessary when a component is being replaced (Orifice tube, TXV thermal expansion valve, compressor, condensor, accumulator etc) If the system is low it is topped off.
2) Yes topping off a system is easy, however if you are a novice you might want to leave this to a professional. Yes Walmart sells a low side (vacuum) gauge and a charging hose, however the high side is also critical to knowing overall system performance. In essence a Manifold at the minimum is required to properly service any AC system, a charging station is optimum.
3) Yes you need R-134, the question is how much do you need AC systems typically hold between 2 and 3 pounds. If you only have one car to charge then cans are fine, the cans are generally 12 ounces and run $6 at wal-mart. I have never seen a 37 lb canister, just 30 lbs the can and outer box weighs about 6lbs There are also 50LB canisters and 20 LB canisters but they are rare.
4) You need at least a low pressure (vacuum) side gauge. The way your question reads does not instill me with confidence in your abilities... but... you should also examine all hoses, fittings and the manifold on the back of the compressor for signs of oil, this would indicate a leak. EPA states that under their service guidelines that a 1lb leak over a 12 month period is permissible, seems excessive to me but hey I don't write policy for them. If you have a minor leak recharging the system is what I would reccomend.

Answer 2

A/C systems are pretty much maintenance free...

You don't need to empty and recharge an A/C system with new freon to keep it fresh. Freon does not get old or go bad. If you have a leak, you should repair the cause and correctly recharge the system. Your belt and pulleys should be in working order, with no worn idler pulley bearings, loose belt and such. Also your radiator or condenser fan (n the front of your vehicle) needs to be working. It should come on when you turn the A/C on.

A whirring noise could be from lack of oil, or freon in the system, and the fix could be as simple as adding a can or 2 of freon, if your not too worried about a small leak. You can get freon, or an oil additive that helps in stopping leaks. This would help swell the seals a bit.

Adding freon is relatively simple, but knowing how much is a bit more involved. Every system should have a certain amount of oil, and freon. There are specs for these. I would say that 3lbs of freon would be close to what your car should hold, so the larger bottles of freon would not be needed.

If I were to fix this myself, without my gauges and equiptment, and with out going through the normal diagnosis. I would start with a conditioner to help seal, any seal leakage there may be. Then add a can of freon, as per the directions from the small kit you will need to add the freon. You will more than likely have some kind of gauge with a needle showing safe, and overcharged and such, but I have seen these to be way off at times. So if you were to add 1 can, and get a cooler temp inside the vehicle you would be more than likely be doing ok. I would drive your car then, a few miles, to get the system to the proper temps, with good air flow through the radiator, and evaporator, which will also give you a cooler A/C outlet temp, then see how it is before adding another can.

Now, your best bet would be to have a qualified tech with the proper tools perform all of this, since the A/C system can be potentially dangerous if you don't have the knowlege. The more worse things would be over charging the system. This is what the gauges are for. You can have the A/C system fully charged and still blow warm.

Loosing a little freon is still a common thing and adding a can or 2 fixes plenty of vehicles.

Hopefully you will find this info to be a bit helpfull, and better than the AC is alternating current answer, hehe....

Answer 3

Car Ac Refrigerant

Answer 4

Yes, you can go to autozone and buy the 12oz can of r134a. They sell kits that have a gauge, and you refill the AC until the gauge reads normal.

It is illegal to dump the freon. As for maintenance, there really isn't anything that you need to do with the system normally.

The bad think about refilling the system yourself, is that you have not fixed the problem. If you are low on freon, then it went somewhere, the mechanic will replace the leaking seal and then you won't have to mess with it again.

If you are low on freon, the AC compressor will start cycling on and off. The lower you get, the colder the air will be until the low pressure switch cuts the compressor off to keep it from freezing up. Then the air gets hot again.

If you want to buy a kit and refill it yourself, just as something to hold you over until you can get it fixed right, then that's OK. But it really needs to fixed right, or you never know when the AC will run low again and you'll be buying more freon and the process continues over and over. good luck.

Answer 5

Refrigerant For Cars

Answer 6

R-134 is not freon. It doesn't cause environmental damage, but you never need to dump it. It doesn't wear out. If it gets a little low, you can get a can of refrigerant with a built in gauge to bring it up to the right amount. If a 12oz can isn't enough to bring it up, it has a serious leak that needs to be repaired.

Answer 7

to lots tension in gadget, it is going to hold lots tension, What you will be able to desire to do is take it to an A?C guy have the gadget vacuum down and the fer on replaced it could artwork nice , in case you have condensation in it it is going to come out while it incredibly is taken down , you may desire to lots tension will reason it to not artwork and make you think of its empty, It in hassle-free terms takes approximately 2 cans of Freon to make it artwork verify the A/C sticky label for the perfect quantity stable success

Answer 8

1,a/c is alternating current