DIY Freon Recharge

[chrmbly]

Both fans up by the grille are running and heard one kick off when I shut the ac off.

Digital control seems to work, but only heats up in stop and go, so probably worth having a shop check the Freon.

Thanks all!

 

[Randy Whistler]

the gurgling sound of the A/C kicking on could mean low freon

If both fans are running correctly, i.e. running/starting/stopping, then as noted you could probably check that off. I had another vehicle that the fan motor itself failed, and that was causing problems with not only the A/C, but with the car cooling itself. Sounds like that's not your issue.

However, the "gurgling" may indicate a low charge, causing what gas is there to "boil" causing the sounds you're hearing. A charge to the system assuming no other problems would probably stop the gurgling when it got closer to full fill.

I don't know for sure, but it could be an over-pressure issue in the system. Not sure about that, every problem I've ever dealt with was low charge, not over charged.

 

[iamdub]

Still on the possibly inhibited airflow subject: Make sure the condenser isn't packed with bugs/road debris. The best fan in the world won't help if it's clogged. It should be cleaned anyway even if it's not the problem. Check and clean your engine coolant radiator while you're at it, too.

I don't see anything wrong with the DIY recharge cans as a diagnostics/temporary fix. I highly advise against the ones that have leak sealers in them, though. I wouldn't trust a bunch of foreign chemicals designed to clog holes circulating through what should be a sealed system. Chances are they won't work or at least won't be a permanent fix and then you'd have these extra chemicals (contaminants) in all the lines, the compressor, the cores, etc. that will need to be cleaned out once the system is opened up for repair.

Although the gauges on the DIY cans are sure to be inaccurate, they're probably close enough. You can get an accurate charge by performing some fancy calculations and accurate temperature measuring. But, I wouldn't worry with all that cuz it's just a temporary fix that will eventually require professional equipment and replacement parts. I recharged my S10 A/C countless times by injecting it until the compressor's cycle times seemed about normal and the Temp Probe's display I had propped up on the dash read low-40s.

 

[ezstriper]

the newer systems work off a specific amount, not pressures, to get it right needs to be recovered and the exact amount replaced