mhayes2344

iTrader: (3)

I have a 96 trans am and I bought a new a/c compressor for it. They come pre-filled with oil, but I spilled some so I need to get some oil to refill it. Is it the same oil they sell at autozone or advance that says R134a oil charge? Also does anyone know how much goes in it?

Thanks in advance

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Just get some 134 with oil in it and fill it up. Or, they do sell seperate cans with just an oil charge. But if you use 134 to recharge the system, the oil that is in those cans is sufficient to oil the system.

mhayes2344

iTrader: (3)

so should I drain all of the remaining oil out of the compressor and just buy a can of the oil charge? It seems like theres more oil in the compressor than one of the oil charges has...but maybe not?

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

I'm no real expert on A/C systems, but I had my compressor changed years ago and the system was wide open. They put it on and all they did was recharge it with 134. They didn't put any oil in the system seperately. I think the oil that is contained in the 134 is all your system needs to be lubricated.

Also, I broke a line on my A/C system a few montsh ago. The system was also 100% drained when the bad line broke. Again, all that was done by my friend at the dealership was a recharge with 134. No oil seperately.

Maybe that oil is just added because its new and for shipping.

I would install it and simply put 2 cans of 134 in it with oil inside. Two 4 oz cans.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Oh, also, I broke another line a couple weeks ago and a different line sprung a slow leak. It leaked down to where the A/C just blew out warm, zero cooling effect.

I went to PepBoys and got 2 cans of 134 with oil inside, put them both in and its ice cold now. I also put a 3 oz can of 100% leak sealer.

So start with 2 cans, it should be plenty. You'll have to put a whole can in just to get the compressor to turn on, maybe even more than 1 can.

MrElectric03

iTrader: (71)

You need to be sure weather it as Ester oil or PAG oil. If the two are mixed it will damage your new compressor and every other component in your system.

Dont listen to people who tell you that all you need to do is charge it. You need to put a vaccum on the system and anytime the system is opened you should replace the receiver drier, at least you need to vaccum the system to remove moisture. Moisture will shorten the life of all of teh components in the system.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Can't hurt to vacuum it down, but its certainly not necassary in most cases. A couple dealerships around here do not vacuum systems down, unless they have been open for months at a time. They also do not change anything but the compressor if the compressor fails. They didn't with mine 5 years ago and its perfectly fine and its been ice cold for 5 years.

MrElectric03

iTrader: (71)

It is necassary in all cases, just because dealerships dont do it doesnt mean it doesnt have to be done. Ive been a certified a/c tech for four years now, it has to be done. A standard receiver drier will hold 2-3 drops of water, in order for your a/c system to work properly it has to have no moisture in it, thats why they run receiver driers. Moisture in the system mixed with the refridgerant forms an acid which eats o rings and seals in the compressor.

If the dealership hooked the car up to a machine they may have vaccumed it, the machines we use in my shop have built in vaccum pumps. I would, however not be surprised that they dont vaccum a system.

Im in no way trying to be a dick about it or anything just stating some facts that I have learned.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Not in my case. Its been ice cold for 5 straight years. I know they didn't vacuum it down because I watched them do the whole job. I know them all there, I always watch them do work on my car. Which isn't too aften really. They swapped the compressor in about 45 minutes, pulled out the refridgerant box and filled it up in another 5 minutes. That was it.

I did however talk to another shop a couple weeks ago when I thought I needed to have a line replaced and they said they would vacuum it if I wanted them to, but if its only going to be open to change that line they wouldn't bother. This is in humid south Florida too.

Now they all did say that if the system was open for a matter of months, especially in the summer when its humid as hell every day down here, they would definitely vacuum it down.

Not one of the places I talked to said they recommend changing the dryer or anything else....they all said its not necassary.

Like I said, can't hurt to have them vacuum it down for him. But to replace other parts, I don't see why? That was something that used to be done decades ago, I don't know anyone who does it unless there's damaged parts for some reason.

MrElectric03

iTrader: (71)

Every shop does things different.Ive been trained to do it the right way and not the cheap way. My customers loose tens of thousands of dollars per day, sometimes per hour if a machine is down. Its up to you OP.