A/C recharge every couple years normal?
05-02-2004, 06:46 PM
#1
A/C recharge -> every couple years normal? I've got a guy at work who's telling me the A/C system in R134a cars is supposed to be a sealed system and it should NEVER leak.
Seems like my LT1 car needed it once, and my A/C recently went out on me in my car. Pep Boys told me I needed a new evaporator & condenser as the former is leaking. Not sure I trust them. Should I just recharge the system and see if it'll hold it, or could PB actually test to see if it could hold a charge (even though it was empty)?
It's getting hot as h3ll in FL, and this $800 A/C quote is killing me!
Seems like my LT1 car needed it once, and my A/C recently went out on me in my car. Pep Boys told me I needed a new evaporator & condenser as the former is leaking. Not sure I trust them. Should I just recharge the system and see if it'll hold it, or could PB actually test to see if it could hold a charge (even though it was empty)?
It's getting hot as h3ll in FL, and this $800 A/C quote is killing me!
05-02-2004, 07:00 PM
#2
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well the guy at your work is wrong, refigerant systems will leak specially more with HFC 134a as it is a smaller molecule then CFC-12 freon. Seals and schreader valves will leak about 1-2oz. of refigerant a year so 5-6 year old car will need a recharge.
You can damage your ac compressor and clutch with a low refigerant level as oil travels with refigerant and the oil can't be circulated and the compressor clutch will be cycling at a fast rate that will burn the clutch out.
This is why manufactures are considering AC recharge as maintance.
now to your circumstance.
you want to top up the system which is discouraged by the EPA, course the AC will work for moment.
now why pep boys said your eveporator is leaking i don't know, how did they test this?
what you should do is take your car to a HVAC professional at your dealership possibly? as their are many more sophisticated methods for leak diagnosis then recharging the system and hoping it works.
The other opprotunity you have is putting in stop leak, which i heavily discourage and will call you a cheap a$$. cause it will work but will plug you orfiace tube and accumulator then your gonna ruin some poor guys machine cause he tried to recycle the crap that came out of your car.
Stop leak is for a $1000 car you just want cold air for the summer.
$800 for an AC repair, seams you have put plenty more dollars then that into your engine.
You can damage your ac compressor and clutch with a low refigerant level as oil travels with refigerant and the oil can't be circulated and the compressor clutch will be cycling at a fast rate that will burn the clutch out.
This is why manufactures are considering AC recharge as maintance.
now to your circumstance.
you want to top up the system which is discouraged by the EPA, course the AC will work for moment.
now why pep boys said your eveporator is leaking i don't know, how did they test this?
what you should do is take your car to a HVAC professional at your dealership possibly? as their are many more sophisticated methods for leak diagnosis then recharging the system and hoping it works.
The other opprotunity you have is putting in stop leak, which i heavily discourage and will call you a cheap a$$. cause it will work but will plug you orfiace tube and accumulator then your gonna ruin some poor guys machine cause he tried to recycle the crap that came out of your car.
Stop leak is for a $1000 car you just want cold air for the summer.
$800 for an AC repair, seams you have put plenty more dollars then that into your engine.
05-02-2004, 07:13 PM
#4
I guess I'm debating the droids at Pep Boys getting the diagnosis right. I'll check the dealer to see what they charge for diagnosis. I couldn't see what the PB tech was doing as I wasn't allowed in the bay. It was their $24.95 A/C Inspection special *shrug*
I wouldn't put stop leak in the A/C system any sooner than I'd put fix-a-flat in a tire.
The last round of money I put in the engine was to make it driveable again (I had two spun rod bearings). Let's just say I don't want to needlessly spend $800 since I'm recovering from the engine rebuild cost a few weeks ago.
I wouldn't put stop leak in the A/C system any sooner than I'd put fix-a-flat in a tire.
The last round of money I put in the engine was to make it driveable again (I had two spun rod bearings). Let's just say I don't want to needlessly spend $800 since I'm recovering from the engine rebuild cost a few weeks ago.
05-02-2004, 11:25 PM
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if your schreader valves are leaking then you have a problem. ac systems dont leak if they are sealed, id would take the car to the dealer just because the dealer knows the ls1 ac system better than pep boys and if the dealer is right have pep boys do the work for a lot less
05-03-2004, 12:56 AM
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Originally Posted by Silver6sp
if your schreader valves are leaking then you have a problem. ac systems dont leak if they are sealed, id would take the car to the dealer just because the dealer knows the ls1 ac system better than pep boys and if the dealer is right have pep boys do the work for a lot less
05-03-2004, 03:18 AM
#7
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You took your car to PepBoys? I went there the other day looking for a Leakdown kit and they all looked at me like I had 299 heads, until I showed them the tag where it should be then they were all like "oh that, yeah we're all outta that" I'd let them touch my car ....
You took your car to PepBoys? I went there the other day looking for a Leakdown kit and they all looked at me like I had 299 heads, until I showed them the tag where it should be then they were all like "oh that, yeah we're all outta that" I'd let them touch my car ....
