cobraman Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 So this year the air in my F 150 was not working too good. Since it gets a little warm out here I thought I had better get it recharged. The closest place to me ( Firestone ) wanted 140.00 to do the job. I decided to see what the auto parts store had and bought an item called A/C Pro. I wanted to let you guys know that this stuff is great ! It took me all of 20 minutes and the air was so cold I had to put it on it's lowest setting. If your air is not working as good as it has in the past give this stuff a try. I paid 40 bucks for it at Auto Zone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett Barrow Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 I've recharged my own A/C several times, there's tons of DIY options now. My dad was a mechanic and had the professional manifold and all that, but the new DIY systems are super easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disabled modeler Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 I still do my own auto AC work and there are many great items out there but remember there is a reason for a professional or trained AC guy to use a manifold gauge set...safety. If your AC works but is not as cool as it was you might be fine just adding some refrigerant to it long as you do not let the pressure get too high....this can cause damage and or cause the can to burst on you or worse in your hand. Pressure it should be is relative to the outside temp....just be careful....it can be dangerous at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 This particular product does have a gauge and it does say to be mindful of pressures. All in all a nice product IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disabled modeler Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 This particular product does have a gauge and it does say to be mindful of pressures. All in all a nice product IMO. That is a good thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quick GMC Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 If you have to keep recharging your air conditioning, something is wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted June 10, 2014 Author Share Posted June 10, 2014 First time ever. Truck is a 2002 that I bought new. Don't have to keep recharging. Once in 12 years is pretty good I think. : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie8575 Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 I just used A/C Pro in my mother's Lumina, which had the system discharged after the engine was swapped. The worst part of it was getting at the port, but once ready to use, it was a breeze. I've tried a whole bunch of different a/c recharge products over the years. Yeah, this stuff's a little steep, but it's well worth the money. Works VERY well and that air conditioner works very, very well. If there were any leaks, they aren't there anymore. I'm going to give it whirl in my dad's Sable when we get it back, and see if that takes care of those leaks. Charlie Larkin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disabled modeler Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Sounds like a good product. AC systems will loose charge over years of use or lack of it too...12 years is pretty good with all the twist and vibrations going on under the hood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTalmage Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 This year is the first year the A/C in my truck hasnt worked. It's an '04 so thats pretty good. Part of me wants to try the DIY bottles at the parts stores, but the other half of me wants to make sure that my system is properly oiled, and I dont have any contaminants in it because of the obvious leak. I would prefer a full evac of the system, but, it's expensive... and I cant drop $100 at once on this thing. So long as the heat works... I have 3 windows lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disabled modeler Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 This year is the first year the A/C in my truck hasnt worked. It's an '04 so thats pretty good. Part of me wants to try the DIY bottles at the parts stores, but the other half of me wants to make sure that my system is properly oiled, and I dont have any contaminants in it because of the obvious leak. I would prefer a full evac of the system, but, it's expensive... and I cant drop $100 at once on this thing. So long as the heat works... I have 3 windows lol If it even tries to work Id think you might get by adding a can with oil and sealer then recharge with 134A cans...you might get lucky? Check your hoses fittings that there tight might help some also before charging anything in the system...sometimes its that simple of a cure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 My Plymouth Breeze loses it's charge over the winter. It needed a charge when we took it over from my daughter last spring, and it was blowing warm again this spring. It's not like the a/c isn't used during the system, it's used as part of the defroster system, no doubt partly to keep it in motion. So this spring I had my shop charge it up and add the dye. They did the black light thing two weeks later and couldn't find a leak. So we'll see if the pattern repeats. It does have 150,000 miles on it and we're not planning on keeping it forever so I'm not sweating it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclescott58 Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 The air in my 2000 Buick still seems to work OK. The car has never gotten as cold as I felt it should from day 1. In the past a buddy always thought it worked fine. He points out that I have a dark colored car. It takes longer to get cooled down, and my air has to work harder to keep my car cool. I'm not so sure. I've heard A/C Pro being advertised on the radio and have been think about giving it a try. I'm glad to hear it works well. Now... Do I really need to charge my air. Or is it just me being too picky? 14 years I've been wondering? For 14 years no one else has complained. Scott Aho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 and while my Breeze was in the shop getting the a/c charged the shop recommended that I get the air changed in my tires. So I got their special Mobil 1 synthetic air too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtx6970 Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Me personally, I would not add a partial charge unless I know for a fact it's low on freon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share Posted June 12, 2014 Yes, the gauge takes the guess work out of the pressure problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my80malibu Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 (edited) I have watched the Video on this product, Probably not too bad to use in a pinch, They did try to make it Safe. However they do not Address if the refrigerant could contain any Flammable substance mixed in,Like Propane. Or that there is still a Some amount of Moisture in the sytem that could hamper performance,and deteriorate Parts. Moisture in an AC system Corrodes from the inside. Even though that would be more of a concern in vehicles with more substantial leaks. Though they require safety glasses they do not warn you to shut the AC down before disconnecting the can from the fill port. Which could be Key when sometimes those port valves hang open Ocassionally. If you Decide to seek Professional Help for your AC woes in the future. Let your Mechanic know that you have used this type of product, The sealers used in these types of products used can damage, Professional AC equipment when the get serviced, a warning would be the Fair thing to do. Edited June 12, 2014 by my80malibu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM485 Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I would recharge the AC in my Toyota pickup, but the tree huggers have outlawed the refrigerant I need in order to do it. Guess I'll just deal with it again this summer because I don't want to pay for the conversion kit that doesn't even work very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie8575 Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I would recharge the AC in my Toyota pickup, but the tree huggers have outlawed the refrigerant I need in order to do it. Guess I'll just deal with it again this summer because I don't want to pay for the conversion kit that doesn't even work very well. I've used a couple of conversion kits on older cars, and never had a bit of trouble. At least in my case, it was two ports that attached to the existing ports and then you're ready to go. The parts shouldn't be that expensive- ran about $15-20 when we did it in the early 2000s on our older cars. If you have a leak due to part failure, that needs to be fixed anyway. Might as well fix it or have it done, and then recharge it with the new oil and refrigerant. Here's the pieces. http://www.amazon.com/Interdynamics-VA-LH11-Conditioning-Conversion-Adapter/dp/B002G1PC4U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1402550842&sr=8-2&keywords=r12+to+r134a+conversion+kit I'd recommend getting the refrigerant/oil locally. Check AutoZone for prices on A/C Pro, and if you have it, use the 20% coupon. Problem solved. Charlie Larkin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disabled modeler Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Charlie is right converting a older R12 system to 134A is not hard to do. Many shops will Try to tell you the compressor and all seals must be changed but that is not the whole truth...most cases you can empty the system and recharge with the 134 A after adding the new style hose adapters. Buying R12 requires a ASE certification license if you can find it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett Barrow Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 There are R12 substitutes available as well. Basically they're the newer type refrigerant but with the older type oil that R12 systems used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnwildpunk Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Also if your doing the conversion don't forget there is a pressure difference between the two Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Also if your doing the conversion don't forget there is a pressure difference between the two And wear safety glasses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemodeler Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 NAPA has the A/C Pro on sale for $34.99 and I have been reading here what some of you have been saying about it. 30+ years in the business and one who was ASE certified in several categories, including A/C, I can say this stuff is not intended to be a long term fix, more like a patch. As others have stated, the proper thing to do is a complete diagnostic evaluation of the system to see where the problem is and then repair/replace. My two cents, take it or leave it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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