Stophovr6 Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 How often does the freon in a car need to be recharged? Anyone know an average number of years? My AC only blows warm air. The car is 8 years old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMike619 Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 i would burn the thing and buy a scooter like Mick did. perma AC ****es!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjah Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 Some places will tell you it's as frequent as every 2 years. If you assume you lose 10% of your R12 or R134 every year, then the real number is probably something like 5 years. My car is 13 years old, and I've been running with no A/C for two summers now. It really doesn't bother me much. I even moved from Boston to Philly in August in that car, and the lack of A/C wasn't a problem. A/C: Nice to have, but like a dishwasher in your kitchen, it's an easy major component to live without.* *Does not apply south of Baltimore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stophovr6 Posted May 16, 2008 Author Share Posted May 16, 2008 It's not hot here in Seattle. So I'm sure I'll be fine. Just wanted to make sure it was normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shilsu Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 I'm having AC problems too unfortunately. Seems like there is a leak somewhere (losing a third of freon in one day after recharging it), but the shop I took it to can't find it. Incompetence... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sith lord Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 My car's AC stop blowing out cold air last year and it was 10 years old. I don't even miss it. Just hang your arm out the window like I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#98QBKiller Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 My car's AC stop blowing out cold air last year and it was 10 years old. I don't even miss it. Just hang your arm out the window like I do. If you've ever lived down south that's not an option in the summer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbooma Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 If you've ever lived down south that's not an option in the summer bingo try putting your hands and head outside your car with 95% warm humid air :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 I'm having AC problems too unfortunately. Seems like there is a leak somewhere (losing a third of freon in one day after recharging it), but the shop I took it to can't find it. Incompetence... If you've ever lived down south that's not an option in the summer Yeah,I love the heat,but by July and August even my brains start to fry. It is likely in the evaporator(in behind the dash) if they did not detect it,which usually is fairly expensive to replace. They can find out by using dye(which will run out the drain in the cover) or by a halogen detecting wand run down inside the housing(after charging&with the car/fan not running) As far as leaks per the original post,a system should never need recharging since R-12 nor 134 go bad...unfortunately some (mainly fords) will leak because of poor engineering on couplers,the rest is o-rings or seals failing or components. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shilsu Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 Yeah,I love the heat,but by July and August even my brains start to fry.It is likely in the evaporator(in behind the dash) if they did not detect it,which usually is fairly expensive to replace. They can find out by using dye(which will run out the drain in the cover) or by a halogen detecting wand run down inside the housing(after charging&with the car/fan not running) I estimate my car is worth $6000, give or take a thousand (I bought it for $7000 over a year ago). I've already paid $188 to get it recharged and $200 to get it looked at in the shop for leaks. Is it worth trying to fix this problem or should I just get a new car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 What kind of car is it? How long did your AC work after they recharged it? Did they install dye to help them locate leaks after they recharged it? I agree with twa, it's probably leaking from the evaporator if they couldn't see anything (as long as they knew what they were looking for). My two cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 I estimate my car is worth $6000, give or take a thousand (I bought it for $7000 over a year ago). I've already paid $188 to get it recharged and $200 to get it looked at in the shop for leaks. Is it worth trying to fix this problem or should I just get a new car. If I was you I would go to a parts house and get a charge kit that has dye/sealer/and 134 combined with a charging line(about $25 here) and try it yourself first....see how long it lasts and if dye comes out the drain. product example http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?MfrCode=IDN&MfrPartNumber=SD134&CategoryCode=3571B It is fairly simple to do on most cars. If the evaporator is bad you are looking at $1,000 or more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shilsu Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 What kind of car is it?How long did your AC work after they recharged it? Did they install dye to help them locate leaks after they recharged it? I agree with twa, it's probably leaking from the evaporator if they couldn't see anything (as long as they knew what they were looking for). My two cents. Basic run-down. Warmer weather so turn on AC. Just air blows out. Take it to Jiffy Lube. They say they'll check for leaks and recharge it. When I come back for my car, they tell me that they found no leaks as the vacuum was holding. AC is working. They charge me $188 for everything. A week later after not using the AC at all, the AC is no longer working. Take it back to Jiffy Lube. They recharge it for free. I then take it to a shop right next to it. Ask them to check for leaks. Next day, they tell me they found no leaks and recharged the AC. Considering Jiffy Lube had just recharged it, I ask them how much freon they put in. They said about a quart. I ask if that's a lot. They say most cars take about three quarts. I tell them I just recharged it the day before so obviously there must be some huge leak if it's losing that much. They don't charge me for the freon, but they charge me for the labor. And now AC doesn't work again. Note that I rarely run the AC. The freon is leaking without me turning on the AC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 Most likely is a split seam on the evaporator(which a vacuum test will not usually show),but could simply be a o-ring which is much cheaper. Try the do it yourself I recommended,it's hard to believe no one has added dye after three charges. A ac system is constantly under pressure running or not. It is likely a very small leak(a big one it would never cool at all) but that is all it takes when it is constantly under pressure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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