question
#1
06-10-08, 05:28 AM
question
why do car A/C's have to be recharged every year. why can't they stay permanently charged like window and central air. they hold the same amount of freon. does it leak out or something.
#2
06-10-08, 05:36 AM
westnlas
I never charged mine every year. Unless there is a leak, there should be good. The lubricant for the compressor is in the oil, so if there is a leak, the compressor can fail very quickly. My 2000 Saturn and 2002 Ranger have never been recharged since new and I live in Las Vegas !! Of course, once the system has been opened, there is always potential for a leak at that point. Good luck.
#3
06-10-08, 09:19 AM
Member
If you are re-charging every year there is probably a leak that a good A/C tech should be able to find. A/C systems will leak over time but should go several years before a low refrigerant condition is noted. My 2002 Tracker is just now showing signs of a possible loss of refrigerant. Run your A/C even in cool seasons for a few minutes to keep seals lubricated. Usually when defrost is selected the compressor will run.
#4
06-10-08, 04:21 PM
Group Moderator
Concur but I would leave out "probably"; if you are recharging that often you have a leak.
I would consider changing mechanics, too, if the same guy is doing the recharge and hasn't mentioned a leak.
I would consider changing mechanics, too, if the same guy is doing the recharge and hasn't mentioned a leak.
#5
06-11-08, 03:11 AM
my a/c don't work(cut line) anyway on my parents car a ford excort lx wagon it needed charging i think once a year. maybe the newer cars don't need charging now but it seamed like the older ones do. why else do they sell those little cans of coolent on every store self(supermarkets also). why can't car a/c's always be charged and never need charging for the life of the car.also how can you tell if your car has been converted to use R-134A sense its a 91 the chances are good its been converted
#6
06-11-08, 04:26 AM
if its been converted it should have a label under the hood if the person doing the conversion put one on, it will also have r134a fittings which look alot different than r-12 fittings and will not allow r-12 guages to be hooked up or vice versa.
a cars a/c system is more prone to leak due to alot of resons like hoses, compression fittings and orings and gaskets at each hose or component and service ports all those connection points has more possibilty to leak versus your window or central a/c unit wich uses very few connections if any.
a cars a/c system is more prone to leak due to alot of resons like hoses, compression fittings and orings and gaskets at each hose or component and service ports all those connection points has more possibilty to leak versus your window or central a/c unit wich uses very few connections if any.
#7
06-11-08, 04:41 AM
Originally Posted by bejay
if its been converted it should have a label under the hood if the person doing the conversion put one on, it will also have r134a fittings which look alot different than r-12 fittings and will not allow r-12 guages to be hooked up or vice versa.
a cars a/c system is more prone to leak due to alot of resons like hoses, compression fittings and orings and gaskets at each hose or component and service ports all those connection points has more possibilty to leak versus your window or central a/c unit wich uses very few connections if any.
a cars a/c system is more prone to leak due to alot of resons like hoses, compression fittings and orings and gaskets at each hose or component and service ports all those connection points has more possibilty to leak versus your window or central a/c unit wich uses very few connections if any.
#8
06-18-08, 10:00 AM
the only sticker my car has is one that says that floral-lite was added a florescent die to detect leaks. that was done sometime in 2000 according to the sticker. I got the car is 07.does not say anything about being converted.
#9
06-19-08, 07:10 AM
Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: North Central Indiana
Posts: 896
Upvotes: 0
Received 1 Upvote
on
1 Post
A residential AC has all the connections soldered,they dont have to be taken apart for servicing other stuff. They also are not bounced around on rough roads or subjected to wild temp swings like under hood temps. As stated tho they should not need filled every year. RW
#10
06-19-08, 08:16 PM
Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 552
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
Yup, if you have to recharge every year, a leak needs to be fixed. A sealed, properly operating AC system should never need to be recharged. Got an 88 Monte Carlo SS that still has a full charge of R-12 in it, as well as a 92 Olds 98 Elite. Any decent mechanic can find and repair that leak. Now, if it has a leaking evaporator core, it would be cheaper to charge every year than it would to have the core replaced. But even so, you risk moisture intrusion to the system.
