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A/C Recharge


weephee

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I have a 2000 STS. I changed the motor in it and in doing so, I opened the air conditioning system at the compressor as well as at the fire wall. Car is back together and now I need to recharge. I have tried this before but it has never worked. I assume the system is full of air so if I just stick a can of freon on the charging orfice, where will the air go. Do I need to somehow suck out the air first. I guess I will also need to add A/C oil into the system as well. Any help or advice would certainly be appreciated. Thanks

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I have a 2000 STS. I changed the motor in it and in doing so, I opened the air conditioning system at the compressor as well as at the fire wall. Car is back together and now I need to recharge. I have tried this before but it has never worked. I assume the system is full of air so if I just stick a can of freon on the charging orfice, where will the air go. Do I need to somehow suck out the air first. I guess I will also need to add A/C oil into the system as well. Any help or advice would certainly be appreciated. Thanks

The system needs to be evacuated with a deep vacuum pump to remove air and moisture prior to charging the system or it will not perform properly and high head pressures/corrosion will result. Unless you have a vacuum pump and manifold gages, you should take it to a reputable A/C shop.

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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This can be done at home and I have personally charged a couple of cars...

Both vacuum pumps and manifold gauges can be rented or purchased less then the cost that a A/C shop will charge... This is not a difficult project... but it is fiddly and you have to get it right basically in one try...

However, while vacuum is important... (and needs to be done)

In my opinion the amount of oil in the system is even more critical... If you just "violently" opened the ends then there is a pretty good chance that a great deal of "unmeasurable" oil shot out of the system with the refrigerant. (BTW the EPA hates this and this procedure is very illegal... huge fine...)

If you did this... you have one of two choices...

a) As per the service guide.. add 3 Oz of oil to the system (and hope this is what came out) or

b ) completely flush all of the oil from the system and add 5 oz to the compressor and 3 oz to the accumulator.

Too much oil and you get an effect very much like a hydro-lock... and we know what they do... Your A/C compressor likes to compress gasses not liquids... it only takes a couple of extra ounces of oil and your compressor will sound like a blender full of marbles. Of course too little oil and the system will burn itself out in sort order...

On last point... make sure you replace all of the O-rings you disturbed... with quality components

REUSE NOTHING and think "surgical cleanliness"

Good Luck

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Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac,

I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back

ZZTOP, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide

Greg

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If the system was discharged slowly, a very minute amount of oil was lost - I probably would not add any oil in that case. If too much oil is in the system, poor cooling will result - I recovered 22 ozs. of oil from a bud's Astro van.... He was complaining about poor cooling and told me how he added oil every times he added refrigerant... I flushed the system and added the proper abount of oil and then the refrigerant charge and it cooled like a meat locker. The local stealership quoted $1000 to fix the system..............it only cost him the refrigerant, oil and a bottle of bourbon....

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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Thanks again for the information. When I got the car it was already discharged. I also had removed the compressor so the system was completely exposed. I did seal off the ends of the open tubes and compressor but I have no idea as to how much oil is or was in the system so just to be safe I'll take it into the Cadillac dealer.

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The car will need a new accumulator (drier). It has a dessicant bag in it to absorb moisture in the system, but once the system has been open for a while (an hour or more probably), that dessicant bag is saturated, and a new accumulator is needed. It's almost a standard replacement item when doing A/C work.

Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond)

"When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?"

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