I see Walmart carries RF134 for auto A/C systems. Is it an easy DIY job to replenish the RF134? Thanks.

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Very easy. buy a can with a guage and follow instructions.

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Depends on how low it leaked down. When enough refrigerant leaks out your system will pull a vacuum on the low side and if there is a leak it will pull in moisture and dirt from the outside. If this has happened, it would be foolish to run the system or recharge it.

i was thinking of doing the same thing......... how can you tell if you have had a leak ??? my air-conditioner does NOT blow any cold air. Should I just refill it or do I need to check to see if there is a leak somehow ?


Thanks

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Audi TT

Careful with the WalMart stuff. I was just there. They had a whole shelf full of r134, and all of it has stop leak in it, including the dye. If it doesn't bother you, go ahead and use it. Personally I don't use stop leak in anything I work on. This includes engine cooling, engine oil, and power steering fluid.

I see too many people this time of year willy-nilly adding refrigerant to a system that needs more serious service. It's always the same story -- "It just needs to be topped off." All too often, the a/c system needs more serious repair.

For everybody that has an a/c that worked last year, but it doesn't work this year, verify that it's a leak by checking system pressure, then add one can of refrigerant and check for leaks. Better yet, include some dye. You can check for leaks with soapy water sprayed onto suspect areas. If the additional can gets you through the summer, then your problem isn't serious. Otherwise, you'll need to fix the leak first before wasting refrigerant. If the system static gauge pressure is near 0, then you can probably expect the system has a serious leak.

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vwbuge, can you walk me through the process for my 84 3000D, thanks.

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85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)

First get a good set of goggles and a face mask...and some leather gloves...
safety first....

put a couple of cans in it and see what happens. Try to find cans w/o the stop leak. You want to find the leak, if there is one and fix it right. Usually really easy. Typically a dried out O-ring. If it's the condensor or evaporator, any radiator shop should be able to patch the hole for $25-30.

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You might want to find the source of the leak.

FYI, R-134 is highly toxic, would you want your family to be breathing that crap if it's leaking into your car?

.02

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Yes, r-134 is toxic, but not highly. You have to breathe it in directly from the can on purpose to have ill effects. It's also the gas used in many bottled dusters such as Blow-Off, which I use daily.

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 159K

A lot of our older cars have minor leaks in them. Some times the cost to fix the leak can be a lot. I had a Volvo that leaked out about a lb of freon over the winter. I would replace it the next spring. The culprit were the seals in the compressor. Finally after about 5 or 6 years I had to have the seals replaced. In the mean time I spent less than $15 to "fix" the problem , over the 5 year period. This was when r12 was .79 a lb.
Add one can, (are you sure it is 134?) and see if it starts to cool better., and for how long. If it gets you through the summer, don't worry about it. If it leaks out in just a matter of days then you have a problem. Look for oily spots around connections and on back side of compressor were the lines bolt in. It is best to have a set of guages to work with. If not use a tire pressure guage on the low side. Should read about 28-30 lbs at l000 rpm on warm day. Continue to add refigerant until it comes up to that point. Stick a thermometer in the vent outlet. I use a digital indoor outdoor type, about $15. at WalMart, should get readings around 50deg give or take, fan set on high speed. Good luck.

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Gary
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