its not that hard man
+1 I got the gist of how it all comes apart, etc from searching in the forums. The work doesn't require any special tools other than the manifold set, and once you have that, you can fill your buddies rides for lunch money . Taking it apart and putting it back together is just bolts and common sense, and the procedure for vaccuuming out the system and recharging it is here on the forums. A trick I learned from a pro, when filling the system put the can and valve in a bucket of warm water, as the can vents into the system the valve and such tend to freeze and the contents in the can shrink and lower in pressure due to the cold. The warm water counteracts that and allows you to completely drain the freon can.
Robert
but this one goes to eleven
Auto Zone will let you "borrow" a vacuum pump and gauges for 90 days. You do have to leave a $200 deposit on the pump and $100 on the gauges but they will refund those totally when you bring them back.
So just talked to a buddy that works at autozone and my friend mark who works at Advanced and they pretty much both said that's full of S##T. Which tells me you were either misinformed or the people that sell the stuff were. And no offence but after serving for 5 years I know better than to believe anything the military tells you.
Could someone possibly post some new pictures since the old ones are now down? Thanks.
Im interested in a pic as well....of the location where you hook up the recharge can.
Just did this the other day, I really don't think you have to evacuate the system cause I didn't, but like said above use the low presure hose its the fatter one, if you stand in front of the car its the one to your right. I didn't use a gauge just the hose to fill it.
First I used r134 leak stopper and detector, it has die in it so if it doesn't stop the leak for you you know where the leak is, I did this just as a precautionary action, I had no leaks.
Filled it with two cans of r134 and vuala AC works again, I didn't use a half can at a time I just emptied um both.
I have two connections...one close to the firewall and the other at the front of the engine bay close to the passenger side headlight. Does anyone know which one to fill at?
This past weekend, I went to Advance Auto and bought (for $19) a small cylinder of R134A with a hose and gauge attached. You start your car, turn the AC on high, hook the hose up to the low side (it's obvious which one that is - the only one the hose will hook to), and the gauge tells you everything you need to know. You push the button, turn the can sideways (to also put lubricant into the system) and in a few seconds it's recharged.
Simple and inexpensive.
I didn't read this entire thread, so I apologize if someone already brought this up.
bump please...i need some pics...
Cheif Senior Hitman Engineer 1st Class
BfcOT Mafia
My A/C hasnt been working for a couple years and really want to get it fixed for this summer.
Issue is, there hasn't been any freon in the system for that time. Also my recirculation button light doesn't light up, but my A/C button does. Is that an issue I should be worried about?... is there a fix for the recirculation if it isn't related to the lack of pressure?
i noticed one thing that wasnt mentioned, when you are serviceing the system it is very important to keep the can upright so vapor is introduced to the system. if the can is accidentally flipped (with the valve down) you will be inroducing liquid freon which can/will damage the compessor.
also, anytime the system is opened it will need to be vacuumed for a couple reasons. it removes the moisture/humidity that was introduced while the system was open. it is also the correct way to leak check the system, close the vac valve and let the system sit. if the needle moves, you have a leak.
I noticed in the auto parts store here they had some brands of R134 that said to hold the can upright, and another brand (Dupont) that said to hold the can upside down, and then another brand that didn't say which end to hold up. So I'm thinking that some cans draw from the top of the can and some draw from the bottom. And that may explain why that one guy only got it to work upside down. That's my theory anyway
well done mt goat...
great pictures... but would you believe that both of my ports are side by side ?!! the high is beside the low !
i only knew which one was low because it goes to the compressor.
Yeah I saw a pic of one side by side in this writeup:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...c+manifold+diy
Also I noticed that the low pressure port is smaller than the high side. And from one thread I saw that the filter/dryer is on the high pressure side.
I found after connecting a gauge to mine that after 11 years of never being serviced my system is still fully charged. I was hoping that I could just add a little juice and make it start cooling like my 95 Taurus. So I guess I'll look at changing my cabin filter as a solution. I may also try getting a high side gauge to see if the compressor is pumping good.
Last edited by mt_goat; 03-21-2008 at 06:11 PM.
You don't necessarily have to evacuate the system, that is more an issue if you are going to open a charged system up to repair/replace something. I also have had pretty good luck with the DIY hose deal that comes with the can, as long as you have some freon, just topping it off is easy.
Robert
but this one goes to eleven
The pictures are not working for the first post.
Also, for the picture above me. Is the high and low side in the same location on a '95 325i?
Lets say I didn't know where the high and low side were (because I plan on doing this for my GFs car), what would be a easy way for me to tell the difference?
Thanks
The fittings are different sizes- One is bigger than the other, and so are the corresponding hose connections. Its tough to get them wrong; go ahead and you'll see what I mean.
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Sometime to come: New Clutch with LWFW, Clutch Stop, M50 Manifold, M3 Cams, Supercharger (I can dream).
Alright, coo.. Thanks for the info. And the larger size will always be the high side? On any car?
So when the shops convert from r12 to r134 do they normally pull a vacuum on the system before recharging with r134. Aren't they supposed to get all of the r12 oil out? Will pulling a vacuum for the specified 30 mins get all of the r12 oil out or is there a way to drain it? The reason I ask is that I has my 92 325is (E36) converted, and I don't think that they pulled a vacuum on the system.
Anyone have some input?
JSF
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