Now I have AC problems

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Donf

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Little history - After letting my truck sit since 2014 to this spring (!!!) I had multiple misfire and related codes. Plugs/wires/rotor/cap only improved the situation but did not eliminate them. Couldn't find 2 mechanics to agree (I consulted 4) and this forum had some advice as well. Finally an old timer suggested a full tank of gas, 2 bottles of Techron and then park it for a few weeks then run it a little and park it for a few weeks etc. He swore that it would clean crud (or sediment) out of my injectors and lines. Well, I did about 4/5 cycles before I moved. I left the truck there for 3 months and picked it up a few days back. Damned if the Check Engine light is gone and she passed inspection!

Of course now that we are in 100+ temps the AC is dead, dead, dead. But, I replaced the compressor,accumulator and a few other odds and ends about 5.000 miles (and 8 years) ago.
I'm wondering about the cans of freon they sell at parts stores. I've always been skeptical about that route
but realistically feel that with essentially almost new parts I may only be down on freon.

What do ya'all think here? I remember in the past on other cars that "you need to evacuate your system" first but I really can't find people doing that online. Any advice is appreciated.
 

96-2D-Hoe

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Unless there's a big hole in it somewhere you should be fine. It also might still have a little gas left in it. But you need to find the leak or you're just wasting money. Get the cheapest freon, it's all the same.
 

east302

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Most parts store recharge kits (those with the hose and gauge attached) usually include a leak sealant that is iffy at best and problematic at worst. It can clog orifice tubes and some garages use a filter on their recovery machines to trap whatever crap is leftover from the use of these recharge kits.

I would avoid them.

As you suspect, the best way is to vac the system, identify the leak and repair it correctly.

If this is just a thing to “get you by” until you either sell it or redo the entire system, then I could see those kits being an attractive option.

But, if you’re doing that you might as well use regular refrigerant cans without the sealant (photo below). Those are what you would use to recharge it properly. If I was just going to add some to keep it tolerable while driving and worry about fixing it later, I’d get a gauge set and charge it up - expecting performance to be so-so until the leak can be found and, most likely, a new accumulator installed. Gauge sets can be rented (and are sold at Harbor Freight) and most stores will have the can tap. The keywords there are fixing it later correctly.

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96-2D-Hoe

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All 134a freon is the same, the additives are not. Stay away from the additives and get the cheapest stuff from Wally world.

Probably your best way to start is to find out whether your system still has any gas in it.

If you have any pressure in it at all you do not need to evacuate it. If there's only a couple PSI left replacing the orifice tube is a good idea. But you can just purge it (Push any air that may have entered out with a little gas) with some freon while your swapping it out and the system will not need to be evacuated.

If you don't have any gas left you can decide whether to replace the accumulator also as there is the possibility of causing more problems (damaging the evaporator) while changing that. And you will need to find the leak before the system is evacuated as it will only introduce air into the system.

There's also the possibility that this is electrical, but it's seems most likely it would be the refrigerant charge.
 
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Donf

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Thank you all for your suggestions.
I guess I'll go the gauge and plain freon route first. I have a vacuum pump but I don't have the fittings since it is not made for AC (or even automotive ) use.

Coincidentally, I have to go by a Harbor Freright to replace several strings of patio lights that my tree trimmers destroyed.
 

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