is it worth my time to recharge the ac?

[eventoday]

hello,

I have an 01 outback. 215k miles ej25 engine.

I just purchased it and the ac blows warm air.

Is it worth my time and $15 dollars to recharge the ac. I am asumming it is still not gonna work or just leak right out?

what do you think?

 

thanks again

Jake

[idosubaru]

Being a used car, it's just a gamble. You have no idea what's wrong with it. But there's a chance it's just low.

 

Get the a/c chargers that have the "sealant" in them.

 

Check the valve stems before charging though and see if they're wet. Those can leak and only cost 50 cents to replace. Once you charge it, it'll be wet and impossible to tell if it was previously wet or not.

 

Sometimes I even pull the easily accessible hoses/fittings (like at the a/c compressor) and replace the orings while I'm getting ready to charge it anyway.

 

I charged a friends jeep last summer and it's still rolling just fine.

[davebugs]

Not being an AC expert (or wanting to be) call around. I have a fella that pulls a vacuum to make sure no leaks, then charges then for 40 bucks.

 

The fancy machine really does it all.

 

From what I understand if the system was open at all the vacuum first is needed.

 

I do this with every car that I buy that has AC issues.

[idosubaru]

the problem he'll run into dave is most places are going to want to replace something and charge far more than your rates you're getting for A/C work. you've got good connections and prices.

[mrtoyou7747]

I recharged my '98 two years ago and it still works great!

 

Make sure you use a gauge to check the pressure as you fill it. As long as it's just a slow leak it the AC would stop when the pressure was lower than required.

 

As long as there is some positive pressure in the system you shouldn't have to vacuum it out. But if you don't you really need to have dried out.

[Scoobywagon]

Here's how this is likely to break down. Obviously, labor varies between shops, but it sounds like Dave's shop charges $40 labor. Which really means $40 labor plus refrigerant. An 01 Outback is going to have R134a refrigerant in it. As a rule, you can expect to pay $20-40/lb for R134a. These cars take 1.43 lbs of refrigerant. So you're really looking at between $28.60 and $57.20 for refrigerant. Also, some states and municipalities charge environmental fees on refrigerant. So, in this case, you'd be looking at up to $97.20 + tax and any applicable environmental fees.

 

I would not recommend just adding refrigerant to a system that's not operating. It is possible that the system is already charged but won't run due to other problems. If that's the case, overcharging can lead to other problems.

 

The ideal way to do this is to have access to an A/C machine. You recover whatever refrigerant is in the system. Pull the system down to vacuum. Make sure it holds vacuum for at least 20-30 minutes. If it does, then you can recharge and continue testing. If you want, I can give you kind of a step-by-step rundown. But it won't matter if you don't have access to the right machine.

 

----Edit----

Just called a couple of shops there in Denver. Looks like a lot of shops there use menu pricing for basic A/C service. Most of them are between $75-80 + $22.50/lb refrigerant. So figure $112.18 + tax. Probably out the door around $125.

Edited July 20, 2009 by Scoobywagon

[etc]

I just recharged my 98 Legacy L.

 

Not driven for a few months, apparently lost all cooling over the winter. Got that big can at AAP, and used most of it.

Now blows ice cold.

Have no idea how long it will last, I am open to the possibility it will leak out again this or next year.

[uniberp]

hello,

I have an 01 outback. 215k miles ej25 engine.

I just purchased it and the ac blows warm air.

Is it worth my time and $15 dollars to recharge the ac. I am asumming it is still not gonna work or just leak right out?

what do you think?

 

thanks again

Jake

 

It there is static pressure (while stopped) in the existing system, it means probably no significant leak. Test by poking the valve. If pressure It may be worth a $25 can of recharge to get through the hot months. It you want to refurb the whole thing, o-rings are advised, but get the system professionally evacuated and freon captured. Even R134 is not levgal to vent or eco-friendly.