Too early for A/C work?

[Jeff726]

Soon enough the thermometers around the country will go higher, and we will all need reliable air conditioning in our beloved Ford trucks. Two years ago, I had the refrigerant refilled on me and the wife's 97 Ranger (VIOC $100 special), and by the end of that summer, it was empty again. What course of action does one suggest I take to have sustained AC for more than a summer at a time? I am not sure where the leak is. I think it is rather excessive consumption of refrigerant if it needs refilling every year. What are some possible causes besides the obvious?

[hhott71]

Repair any Obvious leaks.
Buy a retrofit kit for a furd that has new orings and springs for the leaky springlock fittings.
follow the instructions
have it evacuated and charged with R134a to about 80% of the old R12's weight.

[94van]

Find and repair any leaks before recharging. If you do change over to R-134, don't forget to flush the system, replace the drier/accumulator, and install the correct oil to the proper capacity.

[Jeff726]

It is an R-134a system already. 1997 Ranger XLT 2.3L engine.

[94van]

Originally posted by Jeff726
It is an R-134a system already. 1997 Ranger XLT 2.3L engine.

Oooops I missed that it's a '97. Anyway, you'll have to find the leaks using dye, or a sniffer and repair them. Most of the time, leaks occur at the springlock connectors, but there are several places to check, thus the dye or sniffer check.

If it looks like a lot of oil has leaked out, a little shot of oil should be introduced, then evacuate the system, and recharge to specifications.