i need this done, i guess i have a leaky o ring or something. how much should i be paying? stealership wants 200 bucks!!!

thanks guys

 

Local shops here in Saskatoon, want around the 130 mark, which i thought was too much! I borrowed a set of gauges, and will be doing this myself.

 

You CAN charge it yourself with the inexpensive charging "kits" they sell in the parts stores and even Walmart, BUT, BUT if you've got a leak then the best thing to do is to have IT fixed, service the system while its down and THEN recharge it.

 

i have no idea how to do it myself or i would!

 

$200 sounds a little pricey even for a dealer.At $135 per hr and I think R134 is still less than $10 per pound.Shouldn't take 3 lbs

 

If you go and buy a "cheapie" kit from the parts store or Walmart many of them have a built in guage-and the connection will only go on the low side (suction side) fitting so you'll be ok there, just start the engine and turn the a/c to "max" then attach the connector from the can and turn it on-if your system is completely empty it MAY take a second can-JUST WATCH THE GUAGE & don't let it get into the RED area because thats TOO HIGH.
There are varring opinions as to the use of refridgerant with sealers in them some say it works ok and some have reported that it clogged things up that it shouldn't.
That said I think if I were you & I wanted to try it I'd just use straight refrigerant the first go-around-how quick does your system leak down?

 

excellent. this is the stuff im lookin to find out!!

 

when im on the skinny pedal it blows cold, when i idle its not cold.. thats all i can tell ya. ac worked last summer when i bought the truck. it worked a few months ago too

 

When it's idling and cooling stops check to see if the clutch is turning or if it cycles,normally when they get low on juice they will cool better at low speeds

 

mine does the same so am I just low on r-134?

 

You can just hook the gauge up and and do the steps above. You dont need to press the lever or push the button to see how full it is. The gauge will work as soon as you put it on the low side ( suction ). $200 around here is about right for my area. That does not seem to high IMOP. Get the stuff that has the UV dye in it and then look for your leak that way. If its just an O-ring you can fix that yourself. But you will still need to evacuate your system of all air once you crack it open.

 

you can go to walmart, buy the syththetic R134a big bottle recharge with the guage. Check your low end pressure according to the specs on the can (should be 35-45psi) If its low then add, if not you've got other issues. The fact that you have SOME A/c means you've got at least some pressure which would indicate you have no major leaks. the sealant in the can will take care of the rest. Buy the Synth stuff that gets 50% colder faster, you won't be sorry. it even contains the proper oil needed for the compressor.
also check your clutch gap with a feeler guage. (should be .025-.030 i think) Mine was up to pressure but the ac clutch kept disengaging on it own intermittently until i took a little spacer out behind the clutch which allowed the electromagnetic coil to grab it better. It took 5 min.

 

Now here's a question.. Where's the low end port on these trucks? I tried the port that's next to the r-134 cylinder but the stuff won't go in.

 

I 2nd this! Check you coolant level but if it is good then take that spacer out of the clutch.

 

The low side service port is on the reciever/drier which is up against the evaporator case. Passenger side of engine compartment. its in close proximity to the map sensor and CAC tube. And our trucks take 2.63lbs of r134a when empty. Our shop gets 89$ but I'm sure prices will be all over the place. That includes a 30 min vacuum sesion.