Hi, My A/C has stopped blowing out cold air, (well its very weak) so i want to recharge it, and i noticed for the cost of a set of gauges / air vacuum / can of R134a/oil/dye is about the same as getting it done at a shop. (so why not get the tools for future servicing of my other car/friends/family etc.) I also read / watched quite a lot of youtube vids and it seems very do-able at home. So, I had a look at my system, and noticed a charging port right before the firewall inbetween the heat shield and fuse box and its a tiny port with a black cap on it. (im assuming this is an R12 port, i also cannot find any sticker suggesting the previous owner had it converted to R134a). I know ultimately for the conversion, it would be best to get new seals, new dryer etc. but im not going to do that without giving this a go first. My questions are, where is the other port? (there is supposed to be a low and high pressure port - fill through low pressure with A/C running after system has been sucked dry and pressure sucked out - connected to air vacuum machine). And, which is the low and which is the high ports? With a can of compressed R134a including the oil and dye, would this be sufficient to "convert" or at least lubricate the seals? Also, does anyone have any specs on the amount of oil and R12 (R134a is apparently 80% of the R12 requirements)? I have had a look on the net and cant find any specs, nor can i find any sticker under my hood. I have also looked through the manual but cannot see anything at all to do with A/C maintenance. And before anyone tells me about environmental factors etc. I understand all of that, and that is why i want to use a sealed air vacuum to suck it out and keep it sealed inside the device.

mate hopefully Cornchips (Shane) reads this thread and can hopefully help u,he is the master when it comes to a/c in vl"s he did mine

I have since read on a google search that you cant get the cans in Aust. Its all over ebay (International - US) so i hope its do-able... but that might be the one that gets me... Im guessing our tight imports would also stop it coming in through the post... but might be worth investigating... however that again might throw the costs out... Dunno, have to wait and see....

Geniee my brain hurts, trust me I'm a AC mechanic and it's not as easy as it seems for a nobody to attempt all this (AC/refrigeration is a technical and precisely measured system), take it to a qualified technician mate, do it once do it right!

yea, deanoVLCT, it would seem the info is a little harder to find, and the whole buying a can seems like it might be an issue.... maybe you're right.... just dont like the idea of getting ripped when i already know what they do and am capible of doing it myself...

Do you have gas? (you cannot just buy it without s license) Scales? Gauge ports? Gauges? Vac pump? Pressure chart? Leak detector? Plus the rest Mate it's tough work, I only deal with cars for family! Maybe pm shane (Cornchips) he's a good bloke/knows what he's doing and night be able to help you out!

manifold gauges / air vacuum pump are available online. its the gas that's the gotcha.. and I think the system/laws have been put in place to discourage backyarders from doing it themselves. I understand the system, but I feel some may not (some of the videos on YouTube are horrendous - topping up gas with dodgy cans with tiny gauges on the hoses, no sucking system dry/clean, no topping up of calculated oil/dye and just ramming as much gas in as it takes etc.) then they call it job done without even inspecting for leaks... I wonder how long those compressors will run for... not to mention the probable yearly "top ups" due to the underlying leaks that they haven't found / repaired.

Quote: Originally Posted by Geniee [View Post] manifold gauges / air vacuum pump are available online. its the gas that's the gotcha.. and I think the system/laws have been put in place to discourage backyarders from doing it themselves. I understand the system, but I feel some may not (some of the videos on YouTube are horrendous - topping up gas with dodgy cans with tiny gauges on the hoses, no sucking system dry/clean, no topping up of calculated oil/dye and just ramming as much gas in as it takes etc.) then they call it job done without even inspecting for leaks... I wonder how long those compressors will run for... not to mention the probable yearly "top ups" due to the underlying leaks that they haven't found / repaired. go get the gas called hychill minus 30. it comes in a can or 22kg bottle(not sure if smaller bottle) you don't need a license and can buy it from bursons

Quote: Originally Posted by VlTurboM8 [View Post] go get the gas called hychill minus 30. it comes in a can or 22kg bottle(not sure if smaller bottle) you don't need a license and can buy it from bursons Thanks man, ill def check that out.... The way my compressor is sounding, i don't think it can get much worse really... so might give that a go... hopefully it wont be too expensive... seems like its pretty safe for the environment too..

First you have to reclaim the remaining r12 then change oil and filter drier to stuff suited to r134a. Then vac system to remove any moisture. Then weigh in the new amount of 134a. So you need gauges reclaim unit and vac pump. Ps you will not be able to buy refrigerant in austalia without license. As other guys have said take it to someone who knows what they are doing. Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk