Fill my own freon?

Apr 21, 2008 10 Replies

Hi All,



I have a 2006 Forrester.



My freon leaked out. Maybe it is a leak, or maybe it is age related. Before I spend a fortune on a mechanic to check for leaks, is it possible for me to just add a can or two of freon and see what happens?



If so, how much should I add and where do I add it?



Many thanks,



-T


You could, but since you have no knowledge of what you are doing, why not have the leak at least properly diagnosised, then determine if you can effect repairs yourself probably two or three times, or pay a professional to do the job right once. To recharge the system, you'll need the proper gauge set, a vacuum pump, and a charging cylinder to accurately measure the R134a for the system. Tossing in cans from walmart does NOT make one an AC mechanic.

Just follow instructions, don't sniff it, touch it or lick it...or eat it, or touch it, and stick your infected finger in your eye or other orifice, such as picking your nose while freoning. or if you do touch it, don't touch buttons with writing on them inside the car. they will have writing no longer..not that I would know (grin) Since you could possibly know what you are doing.... give it a try. a fast leak is quite obvious.tastes like peppermint, and you will want to think fast after that point.

*****> You could, but since you have no knowledge of what you are doing, *****why not

'06? Shouldn't you still be under warranty and wouldn't this be covered?

Hi, it's doable but first don't you have to find out why you lost refrigerant?

Just make sure you use R134a and not just "Freon". If you follow the lines from the a/c compressor you will most likely see oil traces where the leak is.

Good luck.

ToddAndMargo wrote:

Warranty ran out at 35,000 miles (Bought it used with

48,000 miles). :-(

I've heard somewhere that this stuff is, or is susspected to be a carcinogen, that is freon. You may be better off just letting a qualified technician take care of your AC.

Many leaks especially in dry climate are cause by a worn dried-up tiny rubber seal-ring (a 10 cent part). Refilling yourself without making sure the system is tight may cause you and your passengers needles exposure to freon fumes.

M.J.

Any car that new is not going to have "freon" in it. They haven't put freon in cars for a long time. I think they use something called 134a now (supposed to be less harmful to the ozone layer). I've dealt with a lot of leaks in my other car, and they are not easy to find or rectify without the right equipment. You can try adding some coolant (make sure it's the right stuff), but as you do you will have to figure out where the leak is. Most pros have sniffers that tell them where the leaks are. If you don't find the leak you will be topping it off forever. If you do find the leak you will have to figure out how to fix it. BTW, I had my other car converted from Freon to 134a by a pro to the tune of $2500. Works great and I don't have to mess with it anymore. FYI previous problems encountered with that car were a leaky compressor, leaks in the condenser, a failed condenser fan, and leaks in the hose fittings. At that time I was able to fix everything myself except the leaky condenser (had to go to a radiator shop).

I just *LOVE* it when people "Spew" information.... First off dingleballs....

134A *IS* Freon........ Second, any idiot that would pay $2500 to change the metering orifice, swap out the receiver/dryer, vacuum the system down and give it a shot of new oil (and recharge)is just that..a idiot. "Coolant" is that stuff you put in the radiator, Freon 134A belongs in the A/C system.

$2500....man they saw you coming :)

from wikipedia: "In the 1990s, most uses of Freon were phased out due to the negative effects that chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons have on the Earth's ozone layer." "HFC-134a, is a haloalkane refrigerant without an ozone depletion potential and thermodynamic properties similar to R-12 (dichlorodifluoromethane)" Similar is not the same.

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