Problem recharging A/C on Previa

The A/C on my '92 Previa was working up to last summer. I figured that it had run out of freon, and since freon is no longer available I figured that I would no longer have air since I wasn't going to pay $1000-3000 to upgrade the system.

I than found Red Tek 12a, which is an evironmentally friendly alternative to freon, so I bought a couple of cans to recharge my A/C.

Problem was, when I tried to add the gas the compressor would not kick in and the pressure was forcing the gas out of the can. Aside from being extremely cold on the hands, no gas was being added to the system. I checked the system and it had no gas at all. I verified that I was using the intake valve instead of the high pressure valve, even though they have different size connectors. I have recharged A/C units on numerous cars before, including a Camry, but have never come across a problem where the pressure was forcing the gas out. Usually the compressor will kick in, suck in the gas, and the whole process will take about 5 minutes.

Anyone have any ideas as to what the problem could be? I thought maybe the compressure might need to be replaced, but since the A/C was working last year and the system is completely empty of gas I figure that the problem is only that it ran out of freon.

Thanks! Tim

Reply to
Tim
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The cost of conversion to 134-A has come down a lot, more in the neighborhood of $250-$450. It might be worth it to shop around.

First, check the inspection window on the receiver dryer. It is a cylinder mounted in front of the condenser. With the AC running, if you see foam, it is low on refrigerant. If you see nothing at all, the system is empty or full. If the compressor clutch will not engage, the low-pressure safety switch has probably kicked in.

By the way, if gas is coming out of the can, don't keep trying. You should be wearing eye protection when messing with AC and if there is enough pressure to blow gas out, the can could burst.

I highly recommend taking it into a shop for proper diagnosis and repair.

Reply to
Ray O

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