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Posted by John vdP (93SE 5-sp) on September 07, 2002 at 20:50:51:
In Reply to: Do-it-yourself A/C recharge kits- worth it? posted by RosenKen on September 07, 2002 at 19:00:34:
What I have found is that, no matter which refirgerant you run, you do need "real" dual gauges to tune an a/c properly. Overcharging it will raise pressures, putting extra load on all components in the system, while actually getting less cold in the process. If your a/c is not as cold as it should be, but there is enough freon in the system, it is probably partially blocked in the drier, the txv, or the high line somewhere. Gauge readings will confirm this. I have seen r-134a gauges at Harbor Freight for 50 some odd dollars. A sale is on as we speak, I believe. Well worth getting. Most guys on this board fix their cars "right". Sometimes, to do that, you need the real tools. Ken: Since my car is identical to yours, if you tell me what you did to get 30mpg from your ride, I'll be happy to guide you through your a/c project. E-mail me. John
I spent a fair amount of time studying a/c so I could fix mine "right" when it was badly underperforming. I ended up changing to hydrocarbon based refrigerant and synthetic polyalpha+ oil. I have posted about that before.