Air Conditioning Recharge??

h2osho

h2osho

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Owosso, MI
In the picture I have included (taken from Quik LS) is the YELLOW ARROW pointing to the LOW SIDE of the Air conditioning? Usually they have a high and a low side IIRC.

Is this where I connect the AC Recharge Can?

Engine Bay22.jpg
 
h2osho said:
In the picture I have included (taken from Quik LS) is the YELLOW ARROW pointing to the LOW SIDE of the Air conditioning? Usually they have a high and a low side IIRC.

Is this where I connect the AC Recharge Can?
Click to expand...


Well I'm honestly surprised nobody has an idea if this is the right area to recharge the AC?

Quik LS....GreyGhost any help.

Oddly I've done this before to other cars, so when I went to attach the hose from the AC Recharge can to this connector....IT WOULDN'T FIT. So I'm perplexed now.

Wanting some cooler air in Michigan.....
 
Hey donkey, did you check your CD?

The correct way to do it is to vacuum the refrigerant out first, and then letting the system suck the new refrigerant back into the system. That way, you get more volume of refrigerant and don't risk overpressurizing the system.

PS, I con't know whre the high side is located.
 
Look for the bigger diameter lines. Low pressure has bigger lines. I thought they made it where the high pressure and low pressure fittings were different sizes now? We just added a can to a friend of mine's truck a couple of days ago. Best to use a gauge so you don't over due it. We didn't....but he doesn't care about his beater truck much either.
 
You're in luck, after much exploration about 6 weeks ago I found the low pressure fill port for the A/C system. Mine was dead empty for some reason.

The fill port is on the low pressure line, behind the drivers side front fender liner. You have to remove the main piece of the fender liner, and then from the front corner of the car look up and you'll see a little black screw on cap. That is the low pressure port.

You should have the system vacuumed to remove any old refridgerant and moisture. I didn't, but my A/C is working fine right now.

If you need a pic I'll see if I can't get one later this evening once I get home.
 
Here's a diagram, but it doesn't show the location in exact proximity to everything else. More of a general layout.

lsaccharge.jpg
 
AC Recharge

Vacumning out the whole AC System only needs to be done when you suspect that there has been an inward breech of the system. AC systems are designed so that there should never be a leak, but the most common leaks occur on the pressure side. There are 134A recharge canisters at my local parts store that also contain oil and conditioner and a small guage that has colored zones so that you do not overfill the system. When one of the other posters said that the newer systems were designed so that the fittings were of different size, he was correct. All modern systems have different size fittings on the low and high pressure sides. Even when converting from R-12 to 134-A, it is not mandatory to vac the system in order to make the switch, but all pressure must be relieved from the system first. The system will perform more efficiently if a deep vac is performed first, but it is not mandatory. When I was studying to receive my Class 1 Refridgerant certs, it was stated by the instructors that while this is not a mandatory step, you can charge a lot more money when you explain to the customer that they need this step performed.
 
mholhut said:
Here's a diagram, but it doesn't show the location in exact proximity to everything else. More of a general layout.
Click to expand...

Item #8 is the low pressure fill port. If you are looking at the car from the driver side, it is directly behind the front driver side tire behind the fender liner.

The thing about vacuuming the system though, what if there was no pressure in the system?? Moisture could very easily get in then. It's a crapshoot though. I've had empty and open systems for months that I simply closed up and filled with refridgerant and they've work marvelously.
 
Then the manual is wrong???? #8 is listed as the "A/C Pressure Transducer" and lists #5 as "A/C Charge Port Valve (Low Side) and #10 as "A/C Charge Port Valve (High Side)"

Under "Service Gauge Port Valves" it says
The high-pressure service gauge port valve is located on the A/C receiver drier manifold and tube assembly, (which is #12 above). The low pressure service gauge port valve is located on the manifold of the A/C compressor manifold and tube assembly at the A/C compressor (which is #4 above).
 
Could be a different year maybe?? I KNOW I charged my system off the low side port, which is exactly where the #8 is depicted on the diagram.
 
Mine's a '00 and so is the manual. Don't know. Seems like alot of wasted time to recharge the AC, given you have to remove the wheel and fender liner.
 
Fastbird said:
Could be a different year maybe?? I KNOW I charged my system off the low side port, which is exactly where the #8 is depicted on the diagram.
Click to expand...

Well since I quit smokin crack a few days ago I was sure I felt capable of pulling off the driver-side wheel and looking for that INFAMOUS Low Side AC port to recharge my AC.

So I jacked her up, yanked off the wheel, the liner (even both liners at one point) and looked for 30 minutes to find the small black cap.

NOPE

I looked again.

NOPE

So then after looking at the diagram I figured WTF and yanked off the passenger side wheel. Thinkin maybe someone had the ENGLISH version of the LS. NOPE couldn't find it still.

Here are a few pics I snapped.

I'm willing to submit Paypal money for an answer at this point!

For the life of ME I cannot find a spot to connect the AC reacharge. And Mike Holhut I looked at #5 and it doesn't look like thats a spot to connect the recharge.

wheelwell.jpg


wheelwell212.jpg


wheeloff.jpg
 
Scottie, you figured out where the fuel filter is at least!


With the wheel liner out, you have to look towards the nose of the car, according to what everyone else is saying.

Otherwise, just suck it up and bear the heat... hell, it's in the 50's and 60's out here in MA!
 
mholhut said:
Scottie, you figured out where the fuel filter is at least!


With the wheel liner out, you have to look towards the nose of the car, according to what everyone else is saying.

Otherwise, just suck it up and bear the heat... hell, it's in the 50's and 60's out here in MA!
Click to expand...


Nose, butt, side left or right I can not find the dadgum thing.

I have some cold air, but I want it very very cold. Been in the 90's in Michigan lately.

Waiting for FASTBIRD to give his 2 cents.....
 
Sorry guys, been busy. Ummm........I won't be able to get a pic up until Friday evening. It's towards the front of the car behind the fender liner.

If you look through that little hole in your second picture, the hole created by the A-Arm and Sway Bar, it's back up through there.
 
Scott, in case you're still suffering with this, the low side port IS located on the compressor. The compressor is along the accessory drive belt path on the low, left side of the car.... so it has a pulley and a belt on it. Then look on top of it for the manifold and low port side.
 
mholhut said:
Scott, in case you're still suffering with this, the low side port IS located on the compressor. The compressor is along the accessory drive belt path on the low, left side of the car.... so it has a pulley and a belt on it. Then look on top of it for the manifold and low port side.
Click to expand...

I'll look tonight for it. Thanks Mike.
 
Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot !!! Who designed this *(&^$ thing?

I know "Let's put the High Pressure side you never work on up on top of the engine and bury the Low Pressure side under the car. Then we can charge hundreds of dollars to add a $5 can of R-134A to the A/C system"

This is CLASS A crap engineering.....
 
Raise the drivers side of the car.
There is a small splash sheild held on by 2 screws and a plastic rivet. Remove the 2 screws one ir 5/16, the other is 7/32, and pull the sheild down.
Look up between the mess of hoses and you will see the cap on the side of the AC compressor.
Now that wasn't so hard was it? :p
 
Have any of you guys replaced your compressor? I replaced mine this weekend and can't get the compressor to kick on. No leaks 55lbs on the low side same of the High.
 
i didn't want to start a new thread but i know it's been getting a lot hotter in some places and many members here might be thinking of doing the recharge on their LS. i have a Gen1 and the low feed valve is on top of the compressor. so, lift up the car and on the lowest pulley (the a/c compressor) there is a valve right on top of it. i got mine vacuumed and recharged and it cost me $100. for those that have had trouble finding it i feel ya, we had the diagram in front of us and we still couldn't accurately locate it. i didn't have internet access so i couldn't locate this post specifically. hope this helps someone at least
 
you don't have to put the car in the air, you don't have to take the wheel off(just crank the wheel to the left) . The recharge is right on the compressor were the 2 lines bolt onto it.
there is just enough room to put the line fitting on. Its not up by the rad which is #8.
 
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