My friend has a '97 Accord. Ended up getting a front end collision that destroyed the condensor. Replaced all the damaged A/C components but the compressor doesn't kick on since there is no Freon in the system.

2 questions:
1. The car has been running like this for over a year without Freon... Is the compressor still good or does it need to be replaced?

2. Is charging the A/C system something I can do myself or is something I have to get done at a shop? Around how much would it cost a shop to do this?


Thanks

 

Bump

 

you can ty doing it the simple way, and hopefully everything still works and doesnt have any leaks. Just go anywhere where they sell freon r134 and get a couple of those cans, and a hose with a gauge on it. Turn the car on and the a/c on all the way and try to fill er up in the LOW port. The hose should only fit one side.

Then if that doesnt work, then you better do some research because I dont feel like typing that much.

 

charging is easy just like russianswty said, go walmart, pepboys advanced whatever get the freon with the gauge and turn car on ac on all the way and click the ac button on, and MAKE SURE when you charge it, and ur doing the low pressure side, to press the top of the connecter at the end of the hose on your gauge when you connecte it to the low pressure side so squeeze the top of the blue connecter (should be blue) and then the metal piece where the low pressure nozzle comes up and squeeze and SHAKE the can while u press the trigger and hold the trigger, you should feel the metal get supre cold.. i dont know if it just b.c my gauge sucks but if i dont do that, no freon goes in the lines. Dont know if that makes sense. Anyways i doubt the compresser is bad if it still worked before the accident, mine was oout of freon for 2 years and i just recharged it last month blows super cold

 

now if it does blow out, you could do it the proper way but your going to have to get like 400 dollars worth of a/c tools to do it properly, to presurize the system and find the leak and fix the leak, then take the air out of the system and charge it up with some synthetic r-134 (itll be colder with the same pressure).

 

Hey thanks for the replies. Anyways, I already tried charging it with those freon cans. The problem is that charging requires the compressor to be on. However, my compressor does not turn ON since the system is bone dry without any freon. I remember reading somewhere that the compressor will not kick on without freon in the system. So how do I charge the system without the compressor turning on?

 

my ac works but it's hot air during the day and cold at night. (yea i know wtf right?)

a simple charge up should set me straight, no?

 

jump the pressure switch and the compressor will kick on

 

did a motor swap on 92 accord. drained complete r12 system into atmosphere, refilled with r134(cheap walmart/autozone), blows pretty cool, not really really cold, but it works fine with me. at first the a/c smelt like **** for 2-3 weeks, probably cause the two mixtures were mixing, but now its fine.

 

Very good posts guys, thank you for your help.

 

94+ accords use R134a. Since you have replaced the condensor and sealed up the system, you should place it on a vaccum to remove all of the crap from the system that got in there from being exposed to air.

Once you know the system can hold a vaccum for at least 4 hours, recharge with the proper amt of PAG oil and R134a and call it a day there is a high pressure switch on the system so do not overfil it.

 

The AC in my 98 Accord runs hot. I bought a can of R134a w/ the gauge which says "may be overcharged". I didn't want to add any freon for fear of messing anything up. What's that about??

 

it means you need to remove some of the r134a from the system. there is a high pressure cutoff switch and that is why ur ac is hot

 

ok, so I bleed the system? til it's dry?

 

I would have someone professionally evacuate and then recharge the system to the proper level. Breathing r134a cannot be healthy for you.

 

it is not because of the mixture. the coolent is in a closed system and does not go in to the cabin so there is no way you would smell it, and if it did leak into the cabin you would be having to recharge your system very often. my only thought on why it would smell is because if it was not run for a while there may have been some build up of dust or rodent droppings in the duct that you may be smelling. not trying to be a jerk but i just thought i would share my knowledge and inform you that it was not from the mixture