I had an A/C leak. I had used one of those parts store kits that has the fittings to "convert" to R134 and charged it up that way. It worked great for about 2 weeks then quit again so I figured I had a leak somewhere. I looked at my evaporator(?) (core under the dash) and expansion valve and it was clean, so I son't think the leak was there. I changed every seal and o-ring, both hoses, and resealed the compressor all with parts that said R134 compatable on them. So my question is should I have it recharged by a professional shop now or can I just recharge it myself with another parts store kit? And if you can back up your answer with some info it would help too. I've heard I'll have to replace my dryer, expansion valve, condensor, etc etc, but no one can tell me why. I didn't have a compressor failure, just a leak. I would think I'd only have to replace the dryer and other parts if I had a compressor failure to prevent any trapped metal or debris from wrecking the new compressor.

Thanks for the help.

By the way, this site rocks. Any Honda related questions I've had have been handled very well here. Wish I had found this site earlier.

 

how long did you draw a vacuum on it before filling it?

 

and you replace the dryer because it does exactly that, it absorb moisture in the system, once the system is open due to a leak it is recommended to replace it since you do not know how much moisture it absorbed when the system was opened. if the desiccant absorbs too much the dryer could potentially fail or clog the system.

 

I didn't vacuum the system at all so I guess that answers my question about why go to a professional shop. Do you think I should replace it with OEM or can a save some $ with an aftermarket dryer?

Thanks for the help. Now I'm learning something again.

 

aftermarket is fine. with ac work you can actually do the wrenching part yourself pretty easily. i mean its just remove and replace which isnt that bad, but when you get it all buckled up you want that dryer to be new, and then you want to pull a vacuum. you pull the vacuum for several reasons, first it allows you to make sure you have a sealed system, and second it draws off the moisture and air in the system. When you start using the system the moisture and air will take up space and reduce efficiency of the process that makes it cold.

You MAY be able to borrow/rent a vacuum pump a the parts store, and avoid the shop. if you do that, make sure you get the proper ac gauges (with high side, low side and a vacuum/fill line), and draw the vacuum, you want to see about -30 psi and you want to see that hold. Often a shop will let it sit for a bit to make sure, i know when i have done it i often let it sit for a few hours if i can. if it holds then you can use that vacuum port to fill the system again. Of course under or overfilling means poor to no function so make sure you know how much your system takes. One last note is if you do replace parts make sure you have the manual so you know if you need to add oil or not.