I have r12 and gauges, what is the proper procedure to charge?

[clydesdale]

Does anybody have a write up. My a/c lost charge over the winter. I imagine I have a leak. I have r12, how do I recharge it?

[Doughnut]

take it to a shop.

[clydesdale]

I was hoping for a chart of pressures or the capacity. I have the r12 cans and the fill hose. I am thinking of putting in one can or until the site glass flows clear.

[Doughnut]

I was hoping for a chart of pressures or the capacity. I have the r12 cans and the fill hose. I am thinking of putting in one can or until the site glass flows clear.

It's a good idea to change the filter dryer - reason I said take it to a shop is because you will waste r12 if there is still a leak.

Have a shop hook a vacuum up to determine where the leak is.

[clydesdale]

I have thought about using r12 with uv dye, but have heard mixed things. I don't want to take it to a shop. In my area, they charge $100 just to say hello. I have thought about buying a leak tester as well. I have a vacuum pump and have pulled a vacuum on the system before. But that was when I was replacing the compressor. I never was able to finish that job because the brand new receiver drier that I put in was defective. I did not have the skill to diagnose that and had to bring it to a mechanic. That guy was a bmw specialist. He retired.

[emi325i]

Are you licensed to handle R12? Obviously not, since you don't know how to charge it, and are willing to let it leak into the atmosphere. Since you have a leak, you should fix that first. Converting to R134A is trivial.. you need 2 fittings and a can of PAG oil... sell the R12 to someone licensed to handle it, convert to R134A and pocket half the money.. Oh yeah, the ozone layer will thank you.

[clydesdale]

I don't think it is that simple. You left out flush the system and replace receiver dryer. I have a leak tester, I plan on finding my r12 leak. Thanks.

[emi325i]

you should do that anyway.. I was referring to the additional steps required by the conversion. You should also replace all the o-rings and the the expansion-valve (they get clogged). I put in a new evaporator while I was at it, as well. Since you have to do all those things anyway, why not fill it with R134A, since it's so much cheaper.

Don't you just hate it when you spend a whole day fixing one thing, and the next day something else breaks? And,to make matters worse, it's always the part you thought will never break. lol.

[Mastrcruse]

Are you licensed to handle R12? Obviously not, since you don't know how to charge it, and are willing to let it leak into the atmosphere. Since you have a leak, you should fix that first. Converting to R134A is trivial.. you need 2 fittings and a can of PAG oil... sell the R12 to someone licensed to handle it, convert to R134A and pocket half the money.. Oh yeah, the ozone layer will thank you.

Yea convert to R134 and not have your A/C work good again. Man I shouldn't have converted, what shit. Stick wtih the R12 but like others are suggesting find someone that knows how to do it. Put an ad on craigslist to see if someone wants to do it on the side

[gearheadE30]

The e30 AC is designed to work with R12; the evaporator isn't really big enough for r134a to work well, so I'd stick with it. Sorry, can't help with the procedure though...

[SpecM]

go ahead and convert it, you can't buy r12 anymore anyway