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Joined: Jul 2004
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OK. My 99 Contour's air isn't as cold as it used to be. It still blows cool air, but not cold like it should be. The car is black, and I park in an open parking lot at work each day. With temps in the upper 80's and low 90's where I live, it is very warm even with the windows cracked open a little. By the time I get home (25 minute drive) it still isn't cooled down.
Has anyone used a recharge kit on a 99 Contour? How hard is it? I do basic maintenance on all of our vehicles (oil, brakes, belts, some body work, etc) so I am not afraid to try something new, but not without understanding how it works a little better.
Thanks!
Nick
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Joined: Aug 2002
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i have and it is totally easy i bought the kit at wal mart...came with a blue hose(w/attachments),and 2 cans of r134a...i think it was less than $20...
its simple all you have to do is screw the can on one end,and attach the other end to the LOW pressure a/c line..it has a little plastic cap on it...it will only fit on the low precssure,it just snaps on...then you puncture the can by turning a bolt and as you loosen that bolt it fills the a/c...
slow process sometimes,just let the can empty all the way,you can tell when its done...the outside of the can will not be cold anymore..you also have to leave the car running with a/c on...
very simple to do,you shouldn't have any problems...
new,new ride!
'99 svt
black/mnb
'95 mustang gt sold!
'98 svt #800 sold!
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i got a black contour, 96, V-6 engine.. when parked in a lot it gets hot.. the a/c in my car works correctly but the heat you have parking in the sun takes forever to cool the car.... you might not have a problem with the a/c at all..
its the car, black is the problem.... absorbs the heat..
that is why in the south the black an white police cars had a white top years ago to control some of the heat..... try parking under a tree.. when i have my contour in the garage
and use it there is no problem.. it just take some time to cool the car down when parked in the sun... where i live the temp. was like 82 degrees, but the heat index was over
100 degrees....very high humidity.........
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40
New CEG\'er
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OP
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Originally posted by dbird:
i got a black contour, 96, V-6 engine.. when parked in a lot it gets hot.. the a/c in my car works correctly but the heat you have parking in the sun takes forever to cool the car.... you might not have a problem with the a/c at all..
its the car, black is the problem.... absorbs the heat..
that is why in the south the black an white police cars had a white top years ago to control some of the heat..... try parking under a tree.. when i have my contour in the garage
and use it there is no problem.. it just take some time to cool the car down when parked in the sun... where i live the temp. was like 82 degrees, but the heat index was over
100 degrees....very high humidity.........
After the car is sitting in my garage overnight, (cooled down) it still doesn't blow cold a/c. While the black color isn't helping any, I still think that it is an A/C issue, but thank you for stating the obvious. (seriously) Many times people look for the hard answer and miss the easy ones.... 
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 340
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
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Posts: 340 |
Originally posted by Nick Buol:
Originally posted by dbird:
i got a black contour, 96, V-6 engine.. when parked in a lot it gets hot.. the a/c in my car works correctly but the heat you have parking in the sun takes forever to cool the car.... you might not have a problem with the a/c at all..
its the car, black is the problem.... absorbs the heat..
that is why in the south the black an white police cars had a white top years ago to control some of the heat..... try parking under a tree.. when i have my contour in the garage
and use it there is no problem.. it just take some time to cool the car down when parked in the sun... where i live the temp. was like 82 degrees, but the heat index was over
100 degrees....very high humidity.........
After the car is sitting in my garage overnight, (cooled down) it still doesn't blow cold a/c. While the black color isn't helping any, I still think that it is an A/C issue, but thank you for stating the obvious. (seriously) Many times people look for the hard answer and miss the easy ones....
Is your suction/low-side line *cold* to the touch? A/C on, engine running for a minute or so. For an accurate measure, test it somewhere near the firewall. If it's cold, then there is some sort of problem with the blend door operation under the dash. If it's not cold, you might try doing what another poster suggested...using one of those recharge kits...but I've never used one. Do you just guess on the amount, with those? No actual performance readings, like with gauges or machines?
Can't help you much with those kits, but the instructions will probably tell you about introducing the freon into the system as a gas [can right-side up]...just common sense.
And if there is a stop-leak built-in, or included in the kit, don't use it. Don't know what that will do to your expansion tube, pressure switches, etc, but I know that the stop-leak fouls up and damages expensive A/C recovery/recharge equipment.
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I have a thermometer measuring the a/c air outlet. When I have the car parked in the sun, with the windows rolled up, in nice cool southern Oklahoma, the temperature will be about 140 when I first start the car. I live ten miles from where I work, and before I get home, the air coming out of the duct is 40 degrees.
95 Contour Zetec, ATX (wrecked, sitting in the barn)
95 Mystique Zetec, MTX
2000 Taurus SEL 3.0L Duratec
1994 Crown Victoria LX 4.6 V8
1993 Chevy Silverado 4.3 V6
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Those recharge kits are very easy to use. I recharged my sisters Altima with one. They have step by step instructions on the back. The hose will only fit on the low pressure side. So you don't have to worry about putting it in wrong. Basically how you do it is:
Hook hose up to low pressure side
Screw R135 can onto hose but dont puncture yet.
Start car with A/C on max
Read gauge to see how low it is.
Screw hose shut off valve all the way in to puncture the can
Then back out the shut off valve to open the can into the system.
Dont open the valve all the way. Just about half way. If you open it all the way the gauge will spike all the way into the red.
Let the system fill then close the shut off valve.
Unhook hose from the car
Former owner: 1999 Contour SE Sport
Current: 2000 Eclipse GT
There are three ways to do things: the right way, the wrong way, and the Max Power way!
Isn't that just the wrong way?
Yeah, but faster!
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I checked the low-side line and it was not cold to the touch. I think that I will try a recharge kit over lunch, so that when I drive home for the day today, I will hopefully have some A/C. We are supposed to hit 97 degrees and I swear that it is about 99% humidity outside. So hot and moist that it is starting to get to a point that you have to work (just a little) at breathing in the hot, humid, and heavy air...
I will let you know how I do.
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 74
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I read somewhere that you should not mix R134a with R12. Also, the colour of the cap on the recharge valves indicates which coolant is in the system. Does anyone know if this is for real, and a serous issue.
I am also experiencing a lack of cold air, but have been reluctant to pick up one of these recharge kits because I think I have R12 in the system (I have a black cap instead of a green one). Could someone shed some light on this for me.
Thanks.
E0
Silver Frost,
SVT # 4337
Built 12/23/97 !!!
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40
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I thought that all vehicles after 1994 were 134a?!?!
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