Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Zetec Maintenance recharging the A/C

I did some searching on the site but didn't really find what I need to know about recharging the A/C in my '96 Mystique.

The A/C seems to run but doesn't really cool. I'd like to buy one of those recharging kits with the pressure guage and leak stop to try to do this myself. So, how do I do it? What steps doo I need to take to do this? Where do I need to make my connections on my '96 Zetec? I understand there's a high pressure connection and a low pressure connection.

A step-by-step would be much appreciated.

get the kit and follow the directions

the connection you want in in front of the battery and the high side has a different connection so you can't connect to it

set the kit up and open the valve to let new R134A in and you will notice a difference right away. let it go for a minute then check the pressure with the guage and when it stays where it is suppose to stay you are all set

again just follow the package instructions and you should be fine

...and in case your car drinks the entire can, you'll know it's empty when it's no longer cold. That way you aren't sitting there waiting for no reason.

Thanks for the replys. I hope it's as easy as it seems to be. Maybe I'll get a chance to try today.

I also just tried to recharge my A/C. I don't think it worked. I hooked everything up, but when I opened the valve to release the refridgerant nothing significant happened. Then, something would make a hissing noise & the needle on the pressure gauge would dip down to about 20 psi & then go back up to about 35. This would repeat about every 5-10 seconds. When I finally gave up and unhooked everything, the can was still about half full (which then promptly discharged into the atmosphere ) Anyway, I'm hoping somebody can tell me what I'm doing wrong...

How much refrigerant will fit into the system if it's empty?

Can anyone recommend a particular kit that includes some sort of stop leak? I'm assuming the system is empty due to a leak.

What is it with ya'll wantin air conditioning so bad?

I admit I don't need air conditioning, but when my boss says something like: "Detroit Tues/Wed & Chicago Thurs/Fri" (like he did today) I appreciate being relaxed and comfortable. Course, I could just demand a rental car, but my company reimburses 59 cents/mile so I think I'm winning out... But about the air conditioning, I could use some serious help here.

Sorry I can't help. My fix was to rip it all out. I live in south georgia, guess I'm just used to heat.