How often do you get your freon recharged ?

My 2014 Escape AC doesn't seem to be as crisp as it should.

I have never charged my cars freon.

It is a closed loop system, isn't supposed to leak any. That being said, rubber hoses, seals, etc fail over time and can leak.

Now, there are other things you need to check before you assume it is a low charge.

Does it have a cabin air filter? When was the last time it was changed?

Is the condenser (should be near the radiator) clean? Damaged fins? Are there any cowls or plastic parts missing from the front of the car. These can affect airflow.

Is the evaporator clean? You can't see this part, buried behind the dash. If you smoke in the car or it has a musty smell you need to have it cleaned.

5 years seems a little soon to recharge the AC, it's always a possibility however. Check your evaporator (usually up under the passenger's side dash), if you park under trees a lot or the the likes it could be clogged with gunk not allowing the AC system to run as efficient as it should.

If you want to check for leaks (after checking all the things Dusty recommended), you can charge the system with freon (or R-11, or whatever it is now) and put a fluorescent dye in along with the charge. Run the system normally for a bit (a day or so) and if you have a leak, the dye will show that.

ETA:
Yeah...what rizzle said. Make sure you're not overcharging the system.

I would check to see if it has a cabin air filter first.
Topping off is not a good idea unless you know what you're doing, overcharge can cause higher pressures than normal.
Best way is to have the system evacuated and recharged to proper amount.

If you get caught venting refrigerant (R134A) to the environment, it's a $10,000 fine for one single event. With today cell phone technology, your neighbor is very motivated to turn you in for the rewarding price.

Check cabin air filter, condenser, dust, pollen, both low and high side pressure, super heat, sub-cooling level, amp draw on evaporator fan. Don't just add more juice to the system when it's not cooling.

Good lucks,

That would be up to a $27,500 fine and a $10,000 reward for who reports it. I guess I should of added that a A/C machine is required to recover and evacuate.

It's been 20 years since I bought my car and it was only cooling slightly better than ambient. It's probably needed charging for a number of years now, just never got around to it.

After charging recently, it's too cold even if I set the temp to 78 degrees. I think I'm going to need to recharge my heater now too otherwise I'm going to freeze during the winter season.

I took mine to the shop.....

Thanks for the replies,

It does have a cabin filter and I have had it changed several times. I have 130,000 miles on it and drive it hard doing sales.

If I'm honest with you guys I have to say I had no intention of doing the service myself. I don't have the tools and I'm not a do it yourself car guy.

Thanks again.

Please take it to a professional. I have had 5 cars come in over the last 3 weeks that were grossly overcharged by one of these DIY cans from the parts retailers. One fellow did significant damage to his system. His $30 quick fix cost him over a grand to be repaired properly. Its a wonder he wasnt injured....

So, 66tas (and others), why do they even sell these DIY cans?
I see displays of them at auto parts stores, Rural King, Walmart, etc.
It just seems like a potentially dangerous undertaking.

Properly used, the do-it-yourself service is fine, but there are too many cases when R-143 was put into the system, and that wasn't the problem. With the quickie kits and single hose adapters in Walmart or Autozone, the can can't be put on the high pressure side: the fittings are different sizes. If someone goes to harbor freight and buys an air conditioning service manifold with gauges, it hooks to both high and low sides, and it's very possible to do it wrong, and attach the high pressure side to a can of refrigerant. The result can be a burst can in one's hand and some serious injury. Additionally, the R143 can suffocate or cause breathing problems, or kill you, especially in an enclosed space.

A common problem is a low charge. That's what the cans are for. If one keeps putting in cans, however, one also keeps putting in oil (often 2 ounces of oil per can, and when the charge leaks out, the oil remains. This reduces system capacity, and efficiency, and can do serious damgage to the compressor.

The expansion valve and orfice is a couple of bucks and easy to replace, but also easy to cause damage if done incorrectly. Before adding refrigerant, the system should be drained and serviced down, and that requires a recovery system (generally not a do-it-yourself function at home).

If the compressor is bad, adding R-134 coolant won't do a thing to cool the car down. It's something that can be diagnosed with a set of gauges and a manifold, but like most things, a little knowledge is dangerous. The refrigeration system is a closed loop, and contains 200-300 psi pressure. Overservicing can cause line failure or damage components in the system.

Often servicing requires bypassing the A/C system to keep the compressor running during servicing. This can be done incorrectly and someone who doesn't know what they're doing will likely damage a component or put themselves in harms way.

AC service often doesn't require adding refrigerant to fix the problem, but other work, with refrigerant and fluid removed, before the work, and then the system recharged after. It can sometimes be a frustrating process.

quote:

Originally posted by PR64:
Thanks for the replies,

It does have a cabin filter and I have had it changed several times. I have 130,000 miles on it and drive it hard doing sales.

If I'm honest with you guys I have to say I had no intention of doing the service myself. I don't have the tools and I'm not a do it yourself car guy.

Thanks again.

With that kind of miles and use, it is entirely possible it is slightly low on Freon. Also with use, all of the A/C parts get less efficient, evaporator gets dirty, compressor not as efficient etc. Ford has an a/c check up special that is really cheap right now, I'd take it to a dealer.

Your system holds, at most, a pound and a half of refrigerant. Probably closer to one pound. (It is dispensed by weight, not pressure like in a tire.) If you've lost an oz. a year for 5 years, that could be as much as 25 % loss. It wouldn't hurt and would probably help to freshen it up. Don't buy one of those cans at Vato Zone or whatever. Have a pro evacuate it (the amount recovered is also helpful for diagnostic purposes), vacuum it and recharge it with the exact amount specified. Those "grenades," as I like to call them, can easily overcharge these low capacity systems.

After almost 10 years I performed that service on my own car. I only had three-quarters of a pound in a one-pound system - a 25% loss. It is too slow of a leak to find. It made a huge difference. Probably good for another 10 years.