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DAQ How do I charge my AC?

My wife's 99 V70 has a leak in the evaporator so I have been adding r134 when it needed it. It's about $1100 to fix, so I just refill it. Whenever it quits cooling, I add a couple of 12 oz. cans. I recently bought a manifold gauge set and a 30lb can of r134 ($79 at Autozone, but I heard Sam's Club has it for less than $70.), but don't know how to go about putting in the proper amount. The instructions tell how to check the static and dynamic pressure, but not how to properly charge the system. Please pass on any advice or where to look for this information. As always, thanks in advance.








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    DAQ How do I charge my AC?

    I use an old baby scale to measure how much R134 I put in after I evacuate the system. The 96 850 system holds 1.65 +/-0.11 lb. That's 26 oz. I think the amount of charge is stated on a tag someplace under the hood. Haynes has an AC service book that lists all models.
    --
    Tom 69-1800S, 72-1800ES, 96-850T,2000-S70 GLT-SE








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    DAQ How do I charge my AC?

    The way to properly charge the system so that you know it has the correct amount of refrigerant in it is to drain it completely, connect a vacuum pump to the system to evacuate it entirely and remove any residual moisture and then recharge the system using an a/c charge scale to measure the exact amount that you put back in. Doing it any other way is a guestimate, surely you can get close but will more than likely be a little over or a little under. To judge how much you put in to simply top it off you will have to go off of the low side pressure which will change with the ambient temps, it will be higher when hotter outside and lower when cooler. You have no access to the high side on that system and if you wanted to get that number it would be necessary to hook up a scan tool and read it off of the the high side pressure sensor. Your other option would be to evacuate the system completely and then recharge it off of your cans, figure out based on the amount that each can holds versus what the system total is just how many cans it will take. You will probably end up at something like 2.5 cans depending upon what size cans you have.

    Mark








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      Off topic AC question? V70-XC70 1998

      Hi Mark,
      I don't know if you read my dumb mistake story about over charging the AC. Is there a high pressure relief valve on these Volvo systems? The Ohio dealer said that is what let go after I overcharged it.
      The system still has 45lbs 2 weeks later, so I doubt that a hose actually popped.

      Thanks,
      Klaus
      --
      The 164 has a new home, all I am left with are a 95 854T and a 98 V70R :)








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        Off topic AC question? V70-XC70 1998

        Yes, they sure as heck do and it is an eye opening experience when they blow. It is a valve on the back of the compressor, some of them are a simple blow off valve that will vent the entire charge and some of them are more of a poppet valve that will pop open and bleed enough gas out that pressures come back down.

        R-134 tends to react to heat more than the old R12 stuff did so when an electric fan would take a dump the temps and pressures would spike ratherly quickly and it would blow the charge. When this happens and you happen to be under the hood, son of a gun does it grab your attention right now!

        I missed your post on the overcharge, sounds like a funny one though.

        Mark







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