Usually there's a sticker under the hood somewhere, that tells the amount of 134 in the system. It'll probably be under two pounds....so two cans should be enough.

Just how do you intend to evacuate the system?

 

its already empty and doesnt need to be evacuated. if its empty you obviously have a leak and i dont care what brand of A/C stop leak you put in there the sucker is still gonna leak. only way to stop it is to find out where its leaking from and replace whatever is leaking. easiest way to do it is to pump it full of frion (spelling?) with a tracer additive and drive it a few days/weeks and then check to see where it is leaking from. the tracer will make the area around the leak turn yellow. no worries it comes off with water.

 

^^^^Because it's empty just means there's no freon in it. Before you recharge the system, it should be evacuated (you pull a vacuum to remove any moisture in the system).

This takes special equipment.....if you don't do it the moisture will corrode the innards eventually. Plus it won't cool as it should.

 

^^^^Because it's empty just means there's no freon in it. Before you recharge the system, it should be evacuated (you pull a vacuum to remove any moisture in the system).

Wow... someone else that knew to do that besides me!!!!!

 

ah my bad. thats very interesting tho. ive never heard of or done anything like that and mine works fine since i replaced my a/c compressor. it probably takes time for any moisture in the system to start causing problems tho. ive only been 2 years with my new compressor.

 

If you replaced the compressor without pulling it into a deep vacuum it isnt working correctly.

Car was hit in the front passenger side. Sliced through the rubber hose. I fixed the hose. This is why it's empty.

Atleast u dont have to hunt for a leak[race]

 

Car was hit in the front passenger side. Sliced through the rubber hose. I fixed the hose. This is why it's empty.

 

Then you need to pull a vacuum on the system before adding the 134....

 

What is the difference between ester and pag oil?

 

They are just different types of refrigerant oil. A focus setup uses PAG oil. When the system is new is will hold 200ml(7oz) of oil. But all of your oil didnt leak out when your line broke, only a small amount. For a line break like that you would want to add about 1.5 to 2oz of oil. Dont add to much oil, that is as bad if not worse than not enough.

whatever, works just fine by me. if the A/C nearly giving you frost bite means it isnt working correctly then i stand corrected.

If it is good to you that is all that matters.

 

If its automobile refrigerant is like the refrigerant i use, i work for a air conditioning company, you dont need to add any oil. its in the refrigerant already. So i wouldnt suggest trying to pump any oil in. And you deff need to evacuate the system. if you dont the moisture in the system will cause acid and eventually eat through the windings in the compressor. Also will not get as cold as it should because you cannot condense the air inside your system. so it will run higher pressure which in turn will blow warmer air.

 

R-134a does not have oil in it, unless you specifically buy it like that(which I dont recommend...You dont need the same amount of oil for every type of repair) You are better off adding oil(the correct amount), pulling it into a vacuum, then charging the system with correct amount of refrigerant.

 

The thing is.....if a refrigerant line is cut in an accident, while the AC is on, the refrigerant is blasted out with great force, and a lot of oil is lost.

If that is what happened, you should see a bunch of refrigerant oil at the point of the damage. It wouldn't be a bad idea to use refrigerant cans with oil added. I don't know if the Ford compressor has a method to check the oil level. Some compressors have an oil level plug.....which you can only open if there is no refrigerant in the system. Might look into that....

 

duplicate post

 

> What is the difference between ester and pag oil?

(a) PAG oil is the oil that all OEM's use with the newer systems which use R134A, replacing the older systems that used the now prohibited R12 Freon refrigerant. R12 has not been manufactured or used for many years, but still has limited availability for repairing older systems. You now need a license to buy R12.

(b) Mineral oil was used in the older R12 systems.

(c) Ester oil is preferred for older systems that are retrofitted/updated to use R134A, as Ester oil mixes with, and is compatible with, mineral oil, e.g., any small residues of mineral oil in older systems will not be a problem if ester oil is used.

So OEM systems using R134A should use PAG oil.

The Right way to refill an empty Auto A/C system is to use a vacuum pump and gauge assembly to pull a vacuum to 27 Hg. You then let the vacuum pump go for another 30 minutes and close the valve, noting the vacuum reading. You then wait another 20-30 minutes and see if the vacuum reading changes. If the vacuum is less, then you have a leak that should be fixed before filling. If not, you then fill with the appropriate type and amounts of oil and refrigerant (PAG oil and R134A for the Focus).

That was the right way.

The wrong way is to skip using the vacuum pump and just fill with the appropriate type and amounts of oil and refrigerant, and hope for the best.

Some people have found doing it the Wrong way works well enough for them, while others have not. I suspect it depends upon (a) whether or not you have a leak, (b) how much moisture is in the system and how humid the air has been prior to filling, and (c) how long you keep the car after doing this.

Do it the right or the wrong way? Well, it's your choice. As they say, "You pays your money and you takes your choice"

 

How much oil is used in a Foci system? I have a 3oz can.

 

Put a little over half of that in and you will be good.

 

Thank for the info. rep points for all my friends.

 

Check the oz size of your can. The cans I remember using were 12 oz, but the amount of refrigerant is always in pounds. I think it's highly retarded (actually they make more money this way) that refrigerant for autos isn't made in 16 oz cans. Be sure you've done your division correctly. If you put only 2 cans in, you'll be 8 oz low by my math.

The absolute best way to do it is to put a set of gauges on it- you should be able to rent these at parts stores. 30-40 psi on the low side with the compressor running is optimal if memory serves me correctly. I always look it up first, but the optimal charge should be listed in your shop manual.

 

Finally how many do you added?

 

it will not be the same for everyone.

 

Thanks your advice, but i used the same car with him.

 

The General AC thread was not available for him to read in 2009 when this particular thread was started. Here's a link for you, and it's also near the top of the Ford Focus Technical chat thread page.

General AC Troubleshooting and Repair

 

So, if you are replace the entire condenser with a new unit (assuming the system has been completely discharged), you will need to:
1. Install new condenser
2. Completely evacuate system
3. Fill with OEM amount of oil (I heard 30ml)
4. Recharge with r134-a.

Correct? I ask because I will be doing this next weekend.