so i Know that my 1996 850 Turbo wagon should not need to be recharged...and that the problem is probably much bigger (and more expensive) than a recharge, but it is unbearably hot right now and I have a 12 day old baby who is having a hard time with the heat...and we can't afford to have too much done right now.

Anyway, I called a place to see if I could just have it recharged (for however long it might last) and they said that they are not sure if they can service it or not b/c it might only have "one port" rather than two and their machine doesn't work for cars with one port! Any way that I can figure this out without driving 25 minutes to have him tell me if it has one or two ports?

Thanks everyone

 

You can buy a kit at a local auto parts store and rechage it yourself. I was always reluctant to do this, but did it last year. I only did it once and when it leaked out in about 10 days, I had to take it to somebody to have it fixed. Needed an evaporator and it cost me about $1400 to have it done. I would definitely recommend recharging one time yourself though. You can't keep doing it though cause it will build up pressure.

 

so like a napa or something?

Is it hard to do? B/c I am NOT handy with cars AT ALL!!! Could an idiot do it?

 

I would find somebody who is handy. It's not hard at all, but if you are not comfortable doing stuff like this, I would find somebody who is. I have one daughter who would do it herself in a minute and another who would probably not even open the hood. My son wouldn't even think twice about it.

 

My 960 850 Turbo sedan with electronic climate control only has one a/c service port. I don't remember if it is on the low pressure side or the high pressure side. I suppose it´s low pressure for safety reasons, but anyhow it only has one port.

 

So I'm sorry to hear the A/C not working. I absolutely understand the misery, as I myself consider cars without A/C should be banned[8D](unless if I lived in Sweden).

Anyway, 850's A/C is guaranteed to fail, and the component that fails is embedded in the deepest cave of the dash. The part is not that expensive, but it is the labour thathurts your bank account.

>so like a napa or something? Is it hard to do? B/c I am NOT handy with cars AT ALL!!! Could an idiot do it?

I personally would try AutoZone or Pep Boys, as NAPA seems to be falling behind their competitors (although it probably wouldn't make much difference in this case).

It is within the capability of average person to recharge the A/C, but certain precautions have to be taken, as the refrigerant (called R134a) can give you frostbite. Also, there is an accessory drive belt and if you're not cautious, your hands/hair can get caught and you will be severely injured. When I say "average person", it means a person who does not put his/her cat in the microwave to dry him/her or sue a fast-food restaurant because he/she spilled a cup of hot coffee while driving on their own fault (although it was more of an ambulance chaser's fault in the end).

I'll attach a pic on a sample of recharge kit. There is one port I know of, and it is on the LOW side. As you view the engine, it is located to the left, close from the washer fluid pipe. If the leak is too bad, it may not last more than a day or two, but if it's minor, one charge may last a week or longer, in which case you may be able to get by with charging the system until summer is over.

What I can tell you, at your own risk, is to buy a service manual (Haynes manual runs about $15-$18) and do your homework, a recharge kit, read the instructions a few times, and then try recharging it. Make sure to wear eye & hand protection. Or, make your dad/brother/husband/boyfriend an experimental rat and make him do it for you[8D].

See attached pics for details. Good luck, keep safety in mind, and have a cooler box in the car with bottles of coldwater to keep your baby from dehydrating.

Wish you a cooler summer. Japan is horrible right now, heat & humidity & politics[8D].


JPN

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