Is there a DIY direction for AC recharge? (01 V70 T5) I know where the high and low pressure ports are. Regular auto store sell stuff that recharge on the low side but Volvo says to recharge on the high side only.

 

You should be able to buy one of the kits from the Auto parts store that will connect to the high side.

I know they seel one and yes you need to charge from the high side.

 

Is this fairly easy to do? My stores sell the kits and are fairly inexpensive. My AC blows cold but nowhere near what it should. Does the manual state what the pressure should be? I haven't worked on anything AC-related on a car before, but know how it works.

 

It is fairly easy. But try turning the controls to hot then back to cold and see if it blows colder.

 

Thanks. I've done that a couple of times. It helps a bit, but it just seems like it's not blowing as cold as other cars I've had in the past. I'm not sure if the AC in a Volvo is supposed to be very cold, or just mildly cold. It seems like sometimes it's blowing colder then others but it's always blowing cold which is the good thing. The compressor turns on and off properly.

Do you by any chance have any pictures or links that show where the ports are to charge the system? I don't know what the diff. is between a high and low valve but I assume that is related to the pressure in the system. I want to buy the kit this week. Does the manual tell in the specs area what pressure the system should be at?

 

You really cannot/should notdo this on a P2 car yourself, it must be doneproperly.

You need to drain it out and refill at the correct no. of pounds.

A Gen 1 car takes 1.64 lbs,I'm not 100% sure about a P2 car's R134 amount.
If you AC is working properly, they blow very cold, is your cabin filter dirty?
If so, that alonecan take some of the cold out

 

P2 cars hold 2.2 lbs and cars with dual climate (XC90) hold 2.8 lbs

 

How much does the dealer typically charge to get it done?

 

Well the labor I believe is almost 1 hour plus the freon if it needs it.

 

Does anyone have a plot of high and low pressure values versus amient temperature? Most manufacturers have them, but Volvo apparently does not as they specify a total mass of refrigerant to be added once you have evacuated the system.

 

I just paid a local volvo shop $225 to vacuum out the system and refill with new freon. Mine was low; it now throws ice cubes out of the vents. Money well spent.