1995 Honda Accord A/C Leak

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

Hi,

To start off, I’m very, very inexperienced when it comes to car maintenance and repair. My question is regarding the A/C system for my 1995 Honda Accord. It hasn’t worked for a couple of years, just blows hot air, but with my limited knowledge of cars I decided to just roll the windows down instead. Well, a friend convinced me to finally give recharging the coolant a try and so I went out to the hardware store and bought a can of R-134 with a gauge on it. I found my low pressure valve and checked the pressure. My first tip that something was wrong was that the gauge didn’t move at all when I connected it to the low pressure valve, without the can of refrigerant. Not knowing what this meant, and half guessing that it just meant the system was empty, I continued on with the process. I shook the can, connected all the parts and attempted to dispense the R-134 into the system. The gauge initially ticked up and then began to swing around wildly. I think I didn’t have the hose connected properly. I finally got a proper connection (I could feel it fall into place properly) and the gauge became steady and started to fill slowly. When I got it between 40 and 45psi I released the button, only to watch the pressure slowly fall back down to zero. My immediate thought was that there must be a leak and, after checking under the car, I found a fresh little puddle of R-134 under my car.

So, my question is what should I do next, apart from taking my car into a repair shop? I’m on a very limited budget right now and would like to diagnose the problem as much as I can, fixing it myself if possible, before resorting to taking it to a professional.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. :slight_smile:

2

Any leak that prevalent will require a couple different parts be replaced, the system evacuated, and charged. It’s really not a job the the home DIY’er.

3

This is not a DIY job. Specialized equipment is required to properly evacuate, dry, and recharge the system. If you can spot the leak you’re one step ahead, and since it leaked out so fast it should be obvious.

Take it to a shop that specializes in automotive AC and let them fix it. AC repairs are rarely cheap.

4

Air conditioning repairs can be dangerous if not done correctly. The others are right; take it to a good shop.

5

You did not see a puddle of R134a under your car. R134a is a gas. What you did see is PAG oil. When the system leaks the R134a, the PAG oil suspended in the gas also leaks out. You do not know how much PAG oil leaked out the first time or this time, but the amount in the AC system of a Honda is critical.

Now is the time to bring it to a professional, if you want the AC to work.