I couldn’t find ac low side fill port on kids ford focus. I figured it would be on suction line. Turns out port is on top of receiver which is behind wheel well liner for front fender. My equinox has receiver behind headlight but the port is on easily reached suction line next to battery. Is it common to hide the fill port?
You just found out.
Tester
I’ve worked on cars that didn’t have a low side port at all. All recovery and charging was done through the high side.
Yup, I remember having to lie on the floor to hook the low pressure hose up under behind the front bumper, plenty of other places it could have been, but someone thought it would be funny to mess with mechanics when they did AC work on it…
And yes, I remember running across a no low side AC system, I guess someone thought that would be funny to see how long it would take mechanics the 1st time looking for it…
“Take it to the dealer service department…” That’s the scam. Although, I suppose that independent HVAC shops have seen it all.
It’s not hidden until the car is fully assembled at the factory.
As has been posted here before… a lot of PIA mechanic’s work comes from design for assembly and NOT service! Modern AC service may be required once in 50K miles (our Audi!!), or 135K miles (our truck).
If access is a bit harder than it should be, at least the mechanic doesn’t suffer it every 5000 miles at the oil change… I’m pointing at YOU, Nissan… requiring 23 screws be removed from the undertray to reach the oil filter!
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My vue and equinox are basically the same chassis but different engines. Both have fill port in same place on similar hoses.
If I had a vehicle with no low-side service port, the first time the A/C system needed repair or top-off, I’d add one. There are inline crimp fittings, you simply cut the hose and install the fitting (yes, I realize you need a special crimp tool, but that can be purchased online for not too much money.)
Just make sure you have recovered the refrigerant, or it has already leaked out, as you don’t want to get a face full of refrigerant and oil…especially if you aren’t wearing proper safety glasses.
Here is one example of such a fitting with the R134a style service port.
I have also seen versions with one or two standard 1/4" Schrader ports, if you need the ability to connect a pressure switch or other threaded sensor.
That makes ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE
That’s right up there with the idea of drilling holes, cutting threads and adding zerks to tie rod ends and ball joints that never had them
Our ac machine at work gives you the choice to charge through the low side, high side or both
So what if there’s no low side service port . . . ?!
Simply select to recover, evacuate and recharge all through the high side service port, as already mentioned
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How does one do that, if no low-side service port exists? Recover the entire charge and weigh in a new factory charge?
Well, then doesn’t that make it difficult to top off a system with a slow leak, or to diagnose problems such as a restriction or a compressor which isn’t pumping properly?
I thought it made sense.
How does one truly diagnose A/C issues with high side access only? What makes ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE is not having both a low and high service port.
This actually made me wonder about being able to add a schrader port to the fuel line in my Prius. I haven’t needed to check fuel pressure in it yet. But it has no test port. And that makes ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE.
Yes, that’s the method Audi specifies in the service info.
Both high and low pressures and evaporator temp readings are provided through live data from sensors and read on Vag Com or aftermarket scan tool.
Install your pressure gauge at the quick disconnect coupling.
I couldn’t find hi side port as well. I was only looking for lo side.