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Air Conditioning Recharge not a DIY
And the AC in the X5 has not been keeping up. I decided to recharge, but instead of buying a little can of refrigerant to destroy my system with, I decided I wanted to do it the right way by checking to see if the current system holds pressure, vacuuming the system to remove air/water and old refrigerant, then adding oil, sealant, dye, and new refrigerant back into the system. Can't do it. There are too many obstacles to this supposed DIY job. If you have a different experience, please let know. First, I will assume that you agree that the job should be done correctly and within the EPA rules (not releasing the old gas into the atmosphere). Problems...
For all the trouble, I have come to the conclusion that this is one job that is not worth the trouble. Tomorrow, I will go have the system professionally sucked out and refilled. Hopefully they will find that the system is still tight and all the components are good. Otherwise I will have to pay the $99 to get it tested, Replace whatever is broken, then pay another $99 again to evac and refill. Bummer.
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2006 X5 Sport 4.4i |
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#2
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You could job out the evac and refill, and do the work yourself?
If you are DIY I would also look at the condenser dessicant pack and the expansion valve. Both very easy to get to. A way to flush would be good if the inspection shows gunk in the valve and drier area. A vacuum would not pull that stuff out. Unless you decide to just replace the condenser assembly if there is evidence of internal contamination.
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04 X5 3.0i auto 03 X5 4.6is |
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I rebuilt the entire A/C system in a 99 Firebird once, but I immediately drove it to a shop with the A/C belt off and had them vacuum, recharge and test it. I came to the same conclusion as you...that part is best done by people with the equipment and infrastructure to deal with refrigerant. I wasn't worried about contamination because I replaced everything, down to the little seals.
I just paid the 99 once, at the end.
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2001 E53 3.0 5pd |
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AC is done. I took it over to Meineke, 45 minutes later I drove away with a cold car. All of the AC tools I purchased go back.
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2006 X5 Sport 4.4i |
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2005 X5 4.8IS The Blue ones are always FASTER.... Current Garage: 2005 X5 4.8is 2002 M5 TiSilver 2003 525iT 1998 528i Former Garage Stable Highlights 2004 325XiT Sport 1973 De Tomaso Pantera, L Model 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A 4 sp Alpine White 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A 4 sp GoManGo Green 1971 Dart Sport, “Dart Light” package 1969 Road Runner 383 1968 Ply Barracuda 340S FB Sea-foam Green |
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Quote:
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#7
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Glad you got it worked out.
Please don't try the sealant. Very likely it will gum up the works and many places will refuse to touch the system once they hear or discover it has sealant in there. For anyone that wants to know, you put the refrigerant into a "recovery tank". Buy one off Amazon or your local Craigslist. In addition to the gauge set, you need a recovery machine (eBay or Craigslist), a scale and a decent vacuum pump made for AC work. You can take the Vehicle refrigerant EPA exam online and get your lifetime EPA card for about $25.
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David.X5 2001 X5 4.4i Sport SOLD! at 160k miles |
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And my county has a no-questions asked household haz waste drop off. I love that...
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David.X5 2001 X5 4.4i Sport SOLD! at 160k miles |
#9
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Quote:
Mastercool 69788 A Automatic R134a Recovery Recycle and Recharge Machine | eBay
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2006 Infiniti G35 2001 BMW 3.0I E53 X5 Build date 08/2000 SOLD Lotus Europa 1970 Destroyed by fire Lotus Europa 1970 S2 Renault Powered Lotus Type 52 1970 Twincam Webers Powered PORSCHE 911 Targa 1982 The Garage Queen Audi Avant donated to Kars for Kids BMW 525IT Sold Audi 4000CS Quattro Sold Jensen Healey Lotus Powered Sold Opel 1900 Sold Triumph Spitfire 1971 Sold Triumph Spitfire 1968 Sold Plymouth "Cuda" 340 Six pack SOLD |
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I know you are joking about the $2700 machine. But that's not the only way - you can get a reasonable used recovery machine for $150-$250, without all the automatic features.
Like this - Promax Model MiniMax Refrigerant Recovery Machine | eBay
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David.X5 2001 X5 4.4i Sport SOLD! at 160k miles Last edited by David.X5; 04-30-2016 at 12:26 PM. |
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