A/C Re-charge

[penspuck73]

1992 Buick Century 3.3 V6

Is it difficult to "re-charge" the air conditioning system on these cars?

[Jet]

If it's still the R12 freon system, yes, because R12 is verrrry difficult to come by.....legally. No longer made.

[Prospeeder]

you would need to retrofit it, and you can do the cheapie way. Replace the fittings with R134a retrofit fittings, replace the orifice tube and accumulator (like 30 bucks) and then charge it up with refrigerant. Iv done several and they work fairly well and have lasted a few years so far

[89CelebritySedan]

and whatever you do, DO NOT mix PAG oil and Mineral Oil! you'll destroy the compressor, and we all know the Compressor is the most expensive part of an A/C System.

[Prospeeder]

Get ester oil it will safley comply in the system and the left over mineral oil will just hang out in the system and not harm anything, it will mostly settle in the acumulator, maybe if the system gets low again in a year replace the acumulator again and recharge

[occupant]

I'm tempted to recharge the air in the Ciera but I'm afraid I would get black death and lock up the compressor, requiring a belt change and maybe a pulley or something. That is what happened to my '88 Century which had a low charge of R-12 and cooled well under 80 ambient so was fine for the previous owner in northern Ohio but was useless here in Texas. Took it to a shop in Dallas one day after work, he said for $120 he could vacuum it out and put in R134a with ester oil, but he didn't change the orifice tube or whatever it's called.

It took a mere half a mile of driving for the compressor to lock up and require me to walk to AutoZone and buy a shorter belt to get home.

[Prospeeder]

well the compressor locking should be able to just turn it off, and then the pully would free wheel, you sure the pully bearing didnt seize because your A/C system sat unused for years?

[dhenderz]

Agree with Prospeeder. Just turn the a/c off and the clutch will disengage & freewheel. No walking required. Cussing yes, walking no.