DIY Testing, Fixing, & Recharging A/C

No AC? Leak test. Component test & replacement. Evacuate and recharge! This is my first go at this too! Allegedly this refrigerant does not deplete Ozone.

"Who told you?!" Servicing AC is a regulated industry in most parts. I am not certified, and have precious little AC experience. Yes, legit, a Provincially-Certified AC Technician told me not to publish this video, citing that he didn't want to see me get in trouble because of regulations. I gambled and did it anyway. Point out this paragraph in your comment below, and get an "A"!

"Rookie Mistake!?" Some of you are telling me I shouldn't invert the can for recharging. Every can I have used says to invert the can for recharging. I'm going to trust the can.

"Pro Tip!!" Before yanking the $$$ component, confirm that the electrical to is actually has both positive AND negative going to it - no sense condemning a component when it's actually source or ground to blame.

"It's Gone!!" Kid2 learned to drive in this, and now he's sold it; it's gone. Freedom!

Vevor Vacuum Pump:

Orion A/C Gauge Set:

Emzone A/C Recharge Kit:

Pick-N-Pull:

BC Regulations:

[BearHomeOwnerDIY]

good effort with AC not being one of your strengths. can see why you were told not to put it up, espeically in canada a person can't buy r134a in the parts store like you can in the US. r134a and r1234yf don't put holes in ozone layer, that's ODP (ozone depletion potential and older refrigerants like r12 and r22). R134a and r1234yf refrigerants have 0 ODP and some GWP. globalol warming "potential". you don't use a vacuum pump to evacuate refrigerant, you use a recovery machine and an empty cylinder to recover refrigerant to. Basically the world won't end and you aren't depleting ozone if that refrigerant didn't make it's way back into a cylinder for reclamation. your next goal: vacuum with line from vacuum pump to service port and a micron gauge on the other service port. But all in all, I think working on anything on a PT cruiser has got to be a punishment in the 6th or 7th circle of hell. A bit better test when you have a clutch cycling switch at the accumulator and high pressure cut-off switch at compressor is... feed the clutch ground and +12v. In many cases, the AC signal from control on dash goes to HP cutoff (normally closed) then to VCM or PCM. The clutch cycling switch (or low pressure switch) sends a ground to VCM/PCM when pressure is above low cutoff. Then the VCM/PCM will ground the clutch relay's coil. The relay contacts will send +12v to clutch. Not sure if you checked this offline before going at replacing the clutch or if you checked that the clutch was getting +12V from the relay, could have been the high pressure cutoff connector you said was buggered up that kept the clutch from engaging. During normal operation the HP switch is closed, so a break in the wire keeps the clutch from energizing.

[chadcramer]

I've been a professional mechanic over 10 years, I thought this video would be laughable but you did a great job and were rather amusing. KEEP WRENCHIN

[knights]

I firmly believe that whatever an auto-designer makes on a car; he should be then sent out into the field and forced to repair it a number of times so they actually get some commonsense to offset the high amount of non-sense they often have.

[williamwimmer]

this channel is consistently a source of knowledge every kid wishes his dad had

[bt]

What a great video! Professional Tech here. I really liked your placing the wheel & tire under the supported vehicle! Very smart insurance!

[bryanteaston]

I love the comments slamming you!
I added 134a to my daughter's car that had r12 originally. It wasn't completely discharged, so I just topped it off. Apparently
the oils are not compatible, so I found 134a with no oil and put it in. Charged till the pressures seemed right and it worked great.
Still was working when we sold it 3 years later. Like yours, it wasn't worth spending a lot of money on, so if it failed, I was only out a few hours and about 10 dollars.

[Rbenterprises]

This video is very entertaining. What I liked about the video was this fellow showed most of the problems I have ever run across in my 58+ years of working on cars. When you are an avid DIY’R, you do what you have to do to get a job done. My advice is NEVER give up! He mentioned how some say never use gloves with power equipment. I will tell you NEVER use an angle grinder or cutoff wheel WITHOUT gloves! (My $2100 visit to the emergency room this past year will attest to the FACT that an angle grinder can get away from you and chew up your fingers!) Keep up the great videos!

[thinton]

Great channel! Love those that state “if you have a crescent wrench and 5 minutes time, you too can do this…..” thanks for putting this in real world circumstances.

[jerrypettyjohn]

It was an excellent video, sir. It was so good, I watched it. I watched your video on a PT Cruiser a/c compressor. And that is saying something, because right now I'm working on a water pump on an old Mustang. Just sayin....


If it aint broke, just gimme a mine, nobody steal it!

[writewritewrite]

First time on your channel and it is great. I've had a lifetime of servicing my trucks and can tell you know what you are doing and the Canadian references make it real. I'd much rather watch you work than get to the work waiting for me. Of course, I subscribed and liked.

[tombloemker]

Submerse the cans in a bucket of hot water while servicing. It cuts the time down a lot.
To get the exact coolant amount, I use a digital thermometer measuring temps coming out of the vents, fan on high. As coolant is added the temp decreases. Once the temp goes back up a degree, stop adding refrigerant.

[myrondel]

Hilarious, been there myself doing A/C compressor on a Ford Expedition. After fighting the compressor out, I put a new compressor in and couldn't get the long ass bolt in it, so I had to drop the compressor back out and insert the long ass bolt then reinstall it. Of course, this was all done laying under the truck with rust and dirt falling on my face, what a pain in the ass. Great video brought back that wonderful memory of doing the same thing.

[deebee]

Great video. Watching from Australia. Love your candid approach and ability to get the job done and pass on the knowledge!

[rickadawson]

I have been a technician at a GM dealer for 25 years, 30 total in the car business and I don't ever see anything done here that I haven't seen before in A shop that I have worked at. No one ever follows all the rules and regulations that are in place, show me A person that says they do, and I'll show you a lair! There are short cuts to everything, made up by guys in the shops, because we get paid by the job, not the hour. You do what works for you and keep on trucking. Love the content and the comedy that you put with it, keep up the good work and teaching the young minds of your students!

[whyu]

If this PT-Cruiser was your son's vehicle and you fixed it, you are a better father than I ever had. I will leave it at that. Blessings to you.

[rainger]

First timer here, great advice, glad to see you keep it real. Like said above, you relate to the realworld DIY who's found this out of necessity.
Earned my like and Subscribe!

[ozzy]

Fascinating! Thanks for sharing your experience on the Chrysler repairs, you are very brave man !!! After watching your struggle, I congratulate my self for staying away from Chrysler, Dodge, Ram you know, all that “ famous “ brand !!! I prefer learning from some one else struggles ! Any way, I really enjoyed and learned a lot from your video, thanks !!!👍👍👍

[raf]

Nice to know I'm in good company. I was one of those "weird" kids that started to asked Santa Claus for automotive tools when I was 12. I gleefully flipped through the Sears Catalog picking out craftsman tools.

[drtnic]

Having recently worked on a PT Jigsaw puzzle I appreciate your recording of it first pulling the refrigerant into the system you can hear that cold motor. And by the time you were done you could actually hear yourself think around the motor after everything warmed up and filled up the spaces that makes the nasty racket of a PT/neon motors starting up cold.

[smolsfbean]

That was probably the most entertaining a/c video I have watched. Love the humor and you handled the PT cruiser well. Never was vehicle that I enjoyed working on less that a PT cruiser, maybe a prowler but they are so close it doesn't matter.