A/C Leak Testing, Repair, Evac and Recharge (ANY CAR!)

:55 where to start with any A/C problem
3:00 visual inspection, what a leak looks like
5:40 type of refrigerant oil in a retrofitted system
8:08 how to tell if your A/C compressor is running
10:33 compressed air vs nitrogen to find a leak
14:00 locating a leak with soap/water
16:26 testing an A/C compressor without a refrigerant charge
18:50 pressure testing (max psi)
26:33 pressure decay test after leak repair
31:50 using a micron gauge for leak testing
35:46 adding oil to an A/C system
40:25 decay test with a micron gauge
48:58 charging an A/C system with 12oz cans
53:50 using hot water to charge an A/C system
55:55 in car temperature testing
58:40 what a low charge looks like on your psi gauges
1:02:22 using a sight glass to indicate charge level
1:05:31 how to remove high pressure from your gauges
1:10:44 final comments on a micron gauge (25400 microns in 1" of vacuum)

ScannerDanner Tools:

On ScannerDanner Premium I will bring you right into my classroom at Rosedale Technical College. You will find page for page lectures taken right from my book as well as exclusive classroom type case studies. What is so special about these classroom case studies? I pull live problem vehicles directly into my classroom and we troubleshoot them in real time, using and applying the theory and testing procedures we learn during the classroom lectures. There is no better on-line training of how to troubleshoot automotive electrical and electronics systems anywhere!

Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of ScannerDanner LLC, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. ScannerDanner LLC assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. ScannerDanner LLC recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of ScannerDanner LLC, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not ScannerDanner LLC.

[doubledownllc]

How does this man not have 8 million subscribers. He is a fountain of knowledge and gives so much away for free. The videos are entertaining and he makes complicated things simple. The fact he has on 300k subscribers should be a crime. Keep up the fantastic work Mr. Danner and ALL who work with and help you.

[heydude]

Huge respect to you for being honest and not editing them out when you made small errors, then explaining what went wrong. Then immediately explaining how to avoid those errors. We all make these silly little mistakes

[TonyRule]

25:22 Hygroscopic is the word you're looking for ( *not* hyDroscopic as many people incorrectly believe) like DOT3, DOT4, and DOT 5.1 brake fluid.
42:07 That change from 500 to 510 could be as simple as a change in ambient air temperature. Assuming linear gauge accuracy, and no built in hysteresis, it may have been actual 504.9 and increased to 505.1. So a change from 500 to 520 could be as little as 504.9 to 515.1 or as much as 495.1 to 524.9 and still show 500 to 520. All that really matters is that it's not climbing like crazy. That said, you can find cases where a system will hold a vacuum, but not pressure and vice versa - some leaks can annoyingly act like a check valve.

[Sagittarius-]

This dude is the epitome of a straight up professional who stays true to his backyard mechanic roots..

[miket]

Hi Paul. Great video. I am a chemist. I was told that the old R12 systems would contain traces of acid due to decomposition of dichlorodifluoromethane (R12). The PAG oils are long chain polymers made from polymerization of glycols. So the ends of these long chains have OH groups (alcohol groups). The alcohol group gets protonated from the acid and the polymer unzips and turns into sludge. By reacting the alcohol groups to make ester groups, there is no longer alcohol groups that can react with acid and the polymer (PAG) backbone stays in tact (ie, does not unzip).

[spbnyey]

Dude... I LOVE that you made errors because THAT'S exactly how we learn and to see how you correct those issues that many of us (no doubt) will create. These are the BEST videos to learn from, for this exact reason.
Excellent vid. Thanks again

[spelunkerd]

I think the clear advantage of the micron gauge is to finally verify there is no moisture in the system. On a big system as you vacuum down, the liquid water quickly boils away, but there may be solid ice that doesn't sublimate as fast. The sudden drop in pressure induces a precipitous drop in temperature that can freeze some water, which will be slow to vacuum off. In that case, when you close the system off and wait, the pressure creeps up as that solid water ice sublimates to water vapour. It's a signal you need to vacuum for longer to get the rest of the water.

[charleskennedy]

I have been a automechanic for over 30 years and I always learn something on your videos. Thank you and keep up the great work.

[BenjaminWhicker]

Im a big fan of your teaching techniques, the way you talk to everyone, and especially your honesty! I have been learning refrigeration for 7+ years now, and I learn so much from you and every project that i do. I think your vacuum pump could possibly pull down below 100 if you let it go long enough, but that's not necassary, however, letting it run for a long time insures that the moisture is removed. I also recommend that you close and open whatever valves you are using a few times during the vacuum process, cause that lets air bubbles and moisture, that is trapped in the valves, free to be evacuated.
You will find that usually your microns will rise a lot more than on this video. As long as they don't rise past a certain point in 10 minutes, you don't have a leak. If you have a leak, they will rise quickly to infinity. I fix freezers, refrigerators, and home AC, and on the small systems I shoot for about 200 and hope it doesn't rise much past 600 in 10 minutes. I don't think I'd be too concerned if it stayed under 1000, but I would probably want to vacuum it for longer anyway. I have the same pump you used, as well as one a little bigger, and i like to leave them running for hours while i go and do something else.
Thanks again for all you do and how you do it. YOU ARE THE BEST!

[lawrencebrady]

I just discovered the ScannerDanner channel, and just in time. Recently, I noticed that my 2006 Honda Accord's A/C was not blowing nearly as cold as it had in the past years. At 54 years of age, I've only recently gotten over the fear of tackling some of the automotive repairs that are rarely handled in do-it-yourself/backyard repair situations. Thanks to ScannerDanner's (Paul's) great video, I will purchase an A/C manifold kit and a vacuum pump and fix the A/C problem myself. ScannerDanner (Paul), your videos are so valuable. Thanks - and please keep them coming!

[glenntagaylo]

A very good and humble teacher. I'm still learning the whole AC thing and you definitely just added wisdom to my small brain. Thank you.

[aephix]

I work for an electric company in NYC. When we perform evacs, we bring our vacuum down to under 150 microns. Our rise test is done over 30 minutes and a loss of 100 microns or less is a pass. On my truck, I've system-checked my vacuums, and I can get to 23 microns. All this means nothing in a car, but for moisture-sensitive electrical components working in the 64k to 345k volt range, it's the difference between flowing electricity and a burnout and power loss.

[colestowing]

I fixed my ac on my little work van earlier this spring with your tips and guidance...needed a condenser and some small stuff but everything i did i learned on this channel. Thanks for what you do 👍

[williamkohl]

As a DIYer this was a great video as usual. Your "gift of gab" just adds to the video. Thank you.

[frdsmth]

Paul, I watched this whole video on YouTube TV ..HAVE GOT TO TELL YOU YOU ARE THE ONE OF THE VERY BEST, TEACHER EVER, YES EVER ❤️, GOD BLESS YOU FRED S. YOU DEFINITELY CARE ABOUT THIS WORLD AND DOING YOUR VERY BEST JOB !!!

[brianburke]

best demo gauges, home charging, high/low readings, clean air safety. I've read and watched many, this was the clearest. GREAT JOB.

[Automotive_Solutions]

A digital micron guage is a great insight into vacuum but pressure decay testing with digital manifold gauges at 150 to 200 psi is a more real world test. I've found many systems hold a good vacuum but can't hold a pressure test. Great video and camera work as always 👍😁

[dzorba]

If that is your son filming, i like that you got him involved to gain the knowledge. He's helping you and learning valuable information. He's learning mechanics and videography. Nice.

[techguy]

FYI, after you take the hose off the vac pump and connect the hose up to the R134a you are to remove the center cap off the line set manifold and purge the hose with R134a until you see it in the site glass window. Then you can open up the low side and charge the system. Thanks for the videos!!! God Bless!!!

[DigBipper]

A couple quick side notes I'd like to add;

- With regard to the micron gauge, I've seen a lot of HVAC guys use a schrader on the port or a ball valve to valve off the micron gauge, and to prevent atmospheric air entering the system, they will charge until the pressure is equal to or marginally greater than atmosphere so that when they remove the micron gauge, atmospheric air can't rush in.

On the note of wasting your R134a by charging a leaking system, excluding the part where refrigerants are bloody expensive... here's what you should keep in mind with an R12, R22 or R134a system;

Luckily, unlike R12 or R22, R134a isn't a CFC, it's a HFC. therefore doesn't deplete the ozone layer. It's also not toxic either, which does mean that is safer to discharge to atmosphere... but the other impacts it has make these still a bad idea. R134a is an extremely dense gas. If discharged over a pit, it will accumulate in that pit. R134a is known as an asphyxiant, as it is capable of displacing air in the lungs and is hard to expel, so it should not be inhaled or discharged over a pit. It's also a potent greenhouse gas. These reasons combined are why you can't legally discharge an entire AC system straight to atmosphere, and you *MUST* use a recovery machine with a tank attached. Some purging is allowed for obvious reasons, as the amount of gas lost is very minimal and has no real effect environmentally.

Newer AC systems that use the R290 gas, however, can be safely discharged to atmophere, as the gas used is pure propane, which doesn't have the same effects as R134a. It's not a heavy gas, so easily disperses. R290 is also a very light hydricarbon that doesn't pose a greenhouse effect, it doesn't deplete the ozone layer either. Anyone discharging an R290 system though needs to be aware that the refrigerant is propane. it's extremely flammable, therefore should only be discharged away from sparks or open flames, and in a very well ventillated area to prevent a gas explosion.