The Box seems to not be putting out as cold of air as in the past so I was going to grab a can with gauge on the way home this weekend and see if it is low.
I've used the disposable can and gauge before for the low side on a different vehicle.

Was wondering if there are any do's with a Scion other than starting it up and putting the A/C on full blast?

Can you check charge at idle or a certain RPM?

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If the engine is healthy, it shouldn't matter

 

Look at the sight glass by the pressure switch....occasional bubbles are ok. Too many bubbles are bad and no bubbles means either No charge or WAY too much charge..

do this at idle with the system running.

 

Thanks!

 

One thing you have to know is most all A/C systems are sealed systems pressurized to OEM spec. By adding a can of coolant you are just increasing the pressure. The gauges on the cans are garbage and give you no real reading. The coolant in the system should last 10+ years. Now it looses its cooling abilities over time yes. The best thing you can do is go to a shop and have them do a A/C system service. Where they flush out all the old fluid and replace it. It will contain new oil so your compressor runs smooth and also new refrigerant so it blows as cold as it will get. you can have this done for $100 give or take 20 bucks. I have my system redone every 2 years. But trust me adding a can of coolant to a system that's already pressurized to where it should be causes more harm than anything, There is no such thing is a miracle in a can. Do it the right way and have it serviced so you don't blow a compressor or cause other damage

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Never had good results with fixing with a can. Spend the money and have it diagnosed properly. Only exception would be if you need to make it blow cold to get it past a trade-in valuation

 

If your car is 5 yrs or older and havent had a A/C service at a shop, its time for one. Some repairs and services are not for DIYers or backyard mechanics...and charging AC is one of them.

 

Hi, now is February 2020, and cold outside (30 Degree Fahrenheit) in New Jersey. I am not the first owner of this car. About 9 years ago I took the car to a mechanic shop local. He was not happy with the A/C compressor because is turning all the time, hard to get to it, and he never fix a Scion xB First Gen before.
I use A/C in the winter to dry the windshield from the condensation. In my Scion xB 2004, always add more oil/gas to the cooling system every two to three years. The refill refrigerator gas must have a device to let you know the acceptable pressure needed.
Need to turn up and down the bottle as is saying on the side directions for use. Walmart have the lowest price for this refrigerator gas and the package is coming with a round scale with colors and numbers for the pressure. It is easy to use like a professional A/C technician.

For the additional heating that I needed I ad a 800 Watt 12Volt ceramic heater. This is now connected to the Battery Posts in serial with a DC switch/fuse. The gauge wire used are #8 AWG. So far my car voltmeter not passing 14.0 Volts (in parking with heater off),
and on driving conditions with the heat on and lights on have 13.4-13.7 Volts. At the engine starting point the car voltmeter shows to have 12.1 Volts the lowest for about a second. My Alternator is rated 200 Ampere, so I think this is safe.

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Fingers crossed for another year... I recharged my 2006's A/C with a can of mixed refrigerant and oil maybe 8 or 9 years ago and it still works well. I think it's a bit strange that it apparently leaked down a bit during its first 5 years and hasn't lost enough since then to quit working, but I'm not complaining. It's simple to do. I usually get a pot of warm water to sit the can in while recharging because the temperature drops so much inside the can while charging that it lowers the pressure and slows the charging procedure. Warm water surrounding the can transfers heat back into the can much faster than surrounding air. Not "hot" water, mind you, just warm, say, maybe 100 degrees F, but anything above 60 F will help.

 

Hi, when charging with the Refrigerant 134 a, will not be beneficial to measure the temperature coming out of the AC? I usually take a moment and check that the cold air (in parking/neutral) will not drop under 55 Degrees Fahrenheit. That is because on high RPM (revolutions per minute) like 2,000 or more the compressor working faster and it is possible that the out put temperature will be much lower. Someone mention that by having too low temperature will caused making ice inside and may damage the radiator/parts.