A/C recharge help please Options

[SwissFerdi]

Hi guys. A while ago when I replaced the alt belt, I accidentally undid the a/c line underneath (stupid, but this is how we learn). I got a nice blast of refrigerant and I assume the whole system is now voided. Will I have to take this to a professional for a machine job or will a few cans of recharge stuff take care of it? Should I pressure check first to gauge?

Thanks in advance!

This post has been edited by SwissFerdi: Jun 14, 2016 - 11:35 AM

[Bitter]

By the time you buy all the stuff to DIY you'll have paid as much as to have someone do it for you, so if you're going to be doing it regularly then yes get a DIY setup going, otherwise pay someone else. System needs to be pulled to vacuum then recharged, otherwise air and water in the system will make it work incorrectly. It's a really wise idea to replace the receiver dryer now because it's been exposed to moist air and may no longer function correctly. Make sure they check pressures not just at idle but also at 2500 RPM to make sure the high side is staying in normal bounds, an excessively high high side with proper charge level can indicate some issues like you're missing 1/2 the fins on your condenser! PS, good time to check to see if you're missing half the fins on the condenser and replace it if you are. I replaced the one on my 7G and my AC blows ice cold like a brand new car again.