Does anybody have any ideas on how long till a recharge (oil and HC134a) is on these new F-150's? I dunno for sure but these HOT days in Houston can make me wonder sometimes if I need to "Top Off" the freon, OR, is it better not to crack the system till you absolutely have to.

Any input is appreciated.

Thanks...

 

Unless your system is leaking F134, the answer is never. If you need to add, there is a problem that needs to be identified and corrected before you add freon.

 

I was under the impression that any freon whether it is R-12, R-22, or HC-134a will permeate (seep) through the metal components of the air conditioning system over time due to the molecular structure. It's only a matter of time before you'll need a recharge.

 

I don't think the refrigerant permeates thru metals. At least not in the way hydrogen does. Having said that, it's a rare system that's got rubber seals all over the place that doesn't leak. Some leak sooner than others. Have heard of some leaking enough to require a recharge in less than a year before a leak is discovered. Others stay sealed for years. Hard to predict with so many variables at play.

As far as maintenance goes, I'm still of the thought that you should get the system evacuated, dried, and recharged at least every 3 years for maximum life of the components.

On vehicles I want to keep for a long time, I do it every 2 years. On vehicles that I'll keep for 3 years or less, I don't do anything.

My local a/c experts all say this is necessary if you live in hot humid areas of the country. I don't know why, exactly, but when I don't do this preventative maintenance, I have all kinds of problems ranging from leaks in evap and condensor coils to catastrophic compressor failures.

 

My son in Texas has a 91 Suburban and it quit cooling. He bought a 134 kit at Wal Mart and it did not start to cool until he had put in the 4th can of 134. I sugested he find a can of the 134 with the red tracer dye to find out if and where he has a leak in the system.

 

4 cans??? You better talk to him and tell him to get his truck to an a/c repair shop real soon. If the lubricant leaked out with the R-134, which is highly likely considering the size of the leak, he could ruin the compressor in no time, changing a possibly small repair job into one that will cost around a grand or more.

 

Thank you for the input Dennis. I was contemplating one of those recharge oil/freon combo kits but after reading your post it sounds like a routine maintenance service would be more in order. The mechanic recommendation for a humid climate sure rings a bell here, I've noticed that most a/c systems that have not recieved the service interval that you mentioned start to get a musty odor when turned on for the first time in a while. Sounds like it makes total sense to me.

Thanks again.