Cooling is weaker this year. Can I recharge the A/C myself? What pitfalls do I need to watch out for? Should I just take it to a shop?

Thanks!

 

if it uses R134a which I'm almost certain it does then yeah you can buy a re-charge kit at any parts store.

 

Yup...and just follow the directions on the recharge kit and make sure the kit brings a working gauge and don't let it get pass "red" I have recharged many cars before with those kits and as long as the rest of your AC components are in good shape you should have cold AC. Follow RAVE manual.

see the pics

 

i just recharged my A/C on saturday .. i recomend you to take it to a shop .. let them evacuate the system and add pag oil and fresh freon that is the right way to do it .. if you just add freon it wont be as cold and you wont know if there is a problem in the system because those cheap kits you can buy only read the low side ... when charging your AC system you need to monitor your high and low side to make sure the system is working properly

 

I agree with Wildhorse, and sometimes either you don't have the money or whatever, then, yes you can do it. As already mentioned, read the directions carefully, and don't over charge, too much will cause excessive internal pressure and can cause damage.
I have a very slow leak so I top mine off every other year instead of going thru the expense of a possibly costly repair.

 

OK, so I haven't charged my system yet, but realized something yesterday. The passenger side vents are much warmer than the driver's side when I have the A/C on Lo. Can something else be going on here? I mean, it uses the same freon system for both sides of the vehicle, right?

Thanks.

 

It does not use freon, freon was outlawed in 1994.
It uses R-134A, same thing, kinda. (Coke vs Pepsi kinda thing)

Yes you have something else going on, you either have a stuck blend door or something is wrong with your HVAC (heating ventalation air conditioning) controls.

 

Thanks for the correction, Spike.

So, where do I start troubleshooting?

 

Check your blend doors first, you will have to get under the dash and figure out how to get to them, you may need to remove some duct work.

Under dash stuff is not my thing, I am to short and to fat, but check the simple stupid free stuff first.

 

It is possible it can be blend door issues, but it may also be low on R134A.