How to Recharge Air Conditioning with Freon in a Toyota Corolla

When the air conditioner in your Toyota Corolla is blowing warm air, you may need to recharge your system with refrigerant. In most cases, you can do this using an automotive air conditioning recharge kit. You can do this if your Corolla is compatible with R134 refrigerant. Some models made before 1995 take R12 refrigerant instead of the newer R134 refrigerant.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

things you'll need:

• Goggles
• Gloves
• Leak detection kit
• Pressure gauge
• R134 refill kit

1. Get Ready to Recharge

   • 1

     Look at the air conditioning system for damage or leaks. Leak detection kits that will help you to find leaks in the system and possibly seal small leaks should be available at your local auto parts store. If you see any visible damage, replace the components or repair the leaks before you recharge the air conditioning system with refrigerant.

   • 2

     Find the Low Pressure Side port. You can find this under the hood of the car. It is near the air conditioner compressor. The location will vary with engine size and year model. In most cases, the port is near the firewall. It has a black cap that is sometimes marked L. Remove this cap.

   • 3

     Figure out if your car uses R134 or R12 refrigerant. You will notice screw type connectors on the both the High Pressure Side and Low Pressure Side lines in models using R12 refrigerant. Models made in or before 1995 may use the old R12 refrigerant. If this is the case, you have to retrofit the Corolla air conditioning system to accept R134 refrigerant.

   • 4

     Check your air conditioning system pressure using an automotive air conditioning pressure gauge. Keep in mind that in order to get an accurate reading, the air conditioner has to be turned on the coldest setting with maximum blowing power.

   Recharge the Air Conditioner

   • 1

     Read all of the directions on the refill kit. Some kits may have specific directions that you must follow to ensure safe use.

   • 2

     Hook the refill hose up to the connector on the Low Pressure Side of the air conditioning system. The Low Pressure Side connector is smaller the High Pressure Side connector so, the refill kit hose should fit only on the Low Pressure Side port.

   • 3

     Hold the can of R134 refrigerant upright and allow the air conditioning system to suction the refrigerant out of the can. This may take as long as 10 minutes.

   • 4

     Use more than one can of refrigerant if the pressure is still low after the first can is empty.

   • 5

     Close the valve on the refill hose and release the hose from the connector when you have finished recharging the air conditioning system. Make sure that you put the cap back on the port.

   • 6

     Let the air conditioner run on the lowest temperature and highest speed for at least 20 minutes. The refrigerant will circulate throughout the entire air conditioning system during this time.

Tips & Warnings

• Always protect your eyes and skin by wearing safety goggles and gloves when working with the air conditioning system.

• Only work on the Low Pressure Side of the air conditioning system. The air conditioner is under high pressure and trying to add refrigerant to the High Pressure Side can cause an explosion resulting in injury or death.

• Don't try to recharge the air conditioning system if a license is required in your area to purchase R134 refrigerant. In this case, you have to allow a professional to recharge it.

• Never try to mix R134 and R12 refrigerant. This causes damage to the air conditioning system and may cause bodily injury. It is possible to retrofit a car that uses R12 refrigerant to accept R134.

• It is a federal crime to release refrigerant into the air. Take any excess refrigerant to a professional for disposal.