AC Recharing Kits at Walmart. Are they any good?
 

I bought one for $35 but have yet to use it. Just wondering how good they are and if the savings I get from doing it myself is worth it. thanks

If you need to recharge ur a/c u have a leak somewhere

what makes you think that?

Because it's a closed system. A recharge kit is designed to do just that, after you've repaired the leak.

It's been years since I've done it, and I've never used R134a. Me and my grandpa used the R12. I have a friend who attempted to recharge his system on the 1996 GXE, and it ended up costing him a compressor at the dealership. I'm not sure what he did, because he couldn't really explain how he sc***** up.

oh ok, well the car is a 93 and probably neer been recharged so it could just be a super slow leak. not sure if the AC had really been used before I got it. (great grandma owned the car, only put 50k miles on it).

NO DONT DO IT u have R12 not R134a!!!!!! you need a conversion kit if u do it otherwise kiss ur A/cC goodbye

Just trying to put the pieces together, Wal Mart would sell R134a, correct? Because you need a license from the EPA to buy R12. I saw it on the X-Files, even Fox Mulder couldn't recharge the a/c on his G-Man Taurus. Even Elektra was shut-out of R12 when she tried to get some for Daredevil.

As for me, I have no clue what year has 134a--I assume my 98 does since I heard only cars prior to 1993 use R12. Also, I would think that my friend's 96 has 134a also, but not really sure. It's not a DIY job anymore imho. Just like fooling around with changing the clutch fluid, a mechanic told me don't bother, just replace it when you get a new clutch. You bottom that thing out and you've got a heap of trouble.

R12 is now illegal to purchase and be use in cars now i believe

yep, most cars switched in 94

I'm debating on whether i want to buy a recharge kit or let some place recharge my a/c on my 03. I had to take all the cooling out. I would just be safe when using it and make sure that you don't over fill it. Oh and make sure it is supposed to use R134a

Do not use that walmart kit, you can seriously screw up your system. It's worth the extra 100 bucks to have someone do it.... AC costs money to replace and coolant can kill you!

just fixed my AC leaks and changed the compressor. i opted to get a recharge kit from wal-mart and everything is kosher. everything is smooth and the AC blows nice and cold. if you know what you are doing i dont see why the kits from wal-mart differ from anyone you would buy elsewhere.

It's worth reading up on how to do it correctly than to spend money, screw it up and end up spending waaay more money. It's worth a shot after you get educated about it.

i can buy any amount of R12 anytime i want.

proper way is to repair any leaks and flush and evac the system.

then use the correct manifolds recharge the refrigrant to the correct level.

there's a reason why it's so expensive for the techs to do the work. this is not changing your oil...you can be seriously injured.

If it is going to cost you to mess up than you can save on having it done by a pro then take it to a pro there are fines for releasing r-12 into the environment. Fines up to $10,000 and if you mess up it can cost you your eyesight. So on that note if you have to ask the question as to if it is okay to use the walmart brand or not please take it to a pro..Please.