Recharging my A/C?

Unless it's leaking, there is no reason to recharge

 

You need to put a set of manifold gauges on the system. Forget the leak detector.

 

And "recharging" if it doesn't need it might really break something.
Before doing anything else, be sure you are using RECirculate and check the air temp coming out of the vents.

If it came with any kind of warranty, take it back and have them test it.

 

PC user "Lech Auto Air Conditionin" (sic) has posted a number of times about the pitfalls of working on these types of AC systems without real service tools. And the fact that the ND-11 oil can be so expensive from Toyota, but so cheap from Interdynamics, what's with that? I don't know, but I would personally want advice from someone who does this.
A/C Freeon Charging & Engin Oil Change. | PriusChat
Have a look at his other postings:
lech auto air conditionin | PriusChat

 

There are some fundamental differences between a conventional belt driven AC and the Prius AC with the electrically driven compressor.

If you are not a refrigeration specialist who has studied the peculiarities of the Prius system, you will likely do more harm than good with a do-it-yourself kit. If you are a refrigeration specialist, then you would use proper tools.

Since the Prius AC is essentially hermetically sealed, with no moving shaft seal to wear and leak, it is unlikely that it already needs recharging unless it has been damaged in an accident. In that case, it should be repaired first.

But before you think about recharging, you should first check that the condenser in front of the radiator is clean and its fins not bent, that the radiator fan is blowing (in the right direction), that the air filter behind the glove box is not clogged, and that the evaporator and condensate drain tube under the dash are not clogged.

There is a sight glass in the high pressure refrigerant line in the engine compartment near the washer fluid tank. When the AC is running steadily at max cool, there should be no bubbles flowing past the sight glass. At low cooling demand and when the AC is changing load or cycling, bubbles are ok. The sight glass can sometimes show when there might be a problem, but it does not show with certainty if or what the problem is.
.

 

Over he years, refrigerant leaks out of the flexible joints sealed with "o" rings, but NOT as much as conventional wisdom leads individuals to believe.

Unless the system is not cooling, I would NOT do anything with it. 50 years, ago, these systems did not have a low pressure "cut off" switch. ALL of them do, now, to prevent damage to a system with a low refrigerant charge.

Yes, I have bee working on AC units for over 45 years.

The biggest mistake that amateurs make is NOT to purge the hoses and introduce air into the system. Technicians with poor or lackadaisical work habits will do the same.

If the system cools, basically there I no way to determine the refrigerant charge without putting the manifold gauge set on the system and running it. The VCS helps, but it is not the same.