How to refill refrigerant.

In the case of the Prius with the electric compressor you just get you some virgin generic 134a and you're not even going to use a half a can so I don't know what you're going to do with the rest that should clear up your bubbles put you back to where you were without having to discharge reweigh redo anything. That's how I do all the mine and they're all still working heading to various mileages over 300 so oh well

 

The required refrigerant and lubricant is measured by weight inside a machine after its evacuated from the system. Because it is a variable pressure system, that is the only way you can get the right amount in the system. People who make the mistake of doing it by pressure from a refill can from the store often end up with a failed compressor in a year. Your best bet is to take it to an auto AC specialist and have them ensure you have the right amount in the system.

 

The ports are normal r134a automotive quick connects.

Really old r12 vehicles or residential systems use 1/4” screw on connections with core depressors. If you have a 1/4” gauge set you can buy r134 quick connect adapters almost anywhere.


The biggest problem with diy on these full electric compressors is using R134 that has standard oil, dyes or sealers. Those extra chemicals can ruin the compressor windings.

The right way to do this is recover, vacuum and weigh in new refrigerant and a small amount of hybrid specific oil.

But I and others have added small amounts of pure r134 using the sight glass. Only a small amount at a time allowing a few minutes for the system to stabilize each time. And then stopping when the glass just starts to clear to avoid overcharging. You want to have the windows open, turn off recirc and have the fan speed to high to maximize the load.

I would think you could find a shop that has hybrid experience to do it right for $200. The refrigerant is cheap.

 

I had a dealership evacuate and recharge done, around 2016 IIRC, was $168 CDN out-the-door. With elapsed time and inflation, $200 USD sounds about right.

 

You remember the old r22 days with the fittings described above you just screw them on gassed up the mess and did whatever used to sight glass. Have you ever overcharged an old r12 system probably a mistake but anyway if you've done that before you see when you get a good bit overcharge the compressor will start to lock up the clutch will start to slip It can't pump the fluid.? You back off the gas back in those days you just cracked your service valve on your gauges and let some out squirt squirt squirt turn the car back on now the air conditioner runs perfectly that sort of thing.? In the electric compressor genre If you overshoot the minutest amount of gas into the system you will hear the electric compressor start to stumble almost immediately I mean this is like barely over I did this once in a Prius the first time I had one and before the compressor could go stupid and lock up permanently damaging it I let some out watch the sight glass got it where I know I like to have it with r12 and all the years of doing that. And that was that that car today is still running and ice cold it will run you out of the car on a 97° day or when you get out of the car you'll pass out because you're so cold and it's so hot outside. So you can measure and do all that stuff you want and follow the EPA guidelines because you need to do that or what have you I usually just top mine off when I get them it's one of the first things I check when I get the whole car most of these cars I pull out a towing lots are still gassed up everything plugged up ready to go these cars it's a last-minute thing to get to the towing lot The mind said is I just replaced this this old car I'm not doing that and then that happens and the next day is at the towing lot that's how fast this goes on and the next couple hours I go by the towing lot see the back end of the car and well that's that. So if you're Johnny on the spot with these things you're getting the car that just came off the road probably for some nonsense or for somebody's personal internal trauma whatever.

 

Yes Time will tell that is the prolific statement in these paragraphs The problem is usually the time is not long enough for the repair to be forgotten and thought to be paid for or what have you.

 

I would probably add more a little at a time to clear or mostly clear the sight glass. The car does have a txv metering device before the evaporator which can compensate for some charge error.

 

Prii use subcooling condensers, which puts the proper charge at a certain extra weight of refrigerant beyond where all bubbles are cleared from the sight glass. Charging only until the glass is "clear or mostly clear" would be a guaranteed undercharge.

 

Well the other way I've done it is charge it up and run the charge up until the compressor almost stumbles and then eject two squirts And generally I do this when it's 100° out 97 right at it Not in the '80s seems to work very well and all of my vehicles are ice cold just short of blowing snowflakes out the vent with my 74 Corolla with the Denso hangn0n and Tecumseh style compressor from Toyota in 74 tweaking the idle amplifier and whatnot I could make snowflakes come out of those vents no kidding r12.

 

All AC condensers subcool but Prius ac’s can be damaged by an overcharge. As stated before the right way is to weigh it in but cooling can be restored through careful topping off.

 

Like the air conditioning guy on here always says he can drop 1.2 lb in and one shot very quickly with his system so most people should be able to come up with similar antics look at the cans you're using they're 1 lb cans or their 12 oz cans or something like that so you're not putting very much in a system if it's empty then even easier pull a vacuum watch it for an hour or two come back and drop your 1.2 lb and that should put you where you need to be or whatever it says on the label 1.4 1.18 whatever it is You get it close to that and you should be golden being off a few milliliters or a half a syringe full or something like that I wouldn't think would create any serious business. Just a few years ago or whenever it was 20 years ago there were no scales measuring gases to go in air conditioning systems I never even heard of that until I don't even remember what year it was dealing mostly with house and residential and small business air conditioning systems not in vehicles then it became a thing in vehicles not really sure why the weights right on your cans and what not this is for people who are using 30 lb cylinders obviously.

 

And in the field on my cars not customers cars I've had good luck with the running the refrigerant in until I hear the compressor get ready to stumble pull the pressure switch off let two shots out of the system put the pressure switch back on listen to the compressor sounds right and then leave it running there for 20 minutes while I listen and watch it freezing air is coming out the vents everything sounds really decent It's 100° out probably going to leave that alone Gage's look good look man we done.

 

The manual gives the figure in grams, not momentary shots. But the most reliable way to the correct charge is to evacuate, then measure in the right total amount in grams.

 

Exactly so if you don't want to run the system down you can run it up with gas I don't generally do the shots I run it up until the compressor almost starts to balk like it's going to lock up then I released from my manifold gauges one or two squirts while the system is running you can hear it like it's relieving itself for me letting a few shots out yeah I'm killing the planet if you think but whatever And then that's that and then in about two years from now it'll be down a little bit again because that's what mobile air conditioning systems do If you look up federal government regulations you're allowed so much leakage per time year month whatever it is That's built into a mobile system whether we like it or not.