hey guys, i need to get my A/C recharged after the wrx swap. Anyone happen to know any good A/C shops in the San Jose to Fremont area. I would just rather take my shop to a reputable A/C place then some random place. Thanks

Dan

 

not an AC shop, but I had good experience with chets auto care. do you have the lines empty for a while? last time I had the lines empty for just 3 days and the seals all went dry. i suggest you pick up some new o-rings and replace ALL of them. yes, all of them, don't take any chances!

 

oh, it was $40 to vacuum and recharge with $20 per lb on the r134a... and i think we only need 1.5lb, so you are looking at $70 give or take a few. while you are at it, might just well replace the high/low pressure vale stemps ($1 each).

 

the o rings are somethin i can purchase from chets auto care? or would i need to get em elsewhere. Thanks

 

chets has them, but those are generic and they might not have all the sizes. i THINK most of the o-rings are by the expansion valve. good luck!

 

good info. Would recharging be a good idea for an 02 wrx? the a/c works fine but i'd like it to be colder. It takes a while to cool down and the air is not that cool.

 

just remember to go to a shop that would EVAC the line, vacuum test it, then recharge to full. Don't go to a shop that would only ADD to the system. You want to make sure no air gets in there. Otherwise you'll kill your Receiver Dryer in the long run.

 

is it just me or do the WRX's not have very cold air?

i swear mine has never been that cold.

 

^^ i thought it was only mine. Would chets be a good place to go for them to check?

 

stupid dent, ill go check chets out this week. there right there on el camino rl in santa clara so its convinient. how long do u think theyll take to do the full evac, vacuum test, and recharge? 1 hr? Thanks

 

evac and vacuum takes the longest (40-60m total including wait). once it's done, it needs to sit for a while to make sure there is no leak. re-charge is just matter of minutes.

 

ask if he is willing to 'help' you out to just check the pressures on low/high for free. although he is a pretty good mechanic, always know your stuff before you walk in. I believe the low pressure should be at 45psi where the high should be at 145psi. If it's already at that level, you are fully charged.

I THINK those numbers are indicated under your hood including how many lb you need in r134a. Don't be afraid to ask what the numbers are on the machines. You'll see the high/low pressure as well as how many lb of r134a got suck out of your system during evac. So when he recharges your system, you should know exactly how much was added (how much you should be pay for the r134a).

one way to know if you have a leak at your high/low pressure valves is to open the caps. If you hear a little hiss like you are opening a can of soda. Have the stemps replaced. don't go cheap, it's only a few $!

 

i had shops try to bs me on the r134a...

I asked the guy how much to re-charge my car. he asked me my make and year. then came back and told me $xx for the service and $20/lb and I needed TWO lbs.

I was like hell no! The system is not even empty AND it doesn't take anywhere close to two lb even if it is! So I went to Chets...

 

where is chets?

 

3295 El Camino Real #J
Santa Clara, CA 95051
408-983-2424