How to Charge the AC System for a Chrysler Town & Country
by Justin Cupler
The air conditioning system of the Chrysler Town & Country is a sealed system and should never leak refrigerant, unless there is a leak in the system. When a leak or failure of the system occurs, the refrigerant in the air-conditioning system must be recharged. Recharging any R134a air-conditioning system does not require a special certification, unlike R12 Freon, but it does require a charging station to be certain the proper refrigerant levels are achieved. The actual charging process is relatively simple.
Step 1
Open the Town and Country's hood and look on the rear of the air-conditioning compressor, the pulley-driven component at the bottom, driver's side of the engine. Trace the thicker of the two lines from the rear of the compressor until you locate the low-pressure service port, a metal valve sticking from the line.
Step 2
Unscrew the plastic cap from the low-pressure service port and attach the blue fitting from the refrigerant charging station to that service port by hand.
Step 3
Trace the thinner hose from the rear of the compressor until you locate the service port, this is the high-pressure fitting. Connect the high pressure hose from the refrigerant charging station to the high-pressure service port by hand.
Step 4
Set the machine to charge the system with 34 ounces of R134a if your Town & Country has only front air-conditioning and 46 ounces if it has rear air-conditioning. This process varies depending on the machine used, so refer to the machine's instructions.
Step 5
Start the town and country and turn the air-conditioning on. Open the discharge and suction valves on the charging station and begin the charging process when the machine alerts you, typically via an audible beep, that the R134a is prepared. This process varies with each machine, refer to the machine's instructions for the specifics.
Step 6
Listen for a beeping sound indicating that the charging station has completed the charge. Close both the suction and discharge valves on the recharging station.
Step 7
Open just the suction valve on the charging station to allow any remaining R134a in the charging machine's line to flow into the air-conditioning system. Close the suction valve.
Step 8
Remove the charging station's lines from the Town & Country's air-conditioning lines and screw the caps back on the service ports.
Step 9
Close the Town & Country's hood.
Things You'll Need
- Refrigerant charging station with R134a refrigerant
- Charging station instructions
Writer Bio
Justin Cupler is a professional writer who has been published on several websites including CarsDirect and Autos.com. Cupler has worked in the professional automotive repair field as a technician and a manager since 2000. He has a certificate in broadcast journalism from the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. Cupler is currently studying mechanical engineering at Saint Petersburg College.
