How to Charge an Air Conditioner in a 2000 Ford Explorer

You may begin to notice the air conditioner in your Ford Explorer is now blowing out warm air or taking an extremely long time to cool the inside of the vehicle. This is most likely due to lack of refrigerant within your air conditioning system. Vehicle models produced in the year 1995 and after use R134a refrigerant; this makes it easy for you to recharge your AC unit yourself as you can purchase an R134a refrigerant kit at any local auto parts store.

Turn the Ford Explorer off and allow the vehicle to sit and cool for 30 minutes. This gives the components under the hood enough time to cool off, preventing any burns.

Open the hood of the Ford using the hood release lever located on the driver's side of the vehicle, under the steering column.

Locate the air conditioner low-side service fitting. The low-side service fitting can be found on the suction hose connecting the accumulator to the compressor. Refer to the owner’s manual for a diagram if needed.

Assemble the R134a recharge kit by attaching the recharge hose to the valve on top of the can. Turn the valve clockwise to puncture the top of the can, allowing vapors to be released. Close the can to prevent loss of extra refrigerant.

Connect the R134a recharge hose to the low-side fitting under the hood. Start the engine of the Explorer. Turn the can of R134a to the “On” position to begin the recharge process.

Allow the refrigerant to recharge the system until the can of R134a is empty. Turn the valve counterclockwise to the “Off” position and disconnect the hose from the low-side fitting. Close the hood and your air conditioner is now ready for use.