How to Put Freon in My 2002 Pontiac Grand Am
by Alexander PoirierIf you are sweating in your vehicle because the air conditioning is blowing hot air, it is time to recharge your vehicle's air conditioning system. The 2002 Pontiac Grand Am uses a R134a refrigerant system that makes adding freon to your vehicle an easier process than it has been in the past. With a few simple tools that help you measure the amount of freon you are adding to your vehicle, you can have the luxury of cool air in no time.
Step 1
Park the vehicle on a flat, even surface. Engage the vehicle's parking brake and open its hood.
Step 2
Locate the low pressure air conditioning line (in Pontiac vehicles, this line is marked with a blue cap). Unscrew the cap and set it aside.
Step 3
Screw the air conditioner pressure gauge hose labeled "low pressure" onto the vehicle's low pressure valve. The Grand Am's R134a system prevents you from attaching the wrong hose to the wrong valve.
Step 4
Attach the vacuum pump to the center hose on the air conditioning gauges. Turn the pump on to suck all of the air out of the system. The low pressure gauge should now read "Vacuum" and have a pressure of roughly -30 PSI. Let the vacuum run for at least one half hour to clear all of the moisture out of the system. When it is finished, disconnect the vacuum from the center line.
Step 5
Connect the freon tank to the center hose on the air conditioning gauges. Open the freon tank's valve and slowly loosen the nut on the center hose until it hisses. Once it hisses, tighten it back down again. This will purge the air from the line.
Step 6
Place the tank on the refrigerant scale. Turn the car on and turn its air conditioner to its coldest and highest settings.
Step 7
Open the low pressure valve on the low pressure side of the air conditioning gauge to begin filling the vehicle. Fill the vehicle until the scale reads 1.4 pounds. Once it reaches this weight, close the low pressure valve.
Step 8
Close the valve on the freon tank and remove the hose. Remove the hose from the vehicle's low pressure valve and replace the blue cap. Let the engine run for at least twenty minutes before you shut it off.
References
Things You'll Need
- Air conditioning gauges
- Vacuum pump
- Freon tank
- Refrigerant scale
Writer Bio
Alexander Poirier began writing professionally in 2005. He worked as the editor-in-chief of the literary magazine "Calliope," garnering the magazine two APEX Awards for excellence in publication. Poirer graduated from the University of the Pacific with a Bachelor of Arts in English.
