How to Recharge the AC on a 1999 Honda Accord
by Eli Laurens
The 1999 Honda Accord was manufactured with optional air conditioning, which cools the interior with an evaporator circulated with coolant. The coolant can leak out of bad gaskets or damaged equipment and will need to be replaced. The coolant does not wear out, so when it leaks the cause must be located and repaired. The average backyard mechanic can recharge the coolant in an Accord's air conditioning system in about thirty minutes.
Step 1
Evacuate the air conditioning coolant from the system. With coolant leaking from the system, debris and contaminates can be in the lines and compressor. Evacuating the coolant from the system removes debris and contaminates.Take the Accord to a garage or oil change facility to evacuate the system. They will remove the coolant with professional equipment.
Step 2
Attach the can of 134a coolant to the valve that is included with the recharge kit by turning it clockwise onto the bottom of the valve body. The needle inside the valve will puncture the top of the can, pressurizing the valve.
Step 3
Attach the nozzle of the valve unit to the low pressure side of the Accord's air conditioning lines. This is near the evaporator, on the passenger side of the engine compartment. The nozzle presses to the low pressure nipple and catches it, locking them together.
Step 4
Start the engine and set the air conditioner to its maximum setting. Open the valve and allow the coolant to be sucked into the system. This usually takes about ten minutes. Don't shake or turn the can, simply allow it to empty while upright. Once the coolant in the can has been dispensed, pull the nozzle from the low pressure port by pulling up on its outer ring while simultaneously pulling the nozzle. Turn the can of coolant counterclockwise and dispose of it.
Step 5
Repeat Step 4, using the can of compressor lubricant. This lubricant can already be added to the coolant, but typically they are separate. Allow the can to empty, then remove it as before. Continue this process with more coolant until the system does not take in any more. Accord air conditioning systems use about two cans of coolant and a can of lubricant.
References
Tips
- Use the trigger-style valve kit, because it is easier to use and saves coolant for use later.
Things You'll Need
- Coolant (freon) recharge kit
- Compressor oil (one can)
- Two cans of 134a coolant (if not supplied in the kit)
Warnings
- Do not allow coolant to touch the skin; it can freeze in seconds.
Writer Bio
Eli Laurens is a ninth-grade physics teacher as well as a computer programmer and writer. He studied electrical engineering and architecture at Southern Polytechnic University in Marietta, Ga., and now lives in Colorado.
