I just got my mini and I don't think the compressor is coming on. My used car dealer said he would take care of it, but I am far away from there now and want to give it a shot myself since I might not be in the area for a few months. If the system is empty does it take two cans of freon R134a? I imagine it is easy enough to do myself. I did it on a couple other cars in the past.

 

i only needed a good 2-3 squirts from my one 134a to get the system going
for a while.

the nozzle is located on the driver side infront of the fuse holder area.
black cap. my car has a very slow leak the dealer could not fix even
after 4 attemps.

 

With a can of subzero. It was a tall can with built in hose. I pressed the button till it was empty. Is it ok to do that? Or could I have overfilled it?

 

I had a local air conditioning specialist discharge and fill my system while I replaced my condenser in between.

 

Ok. They sell gauges. I can probably buy one to check it.

 

Better to have someone with a guage check it. YOu can overfill the system, and it will not work right, will freeze the lines, did this in my jeep

 

How many ounces of freon does the MCS need? I put 12 ounces with leak sealer and its working great...just wondering if it needs more.

 

Not trying to be a jerque here, but if you don't have a really good understand of which fitting to use, how much to put in, how to know if you are not overfilling it, you may be setting yourself up for bigger problems. You obviously have a leak somewhere. I understand you may just want to add some freon every few weeks to get you through the summer, not a problem. I suggest, if you can find someone who will just add some freon (illegal for a shop to do this without finding the leak and repairing it properly), pay them, watch what they do, ask them a ton of questions, then when it is needed again, you give it a try.

Buy a set of gauges from Harbor Freight, read an article on how A/C systems work and then go for it.

Just a suggestion, been doing this for years.

YD

 

As per Bentlly: The system is a sealed, closed loop, filled with 350 grams (12.3 oz) of 134a refrigerant as the heat transfer medium.

 

I'm no expert, but I think the stuff that is sold over the counter isn't illegal to add to cars without finding a leak or they most likely wouldn't sell it. I if you have an old car, i've always been told what you said, but I think that changed with the new stuff that doesn't burn a hole in the atmosphere, but i am just guessing.

 

They don't legally sell the most harmful of the CFCs that destroy ozone but it still is illegal for a mechanic to recharge your system if there is a leak. I dont know anyone but a dealer though that wont refill your freon if you pay cash...

 

yeah they probably have restrictions since it is still chemicals and not good to let it leak into the atmosphere.

 

The EPA rules on freon pertain to shops that perform A/C repairs, not individuals. Most individuals can do most anything they want, it is the shops that must follow the rules.

YD

 

Just to add to this...

Tetrafluoroethane (R134a) is nasty stuff as well and does also add to the destruction of the atmosphere. It is already being looked at for a ban in the EU and I believe that Cali won't allow the sale of it over the counter. Just because you can buy it does not mean that you should just keep stuffing it into a car without trying to locate the leak.

 

I like the idea of protecting the ozone layer but I will always protect my bank account first. I'm in college and I can't find a job this summer because its the slow season here in Florida...fixing the leak is expensive in my case and it's hot here. That's where I'm coming from.

 

cali allows it to be sold...autozone!!

 

I know I'm reviving the dead here but since this is one of the first hits google pulls up when looking for refrigerant questions on mini's I figured this may help anyone else who finds it...

If your local parts shop sells 134a, or the "recharge" bottles, chances are they will also have a kit that has a UV luminescent dye in it. Put a little in your car, run the ac a bit, get a black light, find the leak. You've just done the brunt of the trouble shooting work so you can now go to a professional and say "My ac has a leak on the high side, just after the compressor, I'd like that fixed and the refrigerant filled" and boom, you just knocked off 1-2 hours of labor time off the bill. Or more if you have multiple leaks. Cheers.

 

I have a 2007 MCS. I found the high pressure side. Where is the low pressure nipple for the R134a?

 

Right up front by the oil dipstick.