How to Recharge Air Conditioning with Freon in a Dodge Caravan

Going places in a Dodge Caravan with a malfunctioning air conditioner is frustrating. Sometimes, recharging the air conditioner with refrigerant is all that is necessary to make it blow cool air again. If your Caravan is a 1995 year model or older, your system may use R12 instead of R134 refrigerant. If this is the case, a professional will have to retrofit it before you can recharge it.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Safety goggles
• Gloves
• Towel
• Leak detection kit
• Pressure gauge
• R134 recharge kit

1. Inspect your air conditioning lines for damage. You can use a leak detection kit from your local automotive store to help you spot leaks. Some of these kits will seal off small leaks so you can proceed with the recharge. If you see any visible damage, take your Caravan to a professional to fix before you recharge the air conditioning system with refrigerant. Locate the Low Pressure Side service port. This has a black cap marked LOW on it. It is on the line coming out of the compressor toward the firewall. Remove the cap.

2. Determine if your van uses R134 or R12 refrigerant. You will notice screw type connectors on the both the High Pressure Side and Low Pressure Side lines in models using R12 refrigerant. If your Dodge Caravan has quick connect valves, it takes R134 refrigerant.

3. Check the air conditioning system pressure. Turn on the air conditioner. It has to be on the coldest setting. You also need to have it blowing as hard as possible. This allows you to get a valid pressure reading.

4. Attach the refill hose to the connector on the Low Pressure Side of the air conditioning system. The Low Pressure Side connector will be smaller than the High Pressure Side connector. The High Pressure Side connector will usually have a red cap or be marked with an H or the word High.

5. Open the valve on the refill hose to allow the refrigerant to enter the air conditioning system. Make sure that you keep the can upright unless the directions on the can tell you otherwise.

6. Close the valve on the refill hose and remove the hose from the connector when you have finished recharging the air conditioning system. Make sure that you put the cap back on the port.

7. Keep the air conditioner blowing for 30 minutes to circulate the refrigerant through the system. Check the pressure again and add more refrigerant if it is low.

Tips & Warnings

• If a license is required in your area to purchase R134 refrigerant, you have to allow a professional to recharge the air conditioner.

• Wear safety goggles and gloves when recharging the air conditioner. Make sure that you have a towel handy to wipe any moisture off the air conditioner connectors.

• Don't try to mix R134 and R12 refrigerant. This causes damage to the air conditioning system and may cause bodily injury. It is possible to retrofit a car that uses R12 refrigerant to accept R134.

• Only work on the Low Pressure Side of the air conditioning system. The air conditioner is under high pressure and trying to add refrigerant to the High Pressure Side can cause an explosion resulting in injury or death.

• Never release refrigerant into the air. This is a federal crime. Take any excess refrigerant to a professional for disposal.