How to Recharge Air Conditioning with Freon in a Dodge Intrepid

Recharging the air conditioner yourself in your Dodge Intrepid is possible if your Intrepid is R134 compatible. Most models made in 1995 or prior to that use R12 refrigerant. It is possible to retrofit a model that uses R12 to accept R134.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Goggles
• Gloves
• Pressure gauge
• R134 refill kit

1. Inspect your air conditioning lines for damage. You must fix any damaged lines or components before you recharge the system. It is illegal to discharge refrigerant into the air. This includes knowingly recharging a system you know has a leak.

2. Find the Low Pressure Side service port. It is located along the firewall on the driver's side in the majority of Intrepid cars. It has a blue or black cap marked L or LOW. Take the cap off. Look at the valve connectors to figure out if your Dodge Intrepid 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. Models made before 1996 may use the old R12 refrigerant. If this is the case, you must have your Intrepid's air conditioning system retrofitted to use R134 refrigerant. R134 compatible models have quick connect valves. If you see these, it is safe to continue with the recharge.

3. Get an accurate pressure reading for the air conditioning system. To do this, you should start the engine and turn on the air conditioner on the coldest temperature at maximum power. Hook up the air pressure gauge according to the manufacturer's instructions.

4. Attach the refill kit hose to the Low Pressure Side port. The Low Pressure Side port is slightly smaller than the High Pressure Side port. This is a safety feature to make it almost impossible to try to recharge the High Pressure Side port because the attachment should fit only on the Low Pressure Side port.

5. Open the valve on the refill kit hose. The air conditioner will suction the refrigerant out of the can, which can take as long as 10 minutes. Keep in mind that overfilling the system will cause an explosion. Because of this, you should recheck the pressure frequently to make sure that it stays below the dangerous level.

6. Close the valve on the refill hose once the recharge is complete. Remove the refill hose and replace the cap.

7. Leave your Intrepid running for at least 20 minutes. This evenly distributes the refrigerant around the air conditioning system.

Tips & Warnings

• In some areas you need a license to purchase all types of refrigerant, including R134.
• Wear proper safety gear, including goggles and gloves, when you work on your Dodge Intrepid.
• Never mix R12 and R134 refrigerant. Doing so will cause serious damage to the air conditioner system components.
• Don't try to work on the High Pressure Side. The system is pressurized and working on the High Pressure Side can cause an explosion. You should be very careful when you are working on the air conditioning system to avoid serious injury or death.

Who Can Help Sponsored